[{"id":1593371,"date":"2026-04-09T17:27:42","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T21:27:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/insidenc\/?p=1593371"},"modified":"2026-04-09T17:29:36","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T21:29:36","slug":"game-on-students-unveil-original-titles-at-annual-launch-party","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.niagaracollege.ca\/insidenc\/2026\/04\/09\/game-on-students-unveil-original-titles-at-annual-launch-party\/","title":{"rendered":"Game on! Students unveil original titles at annual launch party"},"content":{"rendered":"

Digital landscapes of the future were in the spotlight at Niagara College’s Game Development Launch on the evening of Wednesday, April 1.<\/p>\n

Guests from industry and community had an opportunity to play-test more than a dozen original student-created games.<\/p>\n

The launch included students in their second-and-third-year of NC’s three\u00a0Game Development program<\/a>\u00a0advanced diploma program, as well as joint programs with NC Brock University, including the four-year Bachelor of Science (Honours) Game Programming and NC Game Development\u00a0 <\/a>and\u00a0Bachelor of Science Game Design and NC Game Development<\/a>\u00a0programs. Students debuted video games they built from concept to creation.<\/p>\n

Games were developed during a three-month production sprint which began in January, following a pre-production phase last fall.\u00a0 They worked in teams of eight to 10 to mimic real-world studio environments – combining the talents of programmers, environment designers, and audio engineers.<\/p>\n

Program Coordinator Conor MacNeill noted that the event was a success with a strong showing of about 300 people in attendance.<\/p>\n

“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, who added that it served as a warmup for the Level Up competition in Toronto.<\/p>\n

Powering up on experience<\/h3>\n
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Cailin Sojak proudly holds his award.<\/p><\/div>\n

Game Development student Calin Sojak was part of the team behind Brass Rebellion a wave-based action arcade shooter designed around environmental traps.<\/p>\n

“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.”<\/p>\n

Sojak, who was also announced the winner of the NC Associate Dean’s Award at the event, noted the value of the public showcase.<\/p>\n

“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.<\/p>\n

Sojak enjoyed watching industry guests and members of the public react enthusiastically to their game with occasional shouts of “wow!” or “cool!”<\/p>\n

“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.”<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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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.<\/p><\/div>\n

“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.”<\/p>\n

De Olivia Maya expressed pride in her team’s work and valued her experience in the program.<\/p>\n

“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.”<\/p>\n

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, Harmony, before the black hole’s gravity tears them apart.<\/p>\n

“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.”<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

“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.”<\/p>\n\n\t\t