The annual Mini-Games and ProGames Exhibit, held from December 8 to 10, 2024, was a celebration of creativity, innovation, and talent. With 130 participants and 35 outstanding projects showcased, the event demonstrated the remarkable progress of sophomore and senior students from the newly launched Game Development and Digital Media Track.
The event was inaugurated by Dr. Mohamed Anan, Dean of the College of Engineering, who delivered an inspiring opening speech encouraging students to excel in the field of game development and seize opportunities such as Purdue University’s prestigious design conference. His words underscored the growing significance of game development as a career pathway.
The event featured the presence of MSI company, well known for the gaming products and contributed the grand prize—an MSI laptop—awarded to the ProGames Grand Prize Winner, Cyber Blade by Faisal Almusharaf. Mr. Pillai’s presence at the closing ceremony and active encouragement of the participants reflected MSI’s dedication to empowering emerging talent in game development.
Under the Mini-Games competition, the Creative Execution category was led by AURage, developed by Abdullah Ajam, with Tomato Trouble, led by Aminah Al Sayyed, taking second place. The Esports theme saw TypeStrike by Waleed Tahir claim first place, while Bombastic by Majd Awad earned second. For Best Narrative and Design, Syncopation, led by Yousef Alwatarani, achieved first place, followed by Curses and Clovers, led by Fatima Raihan. Lastly, the Games for Good theme crowned Numeric Thief, led by Sarra Abbara, as the winner, with Academic Escape, led by Issa Dahadhah, in second place.
ProGames showcased the pinnacle of creative and technical skills. The Best Design and Narrative award went to Juha’s Arabian Quest by Siwar Raslan, while NRG by Abdulaziz Reda received recognition for Creative Execution. The highlight of the evening was the Grand Prize, awarded by MSI to Cyber Blade by Faisal Almusharaf, further motivating students to push boundaries in game development.
The exhibit featured esteemed studios and companies, including Immerstec VR, represented by Mr. Muath Zahran; Qandeel Studio, presented by Dr. Hanan Makki; Shafra Games Company; and 6wrni.com, presented by Mr. Abdulrahman Abu Saada and Updown studio. The event also saw active contributions from the Game Development Club (GDC), led by Saleh Alghannam and Razan Abu Owaimer, alongside dedicated GIC Assistants, including Alanoud Bindayel, Mohamed Alderi, Saba Siddique, and Kerem Demirboga.
Organized by Eng. Hoda Elsayed, Game Innovation Director, the event brought together projects from three core courses: SE220 (Object-Oriented Programming II), SE461 (Game Engine Architecture and Programming Practice), and SE462 (Game Design). Progames included projects, supervised by Eng. Hoda Elsayed and Dr. Areej Alwabil, that laid a strong foundation for the growth of the Game Development and Digital Media Track, launched officially this year with a focus on the professional game development with unity.
A special mention goes to Mr. Pillai for fostering a promising collaboration between MSI and the College of Engineering’s Game Innovation Center. This partnership is expected to pave the way for future initiatives aiming to advance game dev education & industry-academic collaboration.
The resounding success of the Mini-Games and ProGames Exhibit reflects the growing synergy between academia and industry. With continued support from partners like MSI and the visionary leadership within the College of Engineering, the future of game development is brighter than ever.
