The Founders of Sakatumi Games

SMOKEWOOD isn't being built by a faceless corporation or a sprawling studio. It's being led by a father and son who share a passion for storytelling, moral complexity, and games that challenge players to think.

Matt Mazer - Creative Director & Lead Programmer

Matt brings decades of programming experience to SMOKEWOOD, with a career spanning some of the most foundational languages and systems in software development. Matt has spent his professional life building complex, interconnected systems—the same skills now powering SMOKEWOOD's living ecosystem, morality system, and dynamic AI content.

Matt's technical expertise isn't just theoretical—it's battle-tested across enterprise software, web platforms, and now game development. He understands how to build systems that scale, respond dynamically to player input, and maintain performance under complex conditions. SMOKEWOOD's technical foundation is built on decades of professional experience.

Julian Mazer - Lead Artist, 3D Modeler & Animator

Julian as the Lead Artist, is responsible for bringing the late 1870s frontier to life through 3D modeling, animation, and environmental design. Every character, creature, structure, and landscape you see in game flows from Julian's artistic vision. This is his first commercial game project, however Julian has been working in both 2D and 3D art for years. He is a meticulous and detailed artist who is knowledgeable in technology and brings more than art skills. He was the Lead Programmer on another award winning game team before choosing to focus on art.

Together, they're building SMOKEWOOD the way they've always worked: as a team, as a family, and with a shared belief that games should respect player intelligence and challenge assumptions.