The team behind
first contact.

Fiona Keil is a game designer and artist currently completing a Master's degree in New Media with a minor in Games at Aalto University. In XenoEtiquette, Fiona is the game artist and co-designs the game's overarching concept, alien cultures, and puzzle modules. What excites her most about the project is the unusual challenge of creating an asymmetrical co-op game that combines digital gameplay with pen-&-paper play. She has a particular fondness for cooperative games, strange creatures, and finding new ways to make players (mis)communicate, collaborate, and bond.

Niklas Malinen is a game development professional with three shipped games and 5 years of professional experience. Developing the game in Unity and designing puzzles are his main tasks in XenoEtiquette. His experience with all aspects of game development is another big addition to the team. Games have always been part of his life — video games, board games, and tabletop role-playing games alike. Co-operative games have always been close to his heart, so creating a game like XenoEtiquette is right up his alley.

Miro Aurela is an award-nominated indie game designer with a background in computer science. His previous games have been recognised in competitions including Think Ink Innovation Contest 2024 (2nd place) and Aware Games Awards 2024 (finalist). In May 2026, Miro joined the XenoEtiquette team as producer to help manage the project, analyse playtester feedback, and design puzzles. In this project, he is especially interested in exploring the topic of communication — a vital skill often taken for granted.

Mariia Makushina is the CEO and Co-Founder of Shader House and a technology entrepreneur with a background in computer science, marketing, and startups. At XenoEtiquette, she focuses on marketing, partnerships, and growing the game's visibility within the indie games ecosystem. Mariia is passionate about creating games that bring people together through communication, cooperation, and shared experiences.