Digital landscapes of the future were in the spotlight at Niagara College’s Game Development Launch on the evening of April 1.
Guests from industry and community had an opportunity to play-test more than a dozen original games created by about 150 second-, third-, and fourth-year students. Students included those from NC’s Game Development advanced diploma program, as well as joint programs with Brock University – Bachelor of Science (Honours) Game Programming and Bachelor of Science Game Design.
Students debuted video games they built from concept to creation. Games were developed during a three-month production sprint which began in January, following a pre-production phase last fall. They worked in teams of eight to 10 to mimic real-world studio environments – combining the talents of programmers, environment designers, and audio engineers.
Program Coordinator Conor MacNeill noted that the event was a success with a strong showing of about 300 people.
“The evening was a celebration of all the hard work the students have put into their games, and also served as a warmup for showcasing their games before they take them to Level Up in Toronto [April 7] where they will represent Niagara,” said MacNeill.
Powering up on experience
Cailin Sojak proudly holds his award.
Game Development student Calin Sojak was part of the team behind Brass Rebellion a wave-based action arcade shooter designed around environmental traps.
“Our goal was to make something with a fun feedback loop that could be played continuously,” said Sojak. “We wanted it to be something that players could learn to master over time and experiment with on multiple playthroughs.”
Sojak, who was also announced the winner of an Associate Dean’s Award at the event, noted the value of the public showcase.
“It’s always a scary thing to present your work to the public, but the opportunity to do so gives all of the experience that comes with creating games within the industry,” he said.
Sojak enjoyed watching industry guests and members of the public react enthusiastically to their game with occasional shouts of “wow!” or “cool!”
“It is an absolutely surreal experience when they line up to get a chance at our game, and I can’t wait to experience that again,” said Sojak. “Brass Rebellion is something I am extremely proud of. Whether it wins awards or not, it is something I helped create with a team of my friends and peers in a six-month timespan, and nobody can take that away from us.”
Third-year Game Development student Victoria Ascoli de Oliva Maya was the producer and lead for Tonight’s Dozen, a first-person psychological horror cooking game set in a 1960s style diner.
Victoria Ascoli de Oliva Maya guides a player through Tonight’s Dozen, a first-person psychological horror cooking game set in a 1960s style diner.
“We wanted to create an experience that turns an ordinary, nostalgic setting into something tense and unsettling,” she said. “On the academic side, our intention was to create a game that allowed each member of our team to work with their strongest skills and contribute in the best way possible, which resulted in a beautiful, high-quality product.”
De Olivia Maya expressed pride in her team’s work and valued her experience in the program.
“Being part of this program and creating this game pushed me to grow in ways I didn’t expect,” she said. “It taught me how to problem-solve, adapt, and support a team through challenges.”
Third year Game Development student Mackenzie Katsmar served as the team leader for Dual Orbit – a tense, two-player, co-operative adventure set on the edge of a black hole. Players must work together to repair their crippled starship before the black hole’s gravity tears them apart.
“The goal is to have an immersive whimsical and intense experience for the players,” said Katsmar. “We’ve crafted an amazing high saturated broken-down ship, with lights and details everywhere. The art style resembles games like Alien Covenant mixed with cyberpunk colors.”
Katsmar enrolled in the program, drawn to the artistic side of game development, and took pride in how the art direction of the game ultimately turned out.
“I think creating our game was an amazing experience,” said Katsmar. “Working collaboratively with other artists and programmers to create something so beautiful and fun is awesome, and I think its a wonderful level of experienced gained moving into the games industry.”
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- Team: Tonight’s Dozen
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- Team: Brass Rebellion
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- Team Dual Orbit
From NC to industry
The launch party served as a recruitment hub with representatives from global powerhouses like Ubisoft and Electronic Arts (EA), alongside Niagara-based indie studios, scouting for talent.
Turner Spring, a Technical Artist at Ripple Effect Studios and a 2018 NC Game Development graduate, returned to the event as an industry guest.
“It really looks like the student work has ramped up over the years .. the projects only seem to be getting better year over year,” he said “Technology keeps improving, and it looks like the profs are keeping up with it too.”
He recalled taking part in the launch party as a student, noted that there were several other NC grads at UbiSoft, where he previously worked, and credited the College for his own career start.
“NC did a good job preparing me with the foundational skills to get me where I am.”
Award ceremony
Before the launch party was “game over” several student awards were presented.
The evening concluded with an award ceremony that recognized academic excellence as well as “spirit awards” which honour students who embody the collaboration and positive team chemistry essential to the gaming industry.
Award winners included:
Year One awards
Niagara College:
Spirit Award: Igor Pova Santos da Silva
Award of Excellence for Art: Cora Leeuwenburg
Award of Excellence for Programming: Giuliano Crisolago
Brock Design (BA):
Spirit Award: Taylor Morency
Award of Excellence for Art: Bridget Morden
Brock Programming (BSc):
Spirit Award: Wilson Pimlatt
Award of Excellence for Programming: Simon Brun
GD Launch Awards April 1, 2026 Award Presentation 8:30 pm
Year Two awards
Niagara College:
Spirit Award: Preston Pion
Award of Excellence for Art: Ron Warwick
Award of Excellence for Programming: Natalia Aguiar
Brock Design (BA):
Spirit Award: Yago Boccanera
Award of Excellence for Art: Malak Alghoul
Brock Programming (BSc):
Spirit Award: Domenico Buccilli
Award of Excellence for Programming: Navin Gunaratnam
GD Launch Awards April 1, 2026 Award Presentation 8:30 pm
Year Three awards
Niagara College:
Spirit Award: Mackenzie Katsmar
Award of Excellence for Art: Calin Sojak
Award of Excellence for Programming: Kevin Elliott
Brock Design (BA):
Spirit Award: Abby Teare
Award of Excellence for Art: Abbygale Critelli
Brock Programming (BSc):
Spirit Award: Justin Kopman
Award of Excellence for Programming: Justin Verhoog
GD Launch Awards April 1, 2026 Award Presentation 8:30 pm
Year Four awards (TIE)
Brock Programming (BSc):
Award of Excellence for Programming: Matthew Shotunde
Award of Excellence for Programming: Jacob Vespa
Niagara College Associate Dean’s Award: Calin Sojak
Project awards: Year Two
Niagara College:
Project Award of Excellence in Teamwork
Game Name: Money by Midnight
Studio Name: Hive Mind
Brock:
Project Award of Excellence in Teamwork
Game Name: Potion Prohibition
Studio Name: Goblin Stack
Project Awards: Year Three
Niagara College:
Project Award of Excellence in Teamwork
Game Name: Tonight’s Dozen
Studio Name: Obsidian Crown Interactive
Brock:
Project Award of Excellence in Teamwork
Game Name: Safe Haven Repair Station
Studio Name: Misclick Media
