Marja Tonteri Tillgren
Creative Acoustics Engineer | Game Programmer
With a decade of experience as a professional Acoustics Engineer, I bring a deep, physics-based understanding of sound propagation and vibrations to the world of Game Development.
After years of solving real-world acoustic challenges—from automotive vibrations to architectural soundscapes—I’m now applying that technical rigor to game programming.
Games
As a game programmer, I’ve contributed to multiple team projects with ~15 members across disciplines including art, animation, design and programming. Collaborative, agile-driven development is central to The Game Assembly’s curriculum. While working under tight deadlines, maintaining strong communication, rapid problem-solving, and effective prioritization have been crucial. Key to success was embracing fast iterations, regular cross-disciplinary feedback sessions and also just having fun.
Harvest Gold
Got a BIG BUG problem in your fancy establishment? Call 1-88-EXTERMINATE and let our X-terminators turn your pest problem into a bug-blastin’ bloodbath. Clean-up not included.
My contribution
• Cooperation with musician
• Implementing sound into the game using FMOD and the schools custom C++ wrapper
• SFX using FMOD, Audacity and downloads from Soundly
• UI (menues, HUD, tutorial pop-ups and cutscenes)
• Part of story taskforce
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Type: First-person shooter, action
Reference game: Doom 2016
Engine: Custom engine developed by our group
Editor: Unreal Engine
Production time: 8 weeks, 40 h/week
Team: 4 Artists, 3 Animators, 3 Level Designers, 6 Programmers, 3 Technical Artist
Composer: Breki Sigurðarson
Trailer below.
Sub Umbra
Mission brief: Agent ‘53’ last seen in the city subway system. Strange apparitions reported, utilize Standard Issue Revolver as needed. Exercise extreme caution.
My Contribution
• Cooperation with musician
• Implementing sound into the game using FMOD and the schools custom C++ wrapper
• Dynamic audio environments with reverb-based room acoustics
• SFX, including Surface-specific footstep using Waveform, FMOD and downloads from Soundly
• Voice recording and editing using Waveform
• UI (menus, HUD, dialogue)
• Json loader for UI elements using Simdjson
• Part of story taskforce
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Type: Third-person horror game
Reference game: Alan wake II
Engine: Custom engine developed by our group
Editor: Unreal Engine
Production time: 15 weeks, 20 h/week
Team: 4 Artists, 3 Animators, 3 Level Designers, 5 Programmers, 3 Technical Artist
Composer: Simon Balthazar
Amen to Mayhem
Traverse the infested catacombs in search of your nun sisters, whilst slaying demons with your holy crossbow-axe.
My contribution
• Cooperation with musician
• Integrating FMOD into TGE using "SoundEngine", the schools custom C++ wrapper for FMOD
• Audio Manager
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Type: 2.5D Platformer, combat
Engine: TGE (The Game Assembly inhouse C++ engine)
Editor: Unity
Production time: 12 weeks, 20 h/week
Team: 3 Artists, 3 Animators, 3 Level Designers, 5 Programmers
Composer: Christian Mietke
Spite: Web of Decay
Your village has been corrupted by an arachnoid blight. With your newly obtained powers you must fight your way deeper into the swamp to destroy the source.
My contribution
• Cooperation with musician
• Implementing sound into the game using FMOD and the schools custom C++ wrapper
• SFX using Waveform, FMOD and downloads from Soundly
• Using transition regions, triggered by game parameters, to adapt music to game
• UI (menues, HUD and a skill tree)
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Type: ARPG
Reference game: Diablo 3
Engine: Custom engine developed by our group
Editor: Unreal Engine
Production time: 10 weeks, 20 h/week
Team: 4 Artists, 2 Animators, 3 Level Designers, 5 Programmers, 3 Technical Artist
Composer: Gustaf Malmros
Circus Vindicta
You, an acrobat, use your circus skills to seek vengeance against the evil knights who slaughtered your troupe.
My contribution
• Cooperation with musician
• Implementing sound into the game using FMOD and the schools custom C++ wrapper
• Using transition regions, triggered by game parameters, to control the intensity of the music
• SFX, using Audacity and Soundsnap
• UI (menues, HUD and tutorial pop-ups)
• UI Manager
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Type: Top down adventure
Reference game: Deaths Door
Engine: TGE (The Game Assembly inhouse C++ engine)
Production time: 8 weeks, 20 h/week
Team: 3 Artists, 3 Animators, 2 Level Designers, 5 Programmers
Composer: Simon Balthazar
Caelum Machina
Stranded on a floating island, acquire energy from robotic sentinels and use it to unravel puzzles amongst the island’s overgrown ruins.
My contribution
• Cooperation with musician
• Integrating FMOD with Unity
• Taking decisions about sound settings, taking the device's memory and processor limitations into acount
• Responsible for the FMOD project
• Using transition regions, triggered by game parameters, to switch between tracks
• SFX, using FMOD, Audacity and downloads from Soundsnap
This was the first, and so far only game, I developed for mobile platform.
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Type: Turn based puzzle game for mobile
Reference game: Lara Croft GO
Engine: Unity
Production time: 6 weeks, 15 h/week
Team: Artists, Animators, Level Designers, Programmers
Composer: Simon Balthazar
Ditch the Witch
Take off on a broom and dash through vast woods and tight caves as you escape its owner who can use magic to bend nature to her will.
My Contribution
• Implementing sound using Unity
• SFX and soundscape, using Audacity and downloads from Freesound
• Recording and processing of voice acting
My first project ever using Unity.
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Type: Endless runner
Reference game: Race the Sun
Engine: Unity
Production time: 5-6 weeks, 20 h/week
Team: 2 Artists, 3 Animators, 3 Level Designers, 6 Programmers
Composer: Kevin MacLeod, Anders Thunarf
Specialization
I have been writing the basics of an integration
of Wwise into a custom C++ game engine.
Wwise is a professional audio middleware software, widely used in video game development for creating interactive and spatial audio experiences.
I wanted to gain experience in getting involved in any SDK as well as getting a first glimpse into Wwise.
Since the time was limited my idea have been to create a basis to start from that is easy to expand depending on what challenges I meet later that needs to be solved.
Implemented so far are the most basic features of Wwise, such as support for streaming audio, loading banks and posting events.
Knowledge about the Wwise SDK provides deep technical control over audio integration, enabling custom memory management,
optimized performance, and seamless synchronization with game systems. It allows studios to bypass limitations of pre-built integrations, tailor the audio
engine to proprietary or unique game architectures, and implement advanced features like dynamic dialogue, procedural sound generation, or platform-specific
optimizations. This skill is especially valuable in development, where scalability, efficiency, and tight engine integration are critical.
CV
The Game Assembly Malmö
2023 - currently, Game Programmer Student
TGA is a game development school where collaborations
with other disciplines are crucial to make games in a
studio-like environment.
The curriculum for programmers is written by game
developers from the industry. The course starts with the
basics of C++ and theoretical programming and ends with
advanced programming.
Akustikverkstan AB 2019 - leave of absence for studies
Acoustics engineer working within the field of building
acoustics, community noise and industry noise & vibrations.
Calculations and measurements of construction noise like
noise from piling, sponging, digging buckets,
compressors, wire sawing, demolition and explosions.
Müller HRM Engineering 2016 - 2019
Acoustical engineer with respect to automotive,
measurement techniques and industry noise & vibrations.
I was primally working as a consultant at R&D with cars at NVH powertrain
specialized with measurements; lab measurements (using semi
anechoic chamber or engine rig) and field measurements while
driving the car on a proving ground. A problem could include all the steps from
finding the source of a disturbing sound or vibration,
investigate its transition paths and finally find a solution that
should be possible to implement.
Akustikforum 2012 - 2016
Acoustics engineer working with building acoustics, community
noise and industry noise & vibrations.
Experiences with different sound sources spanning from
ventilations systems, nightclubs, lab equipment. Calculation and measurements of
sounds propagation outdoors, sound insulation and reverberation.
Master degree: Sound and Vibration Chalmers University of Gothenburg 2012 - 2016
Deep understanding of the physics of sound, what causes sound
and how it propagates through different medium. Sound is
studied as acoustical, mechanical and electrical systems. Hand
on tasks with sound and vibration measurements and analyses
using digital signal processing.
Bachelor degree: Physics University of Gothenburg 2007 - 2010
Learning physics and math.
C++
Proficient in C++, the primary language used in my game
programming curriculum.
Game Engines
Basic familiarity with Unity and Unreal.
Hands-on experience designing and implementing a
custom C++ game engine, used in small individual
projects.
Spoken languages
Swedish - mother tongue
English - fluent
Finish - like a 2 year old
Creativity
Creative thinker with a background in arts and music,
bringing innovative and unconventional ideas to game
design and development. Creative problem solver.
DirectX 11
Experienced with writing my own graphics engine using
DirectX 11 as a school project.
HLSL
Experienced with writing pixel shaders, vertex shaders
and geometry shader in HLSL.
FMOD
Experienced with FMOD in multiple game projects,
implementing adaptive music systems and dynamic audio
environments with reverb-based room acoustics and
surface-specific footstep audio
WWISE
Basic knowledge of Wwise and Wwise SDK.
I am part of The Game Assembly’s internship program. As per the agreement between the Games Industry and The Game Assembly, neither student nor company may be in contact with one another regarding internships before April 15th. Any internship offers can be made on April 27th, at the earliest.
Phone: +46 762 24 83 01
Email: marja.sounds@gmail.com
LinkedIn
