About Yoan-Daniel Malinov
Yoan-Daniel Malinov
I don't believe in hoarding ideas. I'm a researcher and creator who moves fast, breaks things, and jumps between projects. Whether it's code, music, or academic papers, I want to make things that are infinitely replicable and free for everyone.
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
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Research Fellow – LoGaCulture
University of Southampton · May 2023 – Present
Developing and evaluating a locative game for the Avebury Stone Circle as part of LoGaCulture.
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Student Demonstrator
University of Southampton · Oct 2019 – May 2023
Supported first-year programming labs and the COMP3218 Game Design & Development course.
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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
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PhD in Computer Science
University of Southampton · 2019 – 2025
Researching multi-modal cooperative VR play and how it shapes immersion and social presence.
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BSc Computer Science, First Class Honours
University of Southampton · 2016 – 2019
A general computer science degree with some focus on game development.
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High School Diploma - 5.89 GPA
Sofia High School of Mathematics (SMG) · 2011 – 2016
Specialized in Mathematics, Informatics, and English.
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’ve always been chaotic, fast, and experimental—jumping from code to music to art, rarely stopping to polish things to perfection.
My ‘day job’ is the LoGaCulture Project, designing a locative AR game for the Avebury Stone Circle. It’s a perfect blend: using tech to make people interact with the world (and history) in playful ways. When I’m not researching, I’m usually prototyping strange ideas in Unity, jamming on my drums, or streaming. I use AI to move faster, but the goal is always the same: get the idea out of my head and into reality.
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.
What I'm working on
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.
# 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.