Jet Vellinga is a narrative designer, writer, and historian with a deep passion for telling interactive stories that combine intricate systems with social commentary and humor. Her studio is called Illuyanka Studios, founded in 2022, with which she develops social games for women, by women.
Before attending NYU's Tisch School of the Arts, she specialized in the philology of the Ancient Near East at Leiden University. Fascinated by ancient civilizations and storytelling she learned languages like Sumerian, Akkadian, Hittite, and additionally Old English and Middle High German.
She focuses on the ways games can help deconstruct dominant cultural systems and create emotional experiences by combining innovative narrative techniques with performance and interactive design. She also loves horror and puzzle games and aims to one day release a detective novel.
Jet Vellinga is an Assyriologist and game designer located in New York City.
