Luca Cavozzi, BA (Hons) Games Design and Kelly Phare and Diana Place, BA (Hons) Fashion Styling and Production at London College of Fashion, have won third place in the Games Innovation Challenge 2021 with their game, Found Guys VS.
The 2021 Games Innovation Challenge, led by National Student Esports (NSE) and sponsored by Barclays Bank, gave university students from across the country 9 weeks to create the most innovative game with the theme of ‘competition.’ Entries were judged by a panel of gaming and esports industry experts.
The London College of Communication (LCC) and London College of Fashion (LCF) students collaborated to make a multiplayer game where players must search and find specific items in a room before the time runs out.
The concept was inspired by the 90s game-show Finders Keepers and Luca’s own tendency to lose things in his own home. “My idea is taking a real-life mundane task and putting it in a game format,” he says. “I wanted to recreate that feeling but with a lot more chaos, like picking up and throwing things in the room." He even used his own bedroom as a prototype before making the game digitally.
Luca is a 3rd year student on the BA (Hons) Games Design course, which teaches students how to create new gaming experiences from the original concept to the finished game. “The course has given me the skills to work on games in the industry in the future or just when making games in my free time,” says Luca. “I am excited about what will be next for me after I have completed the course.”
The trio originally created Found Guys for the Global Game Jam, but adapted it to be a multiplayer game for the Games Innovation Challenge. The project saw Luca working with LCF students Kelly and Diana to create the computer game, with Luca designing the game, Kelly working on the sound, and Diana working on the user interface graphics.
NSE commended Found Guys VS for its look and feel, entertainment value and innovation. “Found Guys VS has a unique concept and was unlike any of the other games that were submitted,” said a spokesperson for NSE. “It’s chaotic, highly enjoyable and your competitive drive really kicks in when playing against others,” said a spokesperson for NSE.
Related Links:
- Find out more about BA (Hons) Games Design
- Find out more about Found Guys VS
- Explore upcoming events and exhibitions
