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HARRISBURG, PA – Earlier this month, the UPMC Health Sciences Tower at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology (HU) hosted faculty, students, and families to celebrate the achievements of students in HU’s newly created Bachelor of Science in Game Design program. The Health Tower’s JPL Digital Media Lab welcomed around 40 people for refreshments, presentations (and, of course, plenty of gaming time!) as students showed off their incredible projects and demonstrated the creative powerhouse that is this still-new bachelor’s program.

The inaugural Game Design Showcase allowed students to show off their work while practicing personal and professional development skills like networking, public speaking, and giving and taking feedback. Game Design Program Lead and Associate Professor of Game Studies & Design, Dr. Kelly Boudreau, and Assistant Professor of Game Studies & Design, Dr. Greg Loring-Albright, selected standout games from across the entire Game Design curriculum, meaning early-career students presented alongside their more experienced peers who are about to graduate.

Students showcased both tabletop games and video games; for the latter, no two of the seven games shown at the event used the same game engine – including UnrealUnityGodotBitsyTwine, and Construct. This demonstrates the breadth of skills and industry knowledge that Game Design students graduate with. Rather than pigeonholing student game designers into one or two game toolkits, the Game Design program is dedicated to educating thoughtful, engaged designers with a diverse skillset.

After opening remarks and student presentations, the event shifted into “arcade mode,” allowing attendees to try out all of the games that had been selected. The games presented included:

  • Waddle Waddle” by Ethan Vasquez ‘24 – A cozy game about a duck trying to make its way home (while collecting adorable hats).
  • Entwined Derelict” by Alex Teeple ‘26 – A space horror game featured in the 2024 Interactive Fiction Showcase – a yearlong “game jam” celebrating interactive fiction’s diversity and flexibility.
  • It’s Your Funeral” by Lillian Bowerman ‘26 – This game received high praise from industry professionals when HU students visited PAX Unplugged in December.
  • Goober Eats” by Aaron Mumper ‘26 – Created in just one week, this satirical game features hand-drawn art and increasingly difficult side-scrolling action.
  • Maze Jumper” by Kyle Schroding ‘25 – This innovative platformer was created using the open-source Godot game engine.
  • The King’s Tomb” by Peter Ly ‘25 – A dreamlike adventure game made using the lo-fi Bitsy engine.
  • Sword Boxing” by Peter Ly ‘25Joe Rizzuto ‘27, and Dan Wood ‘27 – A lighthearted fighting game set in a world where swords have been added to boxing; the concept was developed by Aaron Mumper, who then handed the design documents to the team as a part of a class exercise.

We hope you’re as excited as we are to see what students present at the next Program Showcase in the Fall!

The Game Design program is one of Harrisburg University’s newest and fastest-growing undergraduate programs. Career possibilities go far beyond AAA game development, encompassing narrative, gameplay, and level design; assets and animation; indie game publishing; customer and community support; gamified application design; and even making games to help with counseling and therapy: In 2022, Anthony Ortega, Instructor in the Game Design and Interactive Media programs, co-published a first-of-its-kind research project identifying tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) as an effective intervention tool for adults with social anxiety.

HU’s Game Design bachelor’s degree program doesn’t just prepare learners for lucrative careers in the video and board games industries; it seeks to improve and continually refine gaming’s ability to bring positive change and awareness to critical social issues. To learn more about HU’s Bachelor of Science in Game Design degree program, visit HarrisburgU.edu or get in touch with HU Admissions to start a conversation.

ABOUT HARRISBURG UNIVERSITY

Harrisburg University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and is a private, nonprofit university offering bachelor’s and graduate degree programs in the fields of science, technology, and mathematics. For additional information about the University’s affordable, demand-driven undergraduate and graduate programs, please call 717.901.5146 or email Connect@HarrisburgU.edu. Stay updated by following Harrisburg University on XLinkedInInstagram, and Facebook.