Portrait of Yoan-Daniel Malinov

About Yoan-Daniel Malinov

Yoan-Daniel Malinov

Zdravey! I’m Yoan. I’m a Research Fellow at the University of Southampton, but I don’t really fit the typical academic mold (I think). I’m a creator first - I jump from code to music to art and rarely stop to polish things to perfection.

So yeah, look around. My code, my art, my music, my messy experiments. It’s all here. If you want it, take it. You don’t need to ask.

Role

Research Fellow, LoGaCulture Project

Location

Southampton, UK

Availability

Always down to build something weird

GitHub Itch.io Twitch Google Scholar LinkedIn Email

Skills snapshot

Programming

  • C#
  • C++
  • Python
  • Java

Game Dev

  • Unity
  • Godot
  • SDL2/3
  • GitHub

Creative

  • Blender
  • Aseprite
  • Clip Studio Paint
  • FL Studio

Timeline

Experience and education at a glance.

Experience

  • Research Fellow – LoGaCulture

    University of Southampton · May 2023 – Present

    Developing and evaluating a locative game for the Avebury Stone Circle as part of LoGaCulture.

  • Student Demonstrator

    University of Southampton · Oct 2019 – May 2023

    Supported first-year programming labs and the COMP3218 Game Design & Development course.

  • Android Developer – Intern

    University of Southampton · Jul 2018 – Sep 2018

    Built a computer-vision Android app to scan labels and speed up inventory workflows for a company.

Education

  • PhD in Computer Science

    University of Southampton · 2019 – 2025

    Researching multi-modal cooperative VR play and how it shapes immersion and social presence.

  • BSc Computer Science, First Class Honours

    University of Southampton · 2016 – 2019

    A general computer science degree with some focus on game development.

  • High School Diploma - 5.89 GPA

    Sofia High School of Mathematics (SMG) · 2011 – 2016

    Specialized in Mathematics, Informatics, and English.

What I'm working on

LoGaCulture Project

Designing a locative AR game for the Avebury Stone Circle, trying to blend cultural heritage with playful interaction.

Open project →

Passions & Experiments

  • Story-driven game design inspired by The Stanley Parable, Undertale/Deltarune, and Outer Wilds.
  • Making music with drums, guitar/bass, keys, FL Studio, and even VR drumming sometimes.
  • Prototyping strange and playful ideas in games and AI.
beliefs.md

# What I believe

  • Digital goods are infinitely replicable. Hoarding them makes no sense.
  • Copyright often stifles creativity. I want to fuel it.
  • Real learning happens when you see the messy bits, not just the polished product.
  • I release my personal contributions as CC0. If I use other libraries, I respect their licenses, but my part is yours.
  • Use my work. Seriously. Take it, sell it, change it. I want to see what you do with it.