Throughout years of game development, I have met few people as determined and hard-working as Marc van Niekerk. With an eye for detail and deep understanding of the principles of design, Marc is an incredible talent and unstoppable force when it comes to tackling any endeavor. With an immense willingness to learn whatever is required for the task at hand, Marc is eager to construct creative and long-lasting solutions to complex design problems. As an incredibly honorable and thoughtful individual, Marc brings a level of care, friendship and genuine passion to any project he is involved with. Having had the pleasure of working with him, and as a good friend, if you need someone with a versatile set of skills and unwavering sense of dedication, Marc is who you need.

Marc Van Niekerk is a designer who truly excels in thinking outside of the box. When it comes to his ideas for unique mechanics or the ability to push himself to learn, Marc is overall an absolute powerhouse to any role he is given. His technical expertise and his way of approaching design is one of his most admirable traits. I've had numerous opportunities to work with Marc during our time in college and guaranteed: Marc is hard-working, incredibly knowledgeable and you'll greatly appreciate his willingness to learn. There is no way to put it into words, but he's one of the most unique designers you'll ever meet.

Marc Van Niekerk is the champion of efficient perfectionism. Eager to make any project he works on the very best version of what he could be, he isn't afraid to dip his hands into any development fields to put his skills to the service of the project. And if he doesn't know how to do something? You can bet he'll spend as much effort as possible to learn it well in the quickest possible time frame. Neither afraid to give his help nor to ask for it, Marc is a great asset to any game development team, as well as a steadfast defender of its cause. Not afraid to speak his mind, you can always know that he will speak for the good of the project. If you're looking for a conscientious designer and artist, who is always looking to improve his craft and efficiency while bringing up the members of the team around him, Marc is who you're looking for!

Marc has confidently demonstrated his ability to produce work which always gets the most out of his collaborators, while staying true to his own clearly defined vision. Throughout my time as his instructor, I was struck by his skills at communicating with others, along with his drive to figure out the best possible path toward achieving his goals through conscientious cycles of iteration. Marc has a strong grasp on managing the scope of his projects and intuitively understands how to efficiently manage his time, leading to work which rarely dips below his high standards for quality. I’m certain that he would be a tremendous asset to any development team who are fortunate enough to have on board as he continues his game development journey.