Our Starloopian’s Story

We know great things happen when talent and opportunity cross paths. Discover the inspiring stories of our Starloopians.

Rafael Martinez Tarin

UX Designer & UI Artist, Starloop Studios

My First Love in Gaming

When I was a child, I dreamed of being a manga illustrator. Usually, I spent time drawing and sketching different comics and manga of my favourite shows and comics. Dragon Ball, Spider-Man, but also my own original superheroes and characters. I loved creating my own worlds and histories.

One day, I came upon my first arcade machine. It was Metal Slug and it changed my life. Now I was playing with 2D characters, animated so incredibly. Then I could be a 2D character, I could play the stories and not just illustrate them, read them, or see them on T.V. I could enter these fantastic worlds and be the hero, be the star. From the moment I played Metal Slug, I decided that I wanted to make video games.

A little later, and after a lot of insisting, my parents gave me my first game console, the Nintendo 64. To say I was excited would be a serious understatement. I spent my time with Mario 64, Legend of Zelda, and Castlevania 64 (a fantastic game that I’ll always fight for!!). Each one strengthened my desire to create games.

Step by Step

My initial entry into creating games wasn’t easy. There were issues and difficulties. I tried to create indie games with colleagues, I tried to found start-up studios with them. I tried to go solo or work as a freelancer. Graphic designer, illustrator, animator, I just couldn’t find stability.

So, I worked other jobs while I looked for my place. I never gave up. In my own time I found ways to improve my skills and, step by step, I specialised in UX design and as a UI artist. This is thanks to studying at ESAT and with a lot of self-teaching.

I was lucky to start my first company where I got to work on some great mobile games like “You-turbo” with the YouTuber, Rubius. Although the game had a mixed reception, I learnt a lot and it helped me join bigger companies. There I got to work on some great projects like WWE Battlegrounds and Evil Dead!

Starting with Starloop Studios

And then another dream came true! My life changed again. I wanted to make video games but I needed to stay local to see my son. I needed to work in Valencia or remotely, and my current position unfortunately couldn’t offer that.

As luck or destiny would have it, I was contacted by a friend who was working at Starloop. And after some successful interviews, I started my remote work as a UX Designer and UI Artist.

Life and Work at Starloop

Thanks to Starloop, I have worked on many different projects since then, combining the two parts of my heart, making video games and now most importantly, my son.

I’m very happy to work here, being a part of many different projects and having the opportunity to improve in many professional areas. All the while I enjoy the company of my colleagues and get to spend my time at home with my family and my son. For this flexibility, allowing me to spend time with my wife and my son, and to create these games, I love working at Starloop.