BYU students win international award for video game
Dec 2, 2022, 12:51 PM | Updated: Jan 16, 2023, 3:19 pm
BYU' Team members who created the video game in the production process. Photo: BYU Animation program
SALT LAKE CITY — Students apart of the animation program at BYU received international recognition from the Rookie Awards for developing and producing a video game.
Additionally, the “Highly Commended” also helped BYU earn the global ranking of fifth top video game design school.
The interactive computer game in question is titled Liminus: The Silent Guard, it was initially created as a capstone project for nearly 50 students who helped with the production.
BYU students, according to a press release, spend thousands of hours and over a years time to complete a project that was directed and produced by students Emily Ellis and Gabe Reed.
Ellis said when people ask her if the game turned out how she thought, she says she was just happy to be apart of it.
“It’s awe inspiring,” said Ellis about the process. “When I saw a very imperfect bugged game and the problems and ways in can improve. When people believed in it, it helped me believe in it more.”
Similarly, Ellis’ team was impactful because of their abilities to wear many different hats in the production process and their desire to see it success as much as her.
Game
The challenge was creating something that would appeal to a variety of players and immerse them in the experience.
Arguably, that is what makes Liminus: The Silent Guard a stand out, there is something in it for everyone. Regardless of their style of play.
“There really is value in the ideas you have and letting them sit and become richer in time,” said Ellis, who though of the game’s animation years ago.”We tried to really pull things that make it familiar but other worldly.”
Through adversity, Ellis wants others to know the resources are out there for anyone and it can be very rewarding.
Contributing her and her teams success to their “scrappy, can-do” attitude, Ellis said appreciated having a team that was always ready to take risks.
Along with her peers, Ellis was not expecting BYU to make the climb into top five video game design schools.
“I didn’t even know it was a possibility,” said Ellis. “Two years ago I was like ‘what a Rookie [award]… I was shocked to see that BYU was even in the top 25”
Liminus: The Silent Guard can be played for free here.
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