Quinnipiac University

BA in Game Design and Development Our Work and Achievements

Our program, faculty and students are consistently recognized for excellence. We place a high priority on exhibiting work publicly and being active members of the game design community at large. Here are some of our success stories.

Recent Student Work

Like every Quinnipiac student, you'll have many opportunities to learn through hands-on experiences through research, course projects and capstones. These immersive opportunities not only demonstrate the depth of your knowledge and skills to professors and peers, but also make a strong impression on potential employers. By applying what you've learned in real-world contexts, you'll gain deeper insights into various industries and career paths.

Learn more about student work

Annual GDD Showcase

Every year, the Game Design and Development program holds a showcase and competition to celebrate the exceptional games created by students.

Explore each year's award-winning games below.

2024 Showcase Winners

Student Recognitions and Achievements

2025

  • Ultimate Portfolio Award at the DMCT Awards for Zach Lauri's ’25 game design portfolio

2024

  • Platinum Medal at Game Narrative Review at GDC for Stray by Amari O'Connor ’24
  • Gold Medal at Game Narrative Review at GDC for PARANORMASIGHT: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo by Somnarng Sin ’24
  • Excellence Award by the Connecticut Art Directors Club for Any Last Word by Nathan Pippin ’24

2023

  • Best Technical Game at RPI's GameFest for Trewel Towers by Brendan Berg ’23, Matt Camerato ’23, Tyler Gorman ’23, Lydia Hallett ’24 and Horacio Valdez ’23
  • Narrative and Games for Impact Finalist at RPI"s Gamesfest for The Council of Fluff and Stuff by Amari O'Connor ’24
  • Gold Medal at Game Narrative Review at GDC for The Wolf Among Us by Amari O'Connor ’24

2022

  • Gold Medal at Game Narrative Review at GDC for Little Nightmares by Tyler Gorman ’23

2021

  • People's Choice Award at the Connecticut Festival of Indie Games for Neon Flip by Brendan Berg ’23 and Horacio Valdez ’23

2020

  • Finalist for the National Center for Women & Information Technology’s Collegiate Award by Emma Hubbell ’21
  • Most Innovative Game at RPI's GameFest for Brotherhood by Son Nguyen ’22
  • Honorable Mention at the Intel University Game Showcase for Beat 'Em by Leo Melendez ’20 and Shawn Urban ’20
  • Gold Medal at Game Narrative Review at GDC for Lisa: The First by Antonia Gates ’20

2018

  • Golden Joystick Award (Best Student Game) at the Terminus Festival for TimeTekker by Ryan O’Hara ’18
  • Best Gameplay at the New England Game Design Student Showcase for TimeTekker by Ryan O’Hara ’18
  • Best Multiplayer Game at RPI's GameFest for Dishonor Thy Neighbor by Khaled Abu-Ghazaleh ’18, Steven Bischoff ’18, Matt Hodges, Jibril Pickett ’18 and Nathan Williams ’18

2017

  • 1st Place in the Arts at College of Arts and Sciences Awards Ceremony for TimeTekker by Ryan O’Hara ’18
  • Best Multiplayer Game at RPI's GameFest for Rapture the Flag by DJ Bilal ’17, John Hatton-Miller ’17, Christopher Laferriere ’18, Hector Ogando ’17, Donovan Sepulveda ’17 and Joe Verducci ’17
  • Best Use of Time at RPI's GameFest for TimeTekker by Ryan O’Hara ’18

2016

  • 3rd Place at RPI's GameFest for Cannon vs Cannon by Khaled Abu-Ghazaleh ’18 and Nathan Williams ’18

2024

  • PAX East, Boston, MA for Trewel Towers by Brendan Berg ’23, Matt Camerato ’23, Tyler Gorman ’23, Lydia Hallett ’24 and Horacio Valdez ’23
  • Boston Festival of Independent Games, Boston, MA for Beat 'Em by Shawn Urban ’20 and Leo Melendez ’20

2018

  • Terminus Festival, Atlanta, GA for TimeTekker by Ryan O’Hara ’18
  • PAX East, Boston, MA for Dishonor Thy Neighbor by Khaled Abu-Ghazaleh ’18, Steven Bischoff ’18, Matt Hodges, Jibril Pickett ’18 and Nathan Williams ’18
  • PAX East, Boston, MA for Rapture the Flag by DJ Bilal ’17, John Hatton-Miller ’17, Christopher Laferriere ’18, Hector Ogando ’17, Donovan Sepulveda ’17 and Joe Verducci ’17

2022

  • The Game Developers Conference, San Francisco, CA for analysis of The Wolf Among Us by Amari O'Connor ’24
  • The Game Developers Conference, San Francisco, CA for analysis of Little Nightmares by Tyler Gorman ’23

2018

  • The Meaningful Play Conference, Lansing, MI, for LigandQuest by Ryan O’Hara ’18 and Andy Mechalakos ’18
  • The CUNY Games Conference, New York, NY for LigandQuest by Ryan O’Hara ’18 and Andy Mechalakos ’18
  • The CUNY Games Conference, New York, NY for CardioMedic by Khaled Abu-Ghazaleh ’18 and Nathan Williams ’18

Faculty Recognitions and Achievements

2022

  • Nominated for Best Live Action Game at IndieCade for Choppy Copies by Jonah Warren
  • Bronze Award in Serious Games Designed for Healthcare at the Serious Play Festival, Orlando, FL for Activate My Shield by Elena Bertozi et al.

2018

  • Best in Show at Miami @ Play, Miami, FL for Sloppy Forgeries by Jonah Warren

2017

  • Best Multiplayer Game at A MAZE, Germany, for Word After Word by Jonah Warren

2024

  • IndieCade Night Games, Los Angeles, CA for Sloppy Forgeries by Jonah Warren

2022

  • What’s My Method?, IEEE GEM, Torino, Italy by Elena Bertozzi
  • Indiecade, online for Choppy Copies by Jonah Warren

2021

  • Frameless XR Symposium, Rochester, NY for Choppy Copies by Jonah Warren

2019

  • IndieCade Showcase at E3, Los Angeles, CA for Sloppy Forgeries by Jonah Warren
  • Experimental Gameplay Workshop at GDC, San Francisco, CA for Sloppy Forgeries by Jonah Warren

2018

  • Day of the Devs, San Francisco, CA for Sloppy Forgeries by Jonah Warren
  • Fantastic Arcade, Austin, TX for Sloppy Forgeries by Jonah Warren
  • A MAZE, Berlin, Germany for Sloppy Forgeries by Jonah Warren
  • EGX Rezzed, London, UK for Sloppy Forgeries by Jonah Warren

2017

  • A MAZE, Berlin, Germany for Word After Word by Jonah Warren

2022

  • Connecticut BioScience Pipeline Grant: $30,000 awarded to Elena Bertozzi's company, SolitonZ Games LLC, to develop the Activate My Shield app to counter vaccine hesitancy

2020

  • Epic Mega Grant: $25,000 for further development of Ad-Tacker, a virtual reality game that teaches adolescents how to critically assess targeted advertising by Greg Garvey and collaborators

2016

  • Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Grand Challenges Explorations Phase I: $100,000 for the creation of game to gather data about family planning intentions in Karnataka, India by Elena Bertozzi and collaborators
  • Innovation Award: $10,000 for the creation of an educational game about the basics of pharmacology by Jonah Warren and collaborators

2014

  • Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Grand Challenges Explorations Phase I: $100,000 for the creation of a game aimed at modifying behaviors in homosexual male at-risk populations in Mexico City by Elena Bertozzi and collaborators
  • Robert Wood Johnson Foundation New Careers in Nursing Innovation Award: $10,000 for the creation of an educational game about interpreting arterial blood gas values by Jonah Warren and collaborators