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Game design programs named among best in Midwest, nation in 2026 Animation Career Review rankings

giffeyt — Thu, 14 May 2026 14:13:23 +0000

Game design programs named among best in Midwest, nation in 2026 Animation Career Review rankingsgiffeyt May 14, 2026

Parallel B.F.A., B.S. programs produce career-ready grads who create award-winning games

91��Ƭ’s game design programs continue to climb in the rankings among their peers around the nation, rising to No. 6 in the Midwest and No. 17 among all public universities in the United States, according to the latest figures published by Animation Career Review.

91��Ƭ held steady on another Animation Career Review leaderboard, but that’s only because it couldn’t climb any higher: The game design programs were ranked No. 1 in Wisconsin for the eighth consecutive year. 91��Ƭ also placed No. 11 nationwide among universities offering game design-related B.F.A. degrees.

"Our program has matured beyond its ‘startup’ phase and is consistently producing industry-standard work, as evidenced by how many of our senior capstone games go on to be published on the Steam and Epic Games platforms,” said Associate Professor Kim Loken, program director for B.F.A. game design and development - art.

Loken said 91��Ƭ’s multiple game-design related degree programs – which also include a B.S. computer science with a game design and development concentration and a B.S. game and media studies – set Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University apart from its peers.

“Because we offer game dev-focused B.F.A. and B.S. degrees in parallel, our students achieve depth in their roles to maximize effective collaborations in the five semesters in which they take courses in which they make games together in ever-larger team structures,” Loken said.

Stout Game Expo attendees play Gator Hucker, one of the student-designed games.

Students build award-winning games

Game design courses culminate in the senior capstone, which simulates an industry environment as students create games in teams. These games are on display each semester at the Stout Game Expo (SGX), western Wisconsin’s largest game developer exhibition, which was held May 7.

Among the award-winning games at SGX was Gator Hucker, in which players brawl as alien alligators with wacky abilities. The game, which won the Audience Award, grew out of a running joke in class about a game in which gorillas threw alligators in space, explained senior Space Goettl. A game design and development - art major with a computer science minor, Goettl wore many hats during the game’s development, including leading the character art team, serving as a technical animator and heading marketing efforts.

“One really important thing the program does is that all of the interdisciplinary game design classes put you on a team where you basically function as your own indie studio, so by the time you graduate you’ve already independently published three video games,” Goettl said. “Because you’re always doing group work (and group work with people outside your individual areas of expertise, no less), you develop really important soft skills through the process that can apply to any job, not just the games industry.”

Esquelito was one of the award-winning games on display at the Stout Game Expo on May 7.

The award for Best Production at SGX went to Esquelito, a colorful, musical game set in the Mexican underworld. Players become Esquelito, a little skeleton who spreads joy through music, moving through levels while staying on beat.

The game was inspired in part by Mexican Day of the Dead traditions as well as the Disney film “Coco,” said senior Alex Colmenares, a B.F.A. game design and development - art major who served as game designer, VFX artist and illustrator for Esquelito.

“A big challenge that the team faced was ensuring that the game was not disrespectful in the way it represented Mexican culture,” said Colmenares, whose own heritage includes Mexican roots. “Another challenge was proper game balance. We wanted to market our game to children, so to that end we wanted to design a game that would be easier for kids. But sometimes things would come out to be way too difficult or way too easy! It was a lot of work to properly tune the game’s difficulty.”

Another big hit at SGX was Aeromancy, a virtual reality game in which players take the role of wizards who must land airplanes on the correct runway using magic gauntlets. At SGX, Aeromancy won the Audience Award for games created in the junior-level Exploratory Game Design course.

“The use of virtual reality enhances the chaotic, frantic nature of the game and allows the player to access that child-like headspace of playing with toy airplanes,” said Assistant Professor Michael Tetzlaff. Aeromancy is the third VR game exhibited at 91��Ƭ in recent years, and the first developed entirely by junior-level undergraduates.

One of the games at SGX, Driven to Madness, featured a game controller designed to look like an engine.

Junior-level students in the Exploratory Game Design course also showcased a two-player racing game called Driven to Madness, which featured a monstrous motorcycle engine as one of the game controllers. Professor Andrew Williams explained that one player drives a motorcycle on a racetrack while calling out to the other player, a mechanic, who must make adjustments to the engine to avoid obstacles.

“The game focuses on communication as each player has access to different types of information and needs to share it to play. This was an ambitious, high-risk project because it has very complex problems to solve and the team needed to learn a lot of skills independently,” said Williams, who added that the game won the Most Innovative Gameplay award at SGX.

A scene from the student-designed virtual reality game, Aeromancy.

Game design programs among top in nation

Overall, 91��Ƭ had a banner year in the Animation Career Review rankings, placing at No. 36 among all public and private universities in the United States. The rankings are driven by academic peer assessments, graduate employment outcomes, and metrics of program scale and institutional performance, including faculty size, retention rates, and graduation rates.

Games created by 91��Ƭ students have made an impression far beyond campus. Last November, a student-built submarine game called Dread Not was honored as best student entry at M+DEV, the largest game industry conference in the Midwest, which drew 1,500 attendees to Madison.

And the graduates who created these games are finding careers in their chosen field: According to 91��Ƭ’s most recent survey, 97% of game design and development - art graduates were employed or continuing their education within six months of graduating. Recent game design alumni have landed jobs with the likes of Activision, Raven Software, Fantasy Flight Games, Pixel Farm and Trek Bikes.

The game design and development - art program is part of the School of Art and Design, one of the largest public art schools in the Midwest. The School of Art and Design also offers bachelor’s degrees in animation and digital media; game and media studies; graphic design and interactive media; illustration; industrial and product design; interior design; studio art; arts administration and entrepreneurship; fashion design and development; and video production, and an M.F.A. in design.

Game Design & Development

All Game Design & Development News

Game design programs named among best in Midwest, nation in 2026 Animation Career Review rankings

Parallel B.F.A., B.S. programs produce career-ready grads who create award-winning games

Board game renaissance: 91��Ƭ professor puts the pieces in place for successful game design business

Dave Beck’s Paverson Games creates elaborate, concept-driven games with the help of other talented faculty

Game design students’ submarine survival game surfaces to victory at M+DEV, Midwest’s biggest game industry event

PC game’s win at M+DEV expo highlights 91��Ƭ’s globally ranked program

Parallel B.F.A., B.S. programs produce career-ready grads who create award-winning games Two players at 91��Ƭ SGX spring 2026

University Marketing

B.F.A. Game Design & Development - Art

Our collaborative program will teach you to develop 2D and 3D videogame and tabletop game assets using industry-standard software and hardware.

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B.S. Computer Science (Game Design & Development Concentration)

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B.S. Game & Media Studies

Our B.S. Game & Media Studies offers students interested in media and gaming an avenue to leadership through research and project management.

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Search Keywords: game designStout Game ExpoSGX

Hero Caption: Audience members test student-designed games at the Stout Game Expo (SGX) on May 7, 2026.

Kim Loken

Kim Loken's industry experience spans civic, commercial, and residential projects. Her approach to each is further informed by a storytelling mindset cultivated in work for film and theater. In her prior architecture practice, she helmed a variety of adaptive reuse, historic preservation and new construction projects. More recent work focuses on the use of games as systems for analyzing complex problems, particularly those related to environmental issues. Teaching invigorates her practice and provides the opportunity to mentor young designers in a variety of disciplines.

Teaching Interests: Design thinking, interdisciplinary design, large-scale collaborative projects

Research Interests: Phenomenology, narrative-driven design

Professional Interests: Place-making, critical regionalism, cultural history and adaptive re-use

Full Name: Kim Loken

Job Title: Professor / Program Director / Minor Advisor

Include in Directory: Yes

Area of Expertise: Architecture Systems Design

College: College of Arts & Human Sciences

Department: School of Art & Design Design Department

Program

All Degree Programs

Curriculum Vitae: Kimberly Loken CV (97.64 KB)

Education:

Degree: M.Arch.

University: University of Texas at Austin

Degree: Licensed Architect

Degree: LEED-Accredited Professional

University: U.S. Green Building Council

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Seth Berrier

Seth earned his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in 2012 where he worked with Professor Meyer in the disciplines of computer graphics and visualization. He also holds a B.A. in Music from the Jordan College of Fine Arts at Butler University in Indianapolis. He is a classically trained tenor and an active participant in community theater in and around the Chippewa Valley.

Teaching Interests: Introductory programming courses, data structures and algorithms, software engineering, and computer graphics.

Research Interests: Seth is interested in using the visual power of graphics and visualization to bridge the pure technical disciplines of math and computer science with design and the arts. He has interests in design disciplines ranging from architecture to fashion and game design and seeks to develop new tools that enable the creative processes in these fields. He is also interested in advancing the primitive world of music visualization through the disciplines of formal music theory and form and analysis. In computer science, he is most interested in image based rendering and light field acquisition, photogrammetry and light fields for digital heritage, real-time photo-realistic rendering with graphics hardware and high-level shading languages.

Full Name: Dr. Seth F. Berrier

Job Title: Professor / Program Director

Include in Directory: Yes

Area of Expertise: Computer Graphics Real-Time 3D Rendering Game Design Design Process Photogrammetry Light-Field Rendering Web Programming Software Engineering

College: College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Management

Department: Mathematics, Statistics & Computer Science Department

Program

All Degree Programs

B.S. Computer Science

Curriculum Vitae: Dr. Seth F. Berrier CV (259.43 KB)

Education:

Degree: Ph.D. Computer Science

University: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Degree: M.S. Computer Science

University: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Degree: B.A. Music

University: Butler University

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Board game renaissance: 91��Ƭ professor puts the pieces in place for successful game design business

giffeyt — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 19:00:00 +0000

Board game renaissance: 91��Ƭ professor puts the pieces in place for successful game design businessgiffeyt February 16, 2026

Dave Beck’s Paverson Games creates elaborate, concept-driven games with the help of other talented faculty

Tom Giffey

The gift of a board game, a visit to a historic distillery and a sleepless night during a sabbatical in Scotland combined to inspire 91��Ƭ Professor Dave Beck to create a successful game design business.

These experiences also transformed Beck’s approach to teaching students in 91��Ƭ’s game design and development programs. Whether they come from the artistic or computer science sides of game design, students make their way to Beck’s Introduction to Game Design course, where he stresses the fundamentals. And good design, he emphasizes, doesn’t have to start on a computer.

“It’s really the concept of the design and creating a system and a series of problems and challenges for a player to overcome,” Beck said. “That can happen on paper, or it can happen in pixels.”

The first assignment happens on paper, a common first step for budding game designers, as Beck’s students use cards, dice and other components to fashion paper prototypes. Paverson Games, Beck’s acclaimed indie game design business, also started in analog fashion.

Luthier, like other Paverson Games titles, features rich detail and exquisitely designed pieces.

Professor Dave Beck

Back in 2014, Beck — who has academic expertise in 3D modeling, virtual reality, animation, level design and game engines — was given a board game by his wife, 91��Ƭ Senior Lecturer Emily Beck, as a gift. Initially skeptical, he was quickly enchanted by Dominion, a medieval-themed deck-building game, which was very different from the frustrating, luck-based board games he remembered from childhood. Soon, he said, “I fell deep into a rabbit hole” and acquired a basement full of similar board games.

Beck isn’t alone in having his imagination captured by the hobby: Tabletop gaming has undergone a renaissance over the past decade or so, expanding into a $27 billion industry worldwide with projected annual growth of more than 10%. The trend has been driven by the increased availability of well-designed, attractive games like those produced by Paverson Games.

Yet for Beck, board games remained a pastime rather than a vocation for several years until he found himself on sabbatical in Scotland with his wife, who was teaching there for a semester. Amid working on his own 3D augmented reality project, Beck found time to play board games and tour some of Scotland’s legendary distilleries.

It was shortly after one such tour that Beck spent a sleepless night pondering a potential game. “Probably around midnight, this idea, truly a lightbulb moment, popped in my head about how I could represent the distilling process through a game mechanic, which is basically shuffling and removing cards to represent cutting out the heads and the tails,” he said. (In this context, “heads” and “tails” are byproducts from the beginning and end of the distillation process.)

The next morning found Beck scribbling notes and fashioning pieces of paper — much like his Introduction to Game Design students do. “The second I came up with this idea, I was cutting things out,” he recalled. “It was just like this energy inside me and this kind of joy — I don’t know how to better describe it — that I hadn’t felt in years.”

91��Ƭ professors, left to right, Seth Berrier (computer science), Sarah Wood (psychology) and Andrew Williams (design) play test an early version of Professor Dave Beck’s game D / Submitted photo

After more designing and play testing, Beck returned to Wisconsin with the basis of Distilled, which is marketed as a “spirited strategy game” in which players compete to become master distillers by creating whiskey, gin, rum and other spirits. He launched a Kickstarter in 2021, which raised its original goal of $18,000 in just 23 minutes. Ultimately, more than 8,000 backers pledged nearly $550,000 toward the project.

To make the game a reality, Beck leaned on the talents of some of his 91��Ƭ colleagues. Professor Erik Evensen, program director for the B.F.A. illustration program, created the artwork and served as graphic designer for the project. Professor Seth Berrier, program director in B.S. computer science (game design and development concentration), helped create an online version of Distilled, which allowed users to play test the game and give feedback. Meanwhile, Associate Professor Cody Reimer, program director for B.S. game and media studies, used his technical writing skills to edit the rulebook and game text.

More than four years after the original Kickstarter launched, Distilled has sold more than 50,000 copies across 10 different languages. (A cocktail-themed expansion launched last fall raised an additional $631,000 on Kickstarter.) And Beck’s business has gained attention beyond board-gaming circles, including being named one of the best strategy board games of the year by The New York Times and landing Beck a profile on a recent episode of the PBS Wisconsin series “Wisconsin Life.”

"Wisconsin Life" segment about Paverson Games / PBS Wisconsin

Just like his board game collection, Beck’s board game output didn’t stop at one. He co-designed a second game, Luthier, in which players take the roles of 18th-century instrument makers during the height of the classical music era. This meticulously detailed game hit the market in 2025 after another successful Kickstarter, which raised $790,000. Two more Paverson Games titles by different designers are now in the pipeline: Class of ’89, which focuses on creating a high school yearbook (with artwork by Evensen), and Ringyō, a forestry game set in feudal Japan (designed by former 91��Ƭ Lecturer Charlie McCarron).

91��Ƭ game design students have also played a role in the business as paid interns. Most recently, Amanda Gagnon, a junior from Racine, interned for Paverson Games over the winter break. The internship reinforced skills Gagnon learned in her coursework, from updating and formatting files to assembling physical prototypes. The experience, she said, gave her a solid foundation in working on both digital and tabletop games.

“I think a lot of people that first begin to pursue a game design degree — myself included — start out really excited to create the art, the code or the narrative,” Gagnon said. “However, when you’re introduced to tabletop design, it really makes you focus on the mechanic design and player experience instead. Learning more about tabletop design and working with a tabletop company emphasized to me the importance of play testing and making sure players enjoy your game, which can sometimes get missed in digital game design.”

All of the Paverson Games titles rely on strong themes that attract players and keep them fascinated, not frustrated. “I believe very strongly in theme-driven design,” Beck said. “It’s something that not only helps people learn the game a little easier, because they can understand the real-world connection, but also it oftentimes will have more of a lasting impression that will allow you to really dive deeper into the art of that game as well to create that world for the player.”

Such focus has made Beck a success in both the classroom and the world of board gaming. “It’s crazy to think how one sleepless night can literally change your life,” he said.

The Paverson Games booth at the Essen Spiel, the world’s largest board game fair, in Essen, Germany, last fall. / Submitted photo

Game Design & Development

All Game Design & Development News

Game design programs named among best in Midwest, nation in 2026 Animation Career Review rankings

Parallel B.F.A., B.S. programs produce career-ready grads who create award-winning games

Board game renaissance: 91��Ƭ professor puts the pieces in place for successful game design business

Dave Beck’s Paverson Games creates elaborate, concept-driven games with the help of other talented faculty

Game design students’ submarine survival game surfaces to victory at M+DEV, Midwest’s biggest game industry event

PC game’s win at M+DEV expo highlights 91��Ƭ’s globally ranked program

Dave Beck’s Paverson Games creates elaborate, concept-driven games with the help of other talented faculty Dave Beck with Luthier game in Furlong Gallery

University Marketing

B.F.A. Game Design & Development - Art

Our collaborative program will teach you to develop 2D and 3D videogame and tabletop game assets using industry-standard software and hardware.

Learn More

B.S. Computer Science (Game Design & Development Concentration)

Do you love video games?

Search Keywords: game design

Hero Caption: Professor Dave Beck poses with Luthier, a board game he co-designed, which is on display at 91��Ƭ's Furlong Gallery as part of the School of Art and Design Faculty Exhibit.

Dave Beck

Dave Beck is a practicing game designer and owner of the board game company, Paverson Games. He is the designer of the award-winning board game Distilled: The Spirited Strategy Game and co-designer of Luthier: The Art of the Instrument.

Beck has also designed video games, such as Tombeaux, released on Steam in 2018. This interactive experience investigates the convergence between cultures and the environment across a few hundred years of midwestern American history.

Beck is the recipient of the 2010 International Science & Engineering Visualization Challenge Award, given by the National Science Foundation, and his artwork has been featured in publications such as the New York Times, Sculpture Magazine, National Geographic, the journal Science, and the book GameScenes: Art in the Age of Videogames.

Full Name: Dave Beck

Job Title: Professor

Include in Directory: Yes

Area of Expertise: Game Design Video Game Design & Development Board Game Design Independent Business Owner Board Game Publishing

College: College of Arts & Human Sciences

Department: School of Art & Design Design Department

Program

All Degree Programs

Curriculum Vitae: David Beck CV (417.55 KB)

Website: Personal Website Paverson Games

Education:

Degree: M.F.A. Sculpture & Extended Media

University: University of Wisconsin-Madison

Degree: M.A. Studio Art

University: University of Wisconsin-Madison

Degree: B.A. Studio Arts & Ancient Studies

University: St. Olaf College

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Game design students’ submarine survival game surfaces to victory at M+DEV, Midwest’s biggest game industry event

giffeyt — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 17:00:00 +0000

Game design students’ submarine survival game surfaces to victory at M+DEV, Midwest’s biggest game industry eventgiffeyt December 9, 2025

PC game’s win highlights 91��Ƭ’s globally ranked program

Tom Giffey

The creators of a computer game about a doomed submarine had a real-life sinking feeling last May as the date of the Stout Game Expo (SGX) approached. After months of work on the claustrophobic, cooperative game Dread Not, the team of 15 University of Wisconsin-Stout students were facing problems with their code which had broken an otherwise polished game.

It was a stressful situation, recalled Ryan Thiede, the game’s art manager and original pitch creator. Not only was the game a capstone project for these soon-to-be graduates, but it was scheduled to be shared with hundreds of attendees at SGX, the region’s largest game expo.

Fortunately, what Thiede described as “late-night heroics” from lead coder Ben Rowan and gameplay coder Jacob Richardt got the two-player networked game working, and it went on to win two awards, Audience Choice and Best Art, at the spring event.

“It’s a crazy story, but it says something for the tenacity and drive from the people on the team,” added Thiede, who graduated in May with a degree in game design and development-art. “We went from an unplayable game to an award-winning capstone project, essentially, overnight.”

Six months later, the Dread Not team received more accolades, winning the award for best student entry at M+DEV, the largest game industry conference in the Midwest, which drew 1,500 attendees to Madison Nov. 7-8 and featured two days of expert-led panels and speakers, game showcases, workshops and networking. M+DEV served as a platform for the creativity, skill and scholarship generated by 91��Ƭ’s globally and nationally ranked game design program.

At least 90 M+DEV attendees were either current students, alumni or faculty of 91��Ƭ. These included two faculty members and three alumni who made presentations and several dozen alumni who exhibited games, including three teams of recent graduates who shared recent capstone projects: Dread Not as well as Tubular!! and Mega Dimension Ripper 9000.

The latest student-built games will be ready for players at the fall semester SGX, which will run 6-9 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 10, in the Great Hall of Memorial Student Center on the 91��Ƭ campus.

Visitors play Dread Not, a game created in a 91��Ƭ game design capstone course, at the spring 2025 Stout Game Expo (SGX).

Expo showcases top-ranked program

M+DEV, which is organized annually by the Wisconsin Games Alliance, bills itself as “the hub for indie and AAA developers, industry professionals, students and casual gamers.” The event’s sponsors include 91��Ƭ, whose undergraduate game design program is ranked No. 5 in the Midwest and No. 24 in the world by Princeton Review.

Unique among public universities in Wisconsin, 91��Ƭ offers bachelor’s degrees in both the art and science of gaming: namely the B.F.A. game design and development-art and the B.S. computer science (game design and development concentration). Graduate students in the M.F.A. design program also can choose a game design focus.

91��Ƭ is also home to the new B.S. game and media studies program, the only game-oriented media studies program in Wisconsin. The university also offers an esports coaching minor and was the first public university in Wisconsin to launch a varsity esports program.

M+DEV provides a valuable opportunity for the 91��Ƭ students, faculty and alumni to connect with each other and the game development community at large while gaining visibility for their projects, said Professor Andrew Williams.

Professor Andrew Williams

“Anytime you can get people to interact with your work, you are reaching your intended audience, and you learn how to improve your craft,” Williams said. “Game development is an incremental process and the more opportunities you have to talk with your players and build that community around your project, the better!”

Williams, whose game art has previously won awards at M+DEV, returned this year as a speaker. His presentation — evocatively titled “Building the Plane While Flying It: The Rapid Development of an AI-Powered Educational Game Series” — highlighted how a company he works with, immersionED, is using AI to create engaging history content for elementary through high school students. Through roleplaying as fictional historical characters in 70 scenarios, students can develop their historical thinking skills, Williams said.

“In the industry, AI use is highly varied as there is no ‘standard practice’ yet since we are just learning how it could be beneficial to speeding up workflows,” Williams said. “We may be moving into a new phase of its use as the industry is starting to understand it is not a solution to every problem.”

Other M+DEV presenters included Michael Tetzlaff, assistant professor of computer science, and 91��Ƭ alumni Jacob Schwitzer, B.S. computer science (game design & development concentration); Sam Baeseman, B.F.A. game design & development-art; and Mary Benetti, B.F.A. game design & development-art.

Benetti, graduated in 2021 and worked for four years at Field Day Lab, a digital learning game studio in Madison. At M+DEV, she delivered a presentation about how to create game art that looks beautiful even on computers and VR devices with lower technical specifications.

Benetti developed an interest in educational games during her 91��Ƭ coursework, which also gave her an understanding of the entire pipeline of a game project, from concept to release.

“I always felt a strong sense of community with the Stout game program, whether you're a current student or alumni,” she said. “The program also has a very motivated and positive set of faculty that push students to keep growing their skills, and M+DEV is the place to do it.”

She continued: “M+DEV provides a space to connect with like-minded creatives, be inspired by unique game projects, and learn about game skills and the industry through presentations. It’s incredibly encouraging to see all the amazing projects underway in the Midwest too — there is a lot of talent in the area. The value of M+DEV has remained as strong as it was when I was a student. I go there to learn, grow and connect.”

In the game Dread Not, players must cooperate to survive in a sinking submarine. / Contributed image

Winning game an ‘intense experience’

Thiede, who now works as a 3D artist for Las Vegas-based Game Breakdown, conceived the idea that became Dread Not as a capstone project and pitched it to his fellow students last year. His goal was to create something that could be enjoyed by players of all ages — including people who don’t consider themselves “gamers” — and that fostered collaboration.

“It was a project that was meant to immerse and connect two people through an intense 10-minute experience,” Thiede said. The two players, a pilot and a mechanic, must cooperate quickly and effectively to solve multiple problems — namely dwindling oxygen levels and an angry sea monster — and reach the surface before their submarine’s oxygen runs out.

And just as the game players must cooperate to succeed, so did the 15 91��Ƭ students who created the game. At the helm was Sarah Ziebarth, who as the game’s producer kept the project on schedule, balancing the team’s workload while also completing her own lighting design and project marketing responsibilities.

Ziebarth, who graduated in May with dual majors in game design and development-art and computer science, praised how the students cooperated over the course of two semesters to overcome obstacles, add features and optimize the game.

“The game design and development program at Stout has always done an exceptional job of making sure both sides of development (art and computer science) work together in multiple classes throughout their college careers and thus learn the important skills of teamwork and communication,” Ziebarth said.

Thiede agreed, adding that 91��Ƭ’s program allowed him to explore many different paths in the game design field. “The layout of courses grants you time to experiment to see what you like, as well as plunge deep into what you may choose to focus on: 2D art, 3D art, VFX, lighting, animation, technical art, etc.,” he said. “All are possible at Stout.”

Thiede said he was pleasantly surprised when, while chatting with industry friends at M+DEV, he was suddenly whisked to the stage to receive an award for Dread Not.

“Genuinely, I pictured my career to be filled with people telling me what to do, and me just doing it,” he reflected. “I never imagined having an idea of mine make it this far. The reason it has is because of the people I worked with at Stout — the professors, but more importantly, my teammates.”

Professor Seth Berrier, far left, and Associate Professor Kim Loken, far right, stand with some of the 91��Ƭ alumni who created Dread Not at the M+DEV conference in Madison. / Submitted photo

Associate Professor Kim Loken, who was co-instructor for the capstone course alongside Professor Seth Berrier, praised the Dread Not team for their success.

“Unlike the held-together-by-duct-tape world of their game, this team was high-performing and well-organized with clear goals, excellent communication and exceptional craft,” Loken said. “Their networked game, damage system and puzzle design challenged the programmers, and the artists excelled with a rigorously researched and realized 3D environment, enriched by a diegetic backstory and wry character details. We’re proud of the continued commitment they’ve shown to their work, polishing it over the summer for a Steam release and continuing to exhibit their work for direct engagement with players.”

Since its June release on Steam, the largest digital distribution platform for PC games, Dread Not has been downloaded more than 250,000 times.

Other members of the Dread Not team included B.F.A. game design and development-art majors Zach Adler, Eleanor Berg, Gabe Anderson, Elaine Kelling, Samuel Lambert, Ben Moon, and Jon Wolfe, and B.S. computer science majors Guinness Bruce, Graham Higdon, Victor Mondragon, Nathan Morgan-Shimmin, Jacob Richardt, and Ben Rowan. The team also collaborated with 11 students from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, who contributed original music, sound effects and voice talent.

Game Design & Development

All Game Design & Development News

Game design programs named among best in Midwest, nation in 2026 Animation Career Review rankings

Parallel B.F.A., B.S. programs produce career-ready grads who create award-winning games

Board game renaissance: 91��Ƭ professor puts the pieces in place for successful game design business

Dave Beck’s Paverson Games creates elaborate, concept-driven games with the help of other talented faculty

Game design students’ submarine survival game surfaces to victory at M+DEV, Midwest’s biggest game industry event

PC game’s win at M+DEV expo highlights 91��Ƭ’s globally ranked program

PC game’s win at M+DEV expo highlights 91��Ƭ’s globally ranked program Dread Not team with MDEV 2025 award

University Marketing

B.F.A. Game Design & Development - Art

Our collaborative program will teach you to develop 2D and 3D videogame and tabletop game assets using industry-standard software and hardware.

Learn More

B.S. Computer Science (Game Design & Development Concentration)

Do you love video games?

Search Keywords: game designM+DEVvideo games

Hero Caption: 91��Ƭ game design alumni celebrate their winning game, Dread Not, at November's M+DEV game conference in Madison. / Submitted photo

Kim Loken

Teaching Interests: Design thinking, interdisciplinary design, large-scale collaborative projects

Research Interests: Phenomenology, narrative-driven design

Professional Interests: Place-making, critical regionalism, cultural history and adaptive re-use

Full Name: Kim Loken

Job Title: Professor / Program Director / Minor Advisor

Include in Directory: Yes

Area of Expertise: Architecture Systems Design

College: College of Arts & Human Sciences

Department: School of Art & Design Design Department

Program

All Degree Programs

Curriculum Vitae: Kimberly Loken CV (97.64 KB)

Education:

Degree: M.Arch.

University: University of Texas at Austin

Degree: Licensed Architect

Degree: LEED-Accredited Professional

University: U.S. Green Building Council

CACHSS

Exclude from Internal Site Search: No

Seth Berrier

Teaching Interests: Introductory programming courses, data structures and algorithms, software engineering, and computer graphics.

Full Name: Dr. Seth F. Berrier

Job Title: Professor / Program Director

Include in Directory: Yes

Area of Expertise: Computer Graphics Real-Time 3D Rendering Game Design Design Process Photogrammetry Light-Field Rendering Web Programming Software Engineering

College: College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Management

Department: Mathematics, Statistics & Computer Science Department

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B.S. Computer Science

Curriculum Vitae: Dr. Seth F. Berrier CV (259.43 KB)

Education:

Degree: Ph.D. Computer Science

University: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Degree: M.S. Computer Science

University: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Degree: B.A. Music

University: Butler University

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Game Expo, Senior Show, STEMM Student Expo cap fall semester with public demos, showcases

goersab — Mon, 08 Dec 2025 17:23:57 +0000

Game Expo, Senior Show, STEMM Student Expo cap fall semester with public demos, showcasesgoersab December 8, 2025

Students design custom controllers for unique racing games, puzzles, AR experiences

Abbey Goers

An Aesop’s fables-inspired racing game, a haunted hotel and a futuristic repair shop are all on the menu for players at the Stout Game Expo, western Wisconsin’s largest game developers’ event, featuring the creative works of about 250 University of Wisconsin-Stout students. SGX is from 6 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 10, in the Memorial Student Center Great Hall.

Come play games — from cozy tabletop experiences to intense 3D races and multiplayer competitions — all created by first-year to senior students in game design and development-art and the game design concentration in computer science, as well as M.F.A. in design students. All digital games will be available to play online after Dec. 10.

Students in the Exploratory Game Design courses, taught by Karl Koehle and Michael Tetzlaff, are exploring unique gaming experiences, including alternate controllers for their games:

AES-RACE: A cooperative four-player racing game based loosely on Aesop’s fable “The Tortoise and the Hare.”
Hazard Hotel: A single-player puzzle game, in which a character is directed through an old, haunted hotel with the goal of repairing it.
Retro Repair: An augmented reality (AR) experience, where players repair gaming consoles in a futuristic, cutting-edge, zero-gravity workshop.
Clean Break: A comical two-player game, where one is a dinner plate trying to roll to the dishwasher, and the other, Mr. Ferguson, a crazy old man with a broom, tries to smash it.
Stars & Spurs: A playful shape-drawing adventure, where players control characters in a child-like imaginary play scene by drawing shapes and gestures into a Wacom digital drawing tablet.

Koehle teaches game design-art in the School of Art & Design, and Tetzlaff teaches game design-computer science in the College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Management. Students work in teams, collaborating across degrees to develop their games.

“Michael and I had a collaborative teaching effort,” Koehle said. “Our classes were scheduled to meet during the same time, allowing us to provide critique and insights to each other’s teams and assist students based on our own disciplines throughout the semester.”

The instructors selected the challenging design constraint to create unique gaming experiences, inspired by the novel interfaces and games on display at the “Alt+Control GDC” exhibit at the international Game Developers Conference.

Also running this week are the STEMM Student Expo from 1 to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 11, in the Memorial Student Center Great Hall and ballrooms. Explore 300-plus STEMM students’ research in more than 100 projects across a dozen fields of study. The event is coordinated by the Hospitality Convention/Meeting Planning class.

The School of Art & Design Senior Show will feature capstone projects by more than 100 seniors from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 12. SOAD students will display their creative works in exhibits throughout Applied Arts and Micheels Hall.

AES-RACE

In Aes-Race, players race against each other as turtles and rabbits in three-wheel rickshaw tuk-tuk vehicles. Aiden Rogowski and Aidan Musil developed the physical steering controllers out of wood, PVC, microcontrollers and sensors. Caleb Budde led the racetrack development by programming tools to quickly revise the course design.

Two teams of two compete to complete three laps. Each team has a driver who steers, collects items, and performs tricks and drifts for speed boosters, while the saboteur places obstacles – like an exploding glue bottle – to hinder opponents and clear their own path. The game features custom controllers and takes place within five main levels – Funky Forest, Silly Swamp, Dizzy Desert, Whimsical Winter and Forest Mixed Tape.

Rogowski constructed the steering controllers at home – painted green for the tortoise team and pink for the rabbit team. They resemble bicycle handles, which turn via a caster swivel joint. A small sensor measures rotations processed by a microcontroller hidden beneath that updates player movements on screen.

Artists include Odessa Barreyro, who proposed the game idea, and KC Caron and Jess Haapoja. Programmers also include Jack Decker and Max Mike. The team collaborated on audio design with students at Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Hazard Hotel

The development of the Hazard Hotel controller was led by Zak Suhajda, whose role was interface design, electronics and programming. Spencer Betchey was one of the programmers assembling the scenes and programmed interactions among the team.

To repair the haunted Hazard Hotel, the player acts as “The New Guy,” using an electrical switchboard to divert power and activate machinery as they slowly work their way to the top of the hotel.

“What makes this game unique is that the interface resembles a wire switchboard – think of an old-time telephone operator – to power the doors, elevator, lights, etc., in the video game environment,” Koehle said.

Suhajda’s idea for the switchboard came about while working with Arduino controllers. “I wanted to create something simple, something that my dad would like to play,” he said.

Artists include Ben Musser, Antonio Garcia and Gregg Hammel, who created 2D and 3D art and puzzles. Programming was done by Donovan Hecimovich, Thomas Stolz and Sam Schreiter. The concept for the puzzle game was based on elements of four game ideas developed by the team earlier in the semester.

Retro Repair

Chloe Ferguson, an M.F.A. in design student, is the lead developer of the augmented reality experience, Retro Repair. The game focuses on the theme of “Right to Repair,” which gives consumers the legal right to freely maintain, repair, or modify their own products, such as automobiles, electronics and farm equipment, instead of having the original manufacturer provide repair service.

In this AR space, the player is a repair technician from the future, who uses tools to repair old, proprietary consoles. Tools at their disposal are a screwdriver, heat torch and wire cutters. They repair each console around the proprietary restrictions in their AR workshop.

Developers also include Connor Donnelly and Alex Lietha. The team mimicked the shape and feel of old consoles as well as an arcade-inspired color theme to give a nostalgic sense to their futuristic game.

“This is a collaborative process, a project based on teamwork,” Ferguson emphasized. “As a master’s in design student, I can concentrate on the artistic aspects, while working with Connor and Alex, who are more versed in programming.”

Ferguson and Donnelly have both participated in the “Right to Repair” in a sense. Ferguson enjoys the creative freedom of building custom desktop computers, and Donnelly has adapted consoles and charging ports to suit his preferences. “The frustration we felt with some devices helped inform our design of our game. We can help to make things more accessible,” Donnelly said.

Stars & Spurs developers include artists Sam Kiewel, Seth Shaw and Jackson Hinshaw. Programmers Kara Defoe, Andrew Jones, Jasper Knutson, Iris Parke and Onyx Severin.

Clean Break! developers include artists Justin Bonelli, Maddie Honaker, Madi Moseng and Ethan Skoog. Programmers are Jack Belcher, Alex Tlougan, Riley Gaetz, Devon Russin and Dani Matthiesen.

91��Ƭ’s game design and animation lab spaces include a state-of-the-art Vicon Motion Capture Studio, along with many other labs, studios and galleries.

91��Ƭ’s School of Art & Design is one of the largest public art schools in the Midwest. It offers bachelor’s degrees in animation and digital media; game design and development-art; graphic design and interactive media; illustration; industrial and product design; interior design; studio art; arts administration and entrepreneurship; fashion design and development; and video production, and an M.F.A. in design. 91��Ƭ also has a new program in game and media studies.

Inspiring Graduate: Justin George, M.S. Applied Computer Science

Making technology more accessible to improve people’s daily experiences

Game design programs named among best in Midwest, nation in 2026 Animation Career Review rankings

Parallel B.F.A., B.S. programs produce career-ready grads who create award-winning games

Kintsugi 3D Viewer application by computer science senior brings cultural heritage to users worldwide

Kosharek’s is one of 10 91��Ƭ projects presented at National Conference on Undergraduate Research

Students design custom controllers for unique racing games, puzzles, AR experiences Game design, AES-RACE

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Our collaborative program will teach you to develop 2D and 3D videogame and tabletop game assets using industry-standard software and hardware.

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Our B.S. Computer Science program offers project-based experiences and opportunities—from paid internships to hands-on Agile software development.

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Search Keywords: Stout Game Expogame design degreecomputer science game design degree

Karl Koehle

Prior to 91��Ƭ, Karl worked over a decade producing animated video exhibits for use in trial. Cases included a variety of topics such as accident reconstruction, patent infringement, product liability, & demonstrative medical processes. He also devoted many years to athlete development as an alpine snowboard racing coach.

Karl joined 91��Ƭ in 2015 as a Lecturer in the Game Design program, teaching design foundation and game design classes. In 2023, he completed his master’s degree at 91��Ƭ, and accepted the position of Assistant Professor. His thesis focused on affective responses in non-conventional human-computer interactions. Exploring the concepts of delightful design resulted in the production of two functional prototypes with novel interactions.

Teaching interests:
Game Art, 3D modeling, pixel art, exploratory games, senior capstone, course development for student engagement,
interdisciplinary collaborations, and mentorship through custom projects. Advisor for the Casual Gaming Club

Research Interests:
Delightful design, engagement, constructivism, and learning through play.
Current projects include both analog and digital systems, alternate controls, and interactive designs that surprise and delight.

Full Name: Karl Koehle

Job Title: Assistant Professor

Include in Directory: Yes

College: College of Arts & Human Sciences

Department: School of Art & Design Design Department

Program

All Degree Programs

Curriculum Vitae: Karl Koehle CV (377.9 KB)

Website: Pixel Art Map

Education:

Degree: M.F.A. Design

University: University of Wisconsin–Stout

Degree: B.S. Film & Video Production – Animation

University: Grand Valley State University

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Michael Tetzlaff

Michael Tetzlaff is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the University of Wisconsin–Stout. He received his B.S. from Bethel University in St. Paul, and his M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. His research interests include image-based computer graphics techniques and especially their applications in cultural heritage. He is the lead developer of Kintsugi 3D, an open-source software project for empirically based rendering of 3D cultural heritage artifacts captured using photogrammetry.

Full Name: Michael Tetzlaff

Job Title: Assistant Professor

Include in Directory: Yes

Area of Expertise: Interactive Computer Graphics Photogrammetry User Experience Design Game Design and Development

College: College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Management

Department: Mathematics, Statistics & Computer Science Department

Curriculum Vitae: Michael Tetzlaff CV (244.64 KB)

Website: Kintsugi 3D Project Website

Education:

Degree: Ph.D. Computer Science

University: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Degree: M.S. Computer Science

University: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Degree: B.S. Computer Science

University: Bethel University

Degree: B.A. Physics

University: Bethel University

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Kintsugi 3D helps international museum collections shine – literally – in 3D

giffeyt — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 12:00:00 +0000

Kintsugi 3D helps international museum collections shine – literally – in 3Dgiffeyt June 9, 2025

Professor, students-developed software used by Minneapolis Institute of Art, other institutions to capture surface details of heritage objects

Tom Giffey

Software developed at 91��Ƭ is helping museums around the world preserve pieces of cultural heritage for future generations by creating 3D models that accurately capture every detail of the color, texture and brightness of objects.

Kintsugi 3D is the creation of Michael Tetzlaff, an assistant professor of computer science, and numerous 91��Ƭ students. The software has been used by notable institutions worldwide to create models of artifacts in their collections, including the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam; the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo, Norway; the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.; and the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia).

“Documenting the art is incredibly important, and we want to get it out in the world however we can,” explained Mia Lead Collections Photographer Charles Walbridge, an avid user of the software. “The Kintsugi project has helped us be able to share more accurate 3D models that we’ve been making in the museum.”

Kintsugi 3D gets its name from the Japanese art of kintsugi, a method of repairing broken pottery with lacquer and precious metals to create unique pieces that celebrate, rather than camouflage, their fractures. Likewise, the software allows photo professionals to capture true-to-life 3D models of sculptures, paintings and other cultural heritage objects.

The Kintsugi 3D Viewer software, a part of the project that students Tyler Betanski, Jacob Buelow, Isabel Smith, Victor Mondragon, Kyle Boatwright and Melissa Kosharek worked on. / Submitted image

While existing photogrammetry software – which combines hundreds of photos from different angles to create a 3D model – can effectively record many aspects of an object’s appearance, it falls short in capturing the essence of materials and textures, Tetzlaff said. In particular, photogrammetry software struggles with specularity – the reflectivity of a surface and how it varies – particularly with objects that are shiny or metallic. Kintsugi 3D solves this problem by creating much more true-to-life renderings, capturing the sparkle of a bit of gold leaf or the depth of a brush stroke in oil paint.

“The big thing that our software does is it allows you to process those photographs and then builds a compact representation of what the material of the object looks like so that we can create new, interactive, dynamic 3D renderings where the user can change the viewpoint, change the lighting,” Tetzlaff explained. The resulting 3D models can be rotated by the user, with virtual light playing off the details of the surfaces, whether they are dull or dazzling, giving a much more realistic representation of the item. This is particularly valuable for accurately portraying older objects, whose surfaces may have been damaged or worn unevenly over time.

These models can be shared widely, helping scholars and the public appreciate cultural heritage objects. And they also serve as a kind of insurance, allowing the objects to live on – virtually, at least – if they are damaged or lost.

Kintsugi 3D was used to create these images of "Man from Sudan in Algerian Dress," a 19th-century sculpture by Charles Cordier. / Minneapolis Institute of Art

Software funded with federal, state grants

Tetzlaff said the software grew out of work he did as a doctoral student, and it received a significant boost in 2023 thanks to a $75,000 National Endowment for the Humanities grant received in conjunction with Mia and Cultural Heritage Imaging, a San Francisco-based nonprofit. This and other funding, including from 91��Ƭ’s Office of Research & Sponsored Programs as well as a recent grant from WiSys, has helped pay for students to work to improve the software.

Luke Denney, a computer science major from Byron, Minnesota, who graduated in May, has put hundreds of hours into Kintsugi 3D over the past two years. In fact, he even gave the software its current name, inspired in part by a “Star Wars” character who repaired his helmet kintsugi-style.

Denney has worked on the software’s loading screen, trying to make it more user-friendly, particularly for those who aren’t programmers themselves. “A big part of this project was user experience design,” Tetzlaff explained. “There was basically working software that I had developed, but it wasn’t very usable. A lot of the research was working with user experience experts and stakeholders in cultural heritage to figure out what works for them.”

Denney shared the work he’s done on Kintsugi 3D at 91��Ƭ’s Research Day as well as at two other prestigious venues this spring: the National Conference on Undergraduate Research in Pittsburgh and the Universities of Wisconsin’s Research in the Rotunda event in the state Capitol in Madison.

Denney said the project has been invaluable in preparing him for his future career, in part because working on Kintsugi 3D required him to become familiar with a massive codebase. He expects that skill will come in handy when he begins his job later this year at IBM in Rochester, Minnesota.

In addition to navigating thousands of lines of code and gathering user feedback to improve software features, Denney said the project helped him learn to solve problems independently. “Something I focused on more last summer was taking more time before I ask a question,” Denney said. “When I’d run into a roadblock and have the temptation to go ask for help, I thought, ‘Wait, I want to give myself more time to figure this out before asking.’ And most of the time I was successful with that, so that felt really good,” he said.

91��Ƭ Assistant Professor Michael Tetzlaff, left, and students Luke Denney, at podium, and Chloe Ferguson gave a presentation about Kintsugi 3D at Research Day, May 6, 2025

Denney is just one of more than a dozen 91��Ƭ students from a variety of disciplines who have contributed to the software. Among them is Chloe Ferguson, master of fine arts in design, Spring Valley.

Ferguson began working as a user experience designer on the program last fall, gathering data to see what features users wanted from the program. Working on the project has given Ferguson a better understanding of the science behind textures and materials, as well as the rewarding opportunity to work with stakeholders on improving the software, she said.

“User experience is all about considering and analyzing the user, striving to make your content more useful and accessible to them,” Ferguson said, noting the skills she is building now will be directly applicable to her future career.

“I feel proud of my work, especially with how directly this program has benefited cultural heritage groups,” she said. “We regularly meet with our stakeholders at the Minneapolis Institute of Art and Cultural Heritage Imaging, which has allowed me to see the impact of my work on these groups firsthand.”

Other students and recent graduates who have worked – or are still working – on the project include master of fine arts in design candidate D. Magda Hannen; game design and development majors Isabel Smith, Elliot Duffy, Lou Brown and Augusto Freitas; and computer science majors Tyler Betanski, Jacob Buelow, Victor Mondragon, Ian Anderson, Zoe Cuthrell, Blane Suess, Isaac Tesch, Nathaniel Willius, Atlas Collins, Kyle Boatwright, Melissa Kosharek, Chris Medina, and Jacob Sletten.

Kintsugi 3D was used to create this image of a sculpture of dancer Loie Fuller by artist Joseph Kratina, which is in the collection of the Minneapolis Institute of Art. / Minneapolis Institute of Art

Software draws focus to 91��Ƭ

Walbridge, of Mia, is one of those who meets frequently with the Kintsugi 3D team to provide feedback. He has been part of Kintsugi 3D and related projects for years, having met Tetzlaff when the latter was a doctoral student at the University of Minnesota working on 3D photography and photogrammetry projects at Mia. “It’s been such a pleasure to continue to work on this with Michael and his team,” said Walbridge, who praised the backing the project has received from 91��Ƭ.

Walbridge has worked to get other professionals involved in Kintsugi 3D as well, making presentations about the software and how to use it, including a training visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in April.

Among the objects from the Mia collection scanned with Kintsugi 3D is a sculpture of 19th-century dancer Loie Fuller by Czech artist Joseph Kratina. In digital photos the bronze sculpture appears to be a yellowish-brown, but it practically comes to life in a three-dimensional scan made with Kintsugi 3D. As a user rotates the image virtually, light plays against the sculpture’s gold patina, and shadows of the dancer’s arms are cast across her voluminous skirt. The software allows users to examine the sculpture in greater detail, giving the impression of walking around it in a well-lit gallery.

Gathering photos that will be used to created 3D models with Kintsugi 3D. / Minneapolis Institute of Art

“None of the current forms of 3D scanning are able to capture this kind of specularity,” Walbridge explained. The high level of realistic detail provided by the software is a boon to scholars studying such objects online, Walbridge said, and making these models available digitally fits with the ethos, shared by institutions such as Mia, of making cultural heritage freely and publicly available.

The software’s use by professionals at the National Gallery of Art has led to a collaboration between that institution and 91��Ƭ’s game design program, Tetzlaff added.

“It’s a nice feedback loop where we’re supporting the museums and their work with the software, but then they’re becoming more aware of Stout, and that’s leading to additional opportunities for Stout students,” he said.

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Alum works with engineering students to improve lunar dust testing, bolstering NASA’s return to the moon

Kintsugi 3D used by Minneapolis Institute of Art, other institutions to capture surface details of heritage objects A computer screen shows the Kintsugi 3D software.

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Search Keywords: Kintsugi softwareMinneapolis Institute of ArtMichael Tetzlaff

Hero Caption: 91��Ƭ Assistant Professor Michael Tetzlaff, at podium, and students Chloe Ferguson and Luke Denney, gave a presentation about Kintsugi 3D at Research Day, May 6, 2025.

Michael Tetzlaff

Full Name: Michael Tetzlaff

Job Title: Assistant Professor

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Area of Expertise: Interactive Computer Graphics Photogrammetry User Experience Design Game Design and Development

College: College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Management

Department: Mathematics, Statistics & Computer Science Department

Curriculum Vitae: Michael Tetzlaff CV (244.64 KB)

Website: Kintsugi 3D Project Website

Education:

Degree: Ph.D. Computer Science

University: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Degree: M.S. Computer Science

University: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

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University: Bethel University

Degree: B.A. Physics

University: Bethel University

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Purr-fect pair: Dunn County Humane Society collaborates on short film with animation students

goersab — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 13:00:00 +0000

Purr-fect pair: Dunn County Humane Society collaborates on short film with animation studentsgoersab April 28, 2025

‘Stray’ advocates for adoption, shows organization’s compassion; to be premiered at SOAD Senior Show May 9

Abbey Goers

A team of animation and digital media students at 91��Ƭ is collaborating with a local nonprofit to develop a public service announcement as part of the Animation Production junior capstone class.

Their 72-second 2D animated film, “Stray,” was created to help advocate for pet adoption at Dunn County Humane Society. The informative short features Bow, a stray orange tabby cat rescued during Wisconsin’s bitter winter.

Assistant Professor Jesse Woodward gives the student teams creative freedom in their narrative stories to choose to create 2D or 3D animations in many forms, including commercials, music videos, PSAs and more. “They find each other’s strengths, and each member plays an important role within the team. They also come up with studio names for their teams and design websites and social media accounts to promote their studios,” he said.

Kaylee Sevcik, Hannah Brown, Callie Kraemer, Lee Rupp and Gale Eidam

PuppyChow Productions, the DCHS team – they’re all animal lovers and cat people, by the way – all play a role in the animation, but also have focuses within the team:

Hannah Brown, of Appleton, concept art, pre-production
Callie Kraemer, of Sturgeon Bay, director and editor
Kaylee Sevcik, of Sturgeon Bay, character lead for Bow
Lee Rupp, of Nekoosa, human character animations
Gale Eidam, of Minneapolis, human character animations

“Stray” will be posted on PuppyChow Productions’ YouTube channel and will be premiered at SOAD Senior Show, which showcases capstone projects by nearly 120 graduating School of Art and Design seniors, as well as juniors, from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, May 9.

Visit PuppyChow Productions’ website and follow on Instagram and TikTok.

Supporting a nonprofit through animation

Kraemer, who volunteered for a humane society as a Girl Scout, helped draw in her four classmates to join the Dunn County Humane Society project.

“‘Stray’ is a lighthearted, informative narrative to show how the rescue and adoption process at DCHS is meant to be stress-free for the animals,” she said.

PuppyChow Productions' animation of Bow, the cat

The team brainstormed several narrative ideas on how to capture DCHS’s message through animation. One narrative followed a dog that broke off its leash while on a walk with its owner. However, when PuppyChow Productions presented its ideas to the animation class, the team learned that a cat was the favored pet of their classmates, and they began to develop Bow’s story.

After meeting with DCHS managers to learn about the rescue and adoption process, the team decided its PSA should include what someone should do if they find a stray cat, as well as how DCHS prepares pets for adoption with microchips, medical evaluations, cleanings and vaccines.

Brown designed the PuppyChow Productions logo, and Sevcik and Rupp designed the main characters. Sevcik’s animation of Bow had many iterations. “Bow’s final design is sensible to animate frame by frame. His animation is concise and leaves little room for error as each team member works on him throughout the process,” Sevcik said.

Bow is named in honor of DCHS’s tradition of placing a bow tie on the cats ready for adoption.

PuppyChow Productions' animation of a Jessie

Rupp’s animations of the little girl and her grandma, who adopt Bow, were inspired by real people. The team named the girl “Jessie,” a twist on Woodward’s name. Jessie’s grandma is designed in the image of Rupp’s own grandma, who actually lost her golden retriever on a walk. It was found and returned – a happy ending to match Bow’s story.

The team used Toon Boom Harmony – an industry-standard 2D animation software – to create its animation. Eidam was a little familiar with the software, but for the rest of the team, Toon Boom was a new artistic realm. Learning the software’s tools and techniques proved to be the most challenging aspect of the project. They learned its functions by working with Woodward, watching YouTube tutorials and talking with senior animation students.

This project fulfilled the team’s field experience requirement of 80 hours, completed over the course of eight weeks. They are also volunteering at DCHS.

Design department Chair Shelley Pecha encourages collaborations with local organizations. She volunteered at DCHS last summer.

“They are a great organization full of extremely hardworking people. I wanted to find a way to help them with marketing and advertising to facilitate more adoptions, find more volunteers or gain more donations,” she said. “The design department is full of programs that can help community nonprofits in this way. It’s great for the students to learn from these organizations, see how they can help and maybe become lifelong volunteers. Hopefully, these nonprofits can use the student work in a way that benefits their organization.”

PuppyChow Productions, animation of Jessie's grandmother

Animation Career Review rankings

Animation Career Review listed 91��Ƭ’s animation and digital media program among public colleges:

No. 16 for top animation schools in the Midwest
No. 35 for top public animation schools in the U.S.

More than 200 schools were surveyed.

91��Ƭ’s game design and animation lab spaces include a state-of-the-art Vicon Motion Capture Studio, along with many other labs, studios and galleries. Woodward invites outside partners and on-campus collaborators to experience the Motion Capture Studio.

“We collaborate on live virtual performances; use virtual reality and augmented reality; detailed hand and finger animation; motion capture athletes, animals and more,” he said. “In the future, I hope to expand the system to do facial capture and camera tracking as well.”

Interested collaborators may email motioncapture@uwstout.edu for more information. The studio opened in April 2019. It is the only one of its kind in the region.

The animation and digital media program is part of the School of Art and Design, one of the largest public art schools in the Midwest. It also offers bachelor’s degrees in fashion design and development; game design and development-art; graphic design and interactive media; illustration; industrial and product design; interior design; studio art; arts administration and entrepreneurship; fashion design and development; and video production, as well as an M.F.A. in design. 91��Ƭ also has a new program in game and media studies.

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Making an impact and opening minds through stories and experience

Animation, video seniors' short films featured alongside seasoned storytellers at Unspooled, May 9-10

Teen drama ‘Badge of the Dead’ and supernatural comedy ‘You Must Destroy’ among diverse lineup

Student illustrations inspired by holiday songs showcased at Symphony, Dec. 7

'Music in Motion' to feature pieces from 'The Polar Express,' classics like 'Sleigh Ride,' 'Sailing with Whales'

‘Stray’ advocates for adoption, shows organization’s compassionate care; to be premiered at SOAD Senior Show May 9 Kaylee Sevcik, Hannah Brown, Callie Kraemer, Lee Rupp, Gale Eidam

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Hero Caption: "Stray" will be premiered at SOAD Senior Show, Friday, May 9.

Jesse Woodward

Jesse Woodward is an assistant professor of Animation & Digital Media. He teaches various animation and 3D modeling courses, along with some design foundational courses. As the supervisor of the Vicon Motion Capture Studio, Jesse manages the graduate assistant and thrives to implement motion capture into the animation and game design programs. With experience teaching at his own high school, Jesse enjoys participating in the STEAM Summer Experience, and introducing them to industry-standard software and animation techniques. He is the faculty advisor for the student organization: Tea Time Animation Club.

Before teaching at 91��Ƭ, Jesse worked on several animations and visual effects projects including: “Star Trek Renegades” (Film VFX Animation), “Sonder” (Animated Short Film), “Sweet Friendship” (Animated Short Film), and “The Darkening” (Game Animation).

   Currently, Jesse is working on:
   -Director and producer of “Glow” (Animation Short Film)
  Aurora Bell Tower Studios
  Facebook
    Twitter
    Instagram
    IMDB

   -Animator & digital artist on an unannounced Sci-Fi Film with Tim Russ as director and Jon Macht as producer

Full Name: Jesse Woodward

Job Title: Assistant Professor

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Area of Expertise: 3D Animation 2D Animation Traditional Animation Audio & Visual Production Game Animation Motion Capture

College: College of Arts & Human Sciences

Department: School of Art & Design Design Department

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Curriculum Vitae: Jesse Woodward - CV (147.14 KB)

Website: Personal Website Jesse Woodward's Vimeo

Education:

Degree: M.F.A. Animation & Visual Effects

University: Academy of Art University

Degree: B.S. Communication

University: Clarkson University

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Game design programs ranked among international best by 2025 Princeton Review

goersab — Mon, 14 Apr 2025 12:29:51 +0000

Game design programs ranked among international best by 2025 Princeton Reviewgoersab April 14, 2025

Side gigs at Roblox, Respawn strengthen students’ skills; Stout Game Expo on May 8

Abbey Goers

For more than a decade, 91��Ƭ’s game design programs have consistently led state rankings and are among both national and international leaders.

Princeton Review, an education services company, recently ranked 91��Ƭ’s undergraduate game design programs, which include the B.F.A. game design and development and B.S. computer science – game design concentration, No. 5 in the Midwest and No. 24 of the top 50 international schools, rising from No. 29 overall last year.

91��Ƭ’s M.F.A. in design was ranked No. 4 in the Midwest and No. 21 internationally, rising from No. 23 last year. Game design is one of eight focus areas within the master’s program, which has a cross-disciplinary approach to help students customize the program to their interests and skillsets, including play experiences, interactivity, virtual environments, extended reality or narrative-driven storytelling.

A storyboard for character and scenery mockup by Lila Daily / Lila Daily

“This ranking shows the strength of our students’ interdisciplinary research into game design, but also interconnected areas in digital media,” said M.F.A. in design Program Director Erik Evensen. “Pursuing game design at the graduate level is interdisciplinary, interactive, and highly creative, and students continually find new ways to explore creative projects, solve problems and develop new ideas.”

Faculty stay in touch with current global game trends and technology while connecting students to opportunities such as leading student groups to attend M+Dev and the national Game Developers Conference, said School of Art and Design Director Aaron Durst.

“Students bring back those experiences and implement them in their projects, which is core to our polytechnic educational experience. We have a unique program in the state that prepares students to be a part of and lead the game industry in the upper Midwest at a world-class level,” he added.

Stout Game Expo (SGX)

Join us at the next Stout Game Expo (SGX) to explore and play student-created video games and tabletop advetures.

Rob Franek, editor-in-chief of Princeton Review, said, “The schools that made our lists have awesome programs in game design. Their faculties are superb. Their facilities are state-of-the-art, and their alumni include many of the video game industry’s most successful designers, developers and entrepreneurs. We highly recommend them to any student considering a career in this exciting field."

He noted the exceptional experience that students at the listed schools receive:

66% of undergraduates and 80% of graduates worked on a shipped game as part of their studies
93% of undergraduates and 90% of graduates developed a plan to launch a game after graduation

In 2024, the national average starting salary of graduates with a bachelor's degree in game studies was nearly $63,000, while those with a master's degree was nearly $74,000.

The 15th annual Princeton Review rankings criteria included academics, faculty, technology and career prospects.

Shipped games and side gigs

All 91��Ƭ game design students publish games on itch.io, a free, online platform for digital creators to host their independent video games. Each student exhibits at the biannual Stout Game Expo.

“Our students – both the artists and the programmers – learn the importance of designing for a game’s players at every stage in their education,” said game design Program Director Kimberly Loken. “Sophomores and juniors exhibit polished tabletop, 2D arcade-style, and exploratory and experimental games at our end-of-semester public Stout Game Expo. Seniors exhibit work-in-progress in December and continue to polish their work throughout spring, shipping a fully functional game alongside their graduation.”

Game design students also take the initiative to develop and strengthen their skills outside of the classroom. A couple of them have substantial side gigs in the games industry:

Alex Rowley, of Minneapolis, is a 3D modeler and asset developer with Roblox.
Lila Daily, of Appleton, is an independent contractor for marketing art with Respawn.

One of Rowley’s creations can even be found on shelves at Walmart – a BONK! Hammer plushie – based on a product design he created for a friend’s game, “Catalog Avatar Creator.”

Roblox assets and hammer plushie by Alex Rowley / Alex Rowley

Senior student-made games published on Steam and Epic Games store include Bugby, Dawn of the Falkonir, Grape Juice City, HyperPOP, Reaper’s Isle, Ripple and Frawg: The Seasonal Song, Super Nova Stadium, The Witch’s Garden and Wobble Warriors. Advanced students also exhibit their work annually at the Twin Cities chapter of the International Game Developers Association and at the regional M+DEV conference.

Stout Game Expo, western Wisconsin's largest game developer exhibition, will be at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 8.

Rowley at Roblox: Creating something people enjoy

In high school, Rowley never considered going to college. But now he can say, without a doubt, that his applied learning experiences at 91��Ƭ are worth it.

“I can’t stress enough how much better I am now at game design than I was before college, and I can thank all my art and design classes for that. I’ve learned so much about art and design – how to work harder and how to work within complicated game engines,” he said.

“I love game development because it feels really great to create something that tons of people enjoy. People could be playing your game to distract themselves from issues they're facing in real life, connect with friends or to just relax after a long day. Being able to contribute to a form of mental wellness for tons of people means a lot to me,” he added.

A character illustration by Alex Rowley / Alex Rowley

Rowley began making video games on Roblox during the pandemic. Roblox, created in 2004, is an online game platform and game creation system that allows users to program and play games created by themselves. It has nearly 80 million daily users.

Rowley had played on the platform before and was eager to be a part of the development community. He and a friend created a simple hide-and-seek-style game called “Mega Hide and Seek!”

“It took us about three months to build and began to gain traction online, which allows us to continue to update the game to this day,” he said.

Over the past four years, Rowley has continued to conceptualize ideas, develop projects and effective advertising strategies, practice his game development skills, and learned how to work with others to help lead a team to make something cohesive and fun.

“The great part about my current work is that I can choose my own hours and have more creative freedom. I much prefer it when I can make my own decisions, focus on my own time and work with those I feel close to,” he said.

Rowley is currently leading a team of six, including other 91��Ƭ students, on a 10-month-plus project to develop a horror game on Roblox that involves traversing through an abandoned factory with secrets to uncover and creatures to escape. They hope to release it this year.

A factory illustration by Alex Rowley / Alex Rowley

“The best part about my position is that it’s super fun, and I learn something new every day. Having a wide variety of tasks allows me to see game development at a really broad angle, and I think it allows me to be versatile and prepared for future work experiences.

“It’s also a great way to practice what I love while connecting with my friends at the same time, because we’ll sit down for hours just conceptualizing ideas, debating about how to implement something and coming together to find a good solution,” he said.

Rowley will graduate in summer 2026 and wants to pursue opportunities within small game development groups and hopes to continue practicing organic modeling in 3D design.

Daily at Respawn: You get what you put into your art

Daily explores and practices art outside of school using the skills she’s learned in class.

“Assignments are helpful, but Stout has taught me that you really get what you put into your art. Just ‘drawing more’ isn’t a good way to improve your skills and gain experience. Challenging yourself with a variety of mediums and focusing on fundamentals is. That’s what the game design program offers.

“I’m a pretty critical person when it comes to art, so a lot of enjoyment for me comes from improving my skills and striving to make artwork that I’m proud of,” she added. “Another big piece of the puzzle is community involvement, like interacting with my peers and the people that gather around games I’m interested in, sharing and talking about art and design and doing collaborative work.”

A character illustration by Lila Daily / Lila Daily

Daily does contract work with Respawn for a variety of 2D digital artwork, including layered digital paintings and static images. Respawn is the creator of critically acclaimed multi-platform games, such as Apex Legends, Titanfall, Star Wars™ Jedi: Fallen Order, and Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond. It has locations in Madison, Los Angeles and Vancouver.

“Respawn originally reached out to me to work on an in-game weapon skin for a set of community-created cosmetics given out for the anniversary launch of Apex Legends,” Daily said. “Every year, they’ll do a new set of items featuring new artists and creators, so not only is it a really fun opportunity for people in the community to make something for their favorite game, it’s also a really cool opportunity as a game design student to get some experience.”

Daily will graduate in spring 2026. She plans to pursue a position in a support studio to build experience working on larger projects or on an indie project.

Professional development opportunities in game design

More than 50 students, alumni and faculty from the university’s game design, computer science and master’s in design programs attended the 2024 M+DEV, a national game design industry conference, held in Madison.

Professor Andrew Williams presented “Re-creating and Creating Colonial Boston: Environment Art & Historical Interpretation in the American Revolution Series,” in connection with his game Witness to the Revolution.

Students and alumni exhibited four original games: Atom’s Embrace, Skyline Citygirl, HyperPOP and Ripple and Frawg: The Seasonal Song.

Ripple and Frawg game creators at M+Dev / Kim Loken

Animation Career Review rankings

For animation programs, Animation Career Review listed 91��Ƭ’s animation and digital media program among public colleges:

No. 16 for top animation schools in the Midwest
No. 35 for top public animation schools in the U.S.

More than 200 schools were surveyed.

91��Ƭ’s game design and animation lab spaces include a state-of-the-art Vicon Motion Capture Studio, along with many other labs, studios and galleries.

The game design and development-art program is part of the School of Art and Design, one of the largest public art schools in the Midwest. It also offers bachelor’s degrees in animation and digital media; graphic design and interactive media; illustration; industrial and product design; interior design; studio art; arts administration and entrepreneurship; fashion design and development; and video production, and an M.F.A. in design. 91��Ƭ also has a new program in game and media studies.

Game Design & Development

All Game Design & Development News

Game design programs named among best in Midwest, nation in 2026 Animation Career Review rankings

Parallel B.F.A., B.S. programs produce career-ready grads who create award-winning games

Board game renaissance: 91��Ƭ professor puts the pieces in place for successful game design business

Dave Beck’s Paverson Games creates elaborate, concept-driven games with the help of other talented faculty

Game design students’ submarine survival game surfaces to victory at M+DEV, Midwest’s biggest game industry event

PC game’s win at M+DEV expo highlights 91��Ƭ’s globally ranked program

Side gigs at Roblox, Respawn strengthen students’ skills; Stout Game Expo on May 8 Lila Daily, character illustration

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Hero Caption: Game design students Lila Daily, whose illustration is above, and Alex Rowley are gaining professional industry experience with side gigs at Respawn and Roblox.

Kim Loken

Teaching Interests: Design thinking, interdisciplinary design, large-scale collaborative projects

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Erik A. Evensen

Erik A. Evensen is Professor of Design and the founding program director for the B.F.A in Illustration. He has taught studio courses in illustration, design drawing, concept art, graphic design, and typography, and regularly serves as a graduate thesis advisor. He has been recognized with the university's Outstanding Teaching Award and Outstanding Research Mentor Award.

His academic research and creative practice sit at the intersection of visual communication disciplines, encompassing narrative and storytelling, culture studies, information visualization, and interactivity. His creative projects have been featured in The New York Times and The Washington Post, and received recognition from Communication Arts, Graphic Design USA, and the Paul Revere Awards for Graphic Excellence.

His comics industry credits include the independent graphic novels Gods of Asgard and The Beast of Wolfe's Bay, and the licensed series Ghostbusters and Back to the Future from IDW Publishing. His board game credits include “Distilled,” “Marrying Mr. Darcy,” “Class of ’89,” and their product lines. His ongoing creative work with myth and folklore frequently yields citations, appearances, and speaking engagements about history, culture, and comparative literature.

Erik holds an M.F.A. in Visual Communication Design from Ohio State University. He received a B.A. in Studio Art from the University of New Hampshire and continued his education at Boston's School of the Museum of Fine Arts. Prior to entering academia, he worked as a graphic designer and illustrator in New England with clients ranging from Fortune 50 companies through local small businesses and non-profits.

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Creature Collab: Animation, game design students bring preschoolers’ characters to life

goersab — Tue, 26 Nov 2024 14:13:12 +0000

Creature Collab: Animation, game design students bring preschoolers’ characters to lifegoersab November 26, 2024

Collaborative project with kids helps build communication, 3D design skills

Abbey Goers

Did you have an imaginary friend as a child? What if you could bring that character to life as an adult?

Animation and game design students at 91��Ƭ met with local children recently to bring their characters and creatures to life using 3D software.

From a purple and red butterfly to a red-eyed princess in a red ballgown, a fox holding an orange, a rainbow bunny-like creature, a kitty with a pink collar, a green monster with sweeping arms, a dragon-dog-unicorn, a brown bear, a vampire holding a flower and the warden from Minecraft.

The 4K and university students met in an animation computer lab / 91��Ƭ

The Creature Collaboration was between Assistant Professor Karl Koehle’s 3D Organic Modeling class and Maggie Keenan’s 4K classroom in the university’s Child and Family Study Center.

“One of the best parts of my classroom is that we are right on campus, so the children get to have these collaborative opportunities,” Keenan said. “It’s so neat that the kids helped their college partners with this project. And the children were so excited to see their drawings come to life.”

First, Koehle’s class paired off with the 17 young artists in their 4K room. While the children colored their characters, the 3D students observed, asked questions and took notes on what to include in their digital adaptations.

The children then visited their college partners in a Micheels Hall computer lab to see their character designs brought to life.

'High five!' Our drawings and 3D creatures rock! / 91��Ƭ

The 3D Organic Modeling class introduces students to the basics of digital sculpting tools, which mimic properties of physical clay that can be pinched, poked and pulled, Koehle explained.

“By introducing an in-person collaboration, it was my intent to give more practice to the early design process, encourage face-to-face communication with clients and offer an opportunity to embrace exploration of ideas,” he said. “It’s an important exercise to support a stakeholder who has ideas and goals but is not as adept in visual communication skills or doesn’t use the technical terminology. It's a unique design challenge to interpret meaning, then choose and apply a cohesive style.”

Carrying design skills over into their careers

In the moments before the 4K class arrived in the computer lab, the 3D students quickly made edits to their designs to brighten colors or make their characters more friendly (or less friendly, depending on the child’s original idea).

For some, it was an unexpected nerve-wracking experience. “Why am I so nervous to have children critique my work?” – “I think they’re going to love it.”

Game design major Sade Nagel shows her 4K student how to use the snake hook tool in Z Brush for added animation / 91��Ƭ

“Seeing their faces light up as we brought their creations to life was really heartwarming,” said animation senior Megan McDowell. “My favorite part was seeing how the 4Kers create and think of things. They have such big imaginations, and I loved watching them try to explain what they were thinking.”

McDowell’s 4K student had known immediately what she was going to draw – a character she named Dracula.

“This project allowed me to gain experience meeting with a client who knew what they wanted but couldn’t communicate it fully,” she said. “It allowed me to gain insight into their vision while also learning to have my own creative freedom to make design choices that I believe worked. Knowing how to use these programs and communicate with a client are skills I can carry over into my career.”

Animation major Megan McDowell's 4K student colored a friendly Dracula / 91��Ƭ

It was a challenge to design characters that resembled the children’s drawing, finding a balance between their vision while building something aesthetically pleasing that incorporated the elements of design.

“My favorite part was listening to their creativity flow. Kids can be so imaginative, as they don’t let the constraints of reality and color theory bring them down,” said game design student March Gutman.

Gutman’s 4K student’s character was Rainbow Butterfly. “It was really interesting to apply my own knowledge to the kid’s design. I would suggest anyone who has the opportunity to try and bring a kid’s illustration to life. It really makes you think outside of the box about the design process,” they said.

Game design major March Gutman and their 4K student work on Rainbow Butterfly / 91��Ƭ

For game design student Alex Rowley, learning to use the Z Brush software, with its hundreds of tools and capabilities, was the biggest hurdle in creating his 4K student’s orange fox named Orangey.

The 3D students also used their time together to teach the children how to use some of the Z Brush tools to paint a princess crown, add green leaves to a tree or add an extra arm to their character.

“There is a lot to learn, especially when you’re working in programs that you’re unfamiliar with,” Rowley said. “Learning how to go through the process of ideating, modeling, sculpting, texturing and rendering will be a really important workflow for future assignments and work projects.

Game design major Alex Rowley shows his 4K student how to add green leaves to a forest scene / 91��Ƭ

“It can also be quite stressful to have a young child be your boss,” he said. “It was a good way to learn how to handle opinions that may not make sense to you as an educated artist. It was also super motivating for me, specifically because the fear of disappointing a young client encouraged me to work harder.”

CFSC Director Allison Feller thinks the collaboration is a “unique opportunity where both our young learners and college students benefit. The children were able to see their ideas brought to life, while the design students applied their skills to make those ideas a reality. As the university’s early childhood education lab, we welcome opportunities to connect classroom theory with hands-on experience, which is at the heart of 91��Ƭ's polytechnic mission.”

The collaboration was both a learning and teaching experience for the university students / 91��Ƭ

The 3D students’ next step was to take the characters into Painter software, which digitally paints right on the 3D model. Koehle then printed a large-scale poster combining the children’s drawings and the 3D models, and his class presented the poster to the 4K classroom.

The collaboration marks the 10-year anniversary of a similar project between the CFSC and Professor Dave Beck’s game design class in 2014.

The Creature Collaboration poster presented to the CFSC 4K class / 91��Ƭ

The Stout Game Expo will feature the works of about 250 students from 6 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 11, in the upper level of the Memorial Student Center. It is followed by the School of Art and Design Senior Show on Friday, Dec. 13, celebrating more than 100 seniors’ and juniors’ creative and collaborative endeavors on exhibit in Applied Arts and Micheels Hall. And the STEMM Student Expo will be from 1 to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 12, in the Memorial Student Center.

The Creature Collaboration poster may be displayed at SOAD Senior Show.

The game design and animation programs are part of 91��Ƭ’s School of Art and Design. SOAD also offers bachelor’s degrees in graphic design and interactive media; illustration; industrial and product design; interior design; studio art; arts administration and entrepreneurship; fashion design and development; and video production. It has a master’s in design and design, entrepreneurship and sustainability.

Game Design & Development

All Game Design & Development News

Game design programs named among best in Midwest, nation in 2026 Animation Career Review rankings

Parallel B.F.A., B.S. programs produce career-ready grads who create award-winning games

Board game renaissance: 91��Ƭ professor puts the pieces in place for successful game design business

Dave Beck’s Paverson Games creates elaborate, concept-driven games with the help of other talented faculty

Game design students’ submarine survival game surfaces to victory at M+DEV, Midwest’s biggest game industry event

PC game’s win at M+DEV expo highlights 91��Ƭ’s globally ranked program

Collaborative project with kids helps build communication, 3D design skills 3D Organic Modeling, CFSC collaboration

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Combine your passions for art, design, and technology while enjoying collaborative and cross-disciplinary projects.

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Our collaborative program will teach you to develop 2D and 3D videogame and tabletop game assets using industry-standard software and hardware.

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Hero Caption: Creature drawings by 4K students at 91��Ƭ's Child and Family Study Center inspired 3D modelings by animation and game design students.

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Esports champion: Valorant team goes undefeated in state collegiate tournament

polingj — Wed, 01 May 2024 20:11:36 +0000

Esports champion: Valorant team goes undefeated in state collegiate tournamentpolingj May 1, 2024

Blue Devils defeat UW-Milwaukee, UW-Madison to claim title

An esports team from 91��Ƭ is a state collegiate champion.

The Blue Devils’ Valorant squad defeated UW-Madison Red 3-0 in the best-of-five Grand Final to take the Wisconsin Valorant Summit LAN championship. 91��Ƭ won 13-5, 13-5 and 13-1.

The finals win capped off a perfect run in the championship. The Blue Devils defeated UW-Milwaukee 2-0 in the semifinals, 16-14 and 13-7.

The championship caps off a highly successful season for the university’s esports competitive video game teams, with the Valorant and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate winning their conferences and qualifying for the national tournaments.

Valorant team members, from left, are Noah Filtz, Coach Tobey Riedmann, JJ Hanson, Nathan Lenz, Em Humphrey and Hoang Dang. / 91��Ƭ

“This Valorant team has put in a ton of work during the school year,” said Coach Aaron Froelich, who has led 91��Ƭ’s esports program since summer 2023. “Competing in both semesters can be extremely time-consuming and challenging for our student athletes to stay on top of their academic work while also succeeding in their game.”

The team improved on its third-place finish in the state event last fall.

“They knew they could perform at a higher level. For most of our players, last season was the first time they have traveled to compete in Valorant so we brought that experience to this season’s state championship. Our players were composed and focused on one thing, winning,” Froehlich said.

“I am very proud of the team for setting high goals and holding themselves to a high standard when it comes to preparation and execution during our matches. I look forward to seeing how this team continues to succeed into the future.”

91��Ƭ’s Noah Filtz competes during a Valorant match. He was named Co-MVP of the state finals. / 91��Ƭ

Six state teams qualified for the Valorant state finals April 26-27 at Waukesha County Technical College, including three from UW-Madison. In online qualifying, 91��Ƭ won its two matches to advance directly to the LAN — local area network — in-person semifinals.

Valorant, by Riot Games, is for two teams of five players each who attack and defend their positions using various strategies on different maps for each round.

The Blue Devils’ Noah Filtz, of Oregon, Wis., was named the tournament co-most valuable player.

Other team members were Em Humphrey, of Waunakee; JJ Hanson, of Lindstrom, Minn.; Nathan Lenz, of St. Paul; and Hoang Dang, of Altoona.

Valorant Coach Tobey Riedmann, of Menomonie, also is a student and is in the university’s new esports coaching minor.

91��Ƭ has been a Wisconsin leader in esports since 2020, when it became the first university in the Universities of Wisconsin to launch a varsity program.

The university’s gaming roots are connected to its nationally ranked game design and development-art program and computer science program.

91��Ƭ hosts the biannual Stout Game Expo, SGX, featuring student-made games. SGX, western Wisconsin's largest game developers' event, will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, May 2, in the Memorial Student Center Great Hall.

###

An esports team from 91��Ƭ is a state collegiate champion. Nathan Filtz Valorant team

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91��Ƭ design students collaborate to combine couture, dance, video game

goersab — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 14:48:44 +0000

91��Ƭ design students collaborate to combine couture, dance, video gamegoersab April 17, 2024

Blue Devils dance team choreographs Boogie Beyond, featured at Stout Game Expo on May 2

Abbey Goers

Collaboration across disciplines is just one part of the polytechnic experience students receive at 91��Ƭ.

For students in the game and fashion design programs, recent collaborations even crossed over into athletics, as they worked with members of the Blue Devils dance team on two projects.

Dance team members Alayna Reps and Izzy Swanson switched from their dancewear to don motion capture suits and helped a game design team bring their game Boogie Beyond to life in 91��Ƭ’s state-of-the-art Vicon Motion Capture Studio in Micheels Hall.

The dance team wore student-designed costumes for their winter jazz routine, 'Stand in the Light.' / Jenny Rae Photography, DanceXtreme, 91��Ƭ Athletics

The dance team’s Head Coach Samantha Ziwicki worked with fashion design and development senior Reem Emerson on new costumes for a winter jazz routine.

Crossing over into Boogie Beyond

Reps and Swanson helped Tristen Rice, animation and digital media, Menomonie; Eric Gritzmacher, computer science, Hayward; Bryce VanDyke, game design and development-art, Hudson; Sarah Ziebarth, computer science and game design double major, Lake City, Minn.; and Sophia Burgess, game design, Fall Creek; along with nine other students on their creation of Boogie Beyond, a virtual reality rhythm game.

The students are looking forward to sharing Boogie Beyond at Stout Game Expo, western Wisconsin's largest game developers’ event. SGX will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, May 2, in the Memorial Student Center Great Hall.

Concept art for Heather, a character in Boogie Beyond. / Sophia Burgess

In the game, players act as investigators chasing down leads of “boogie fever” spreading throughout the city. They find themselves in the chaotic confines of Club Cosmic. Players groove their way through the mysterious nightclub looking for evidence and engaging in dance battles. They must uncover the figure behind the smoke and mirrors before they succumb to the fever themselves.

After meeting with the game design team to talk about the vibes they wanted for each character, Reps, a fashion design major from St. Charles, Minn., and Swanson, a manufacturing engineering and mechanical engineering double major from Becker, Minn., choreographed a song from the game’s soundtrack, drawing inspiration from Just Dance.

“The 91��Ƭ dance team was instrumental. They not only developed multiple era-specific choreography for our characters, aiming for an early 1980s and late 1970s aesthetic and sound, but they also motion-captured the dance itself,” Ziebarth said. “The characters wouldn't have come to life nearly as much if it weren't for their talent.”

Alayna Reps and Izzy Swanson in the Motion Capture Studio. / Sarah Ziebarth

Swanson called the recording in the mo-cap studio “an experience to remember. We danced to the music, taking breaks between each part. Then the game design team worked their magic to integrate the dances into the game,” she said.

Following the Stout Game Expo, the SOAD Senior Show will feature capstone projects by nearly 120 graduating School of Art and Design seniors from 6 to 9 p.m., on Friday, May 3, in Applied Arts and Micheels Hall.

Dancewear leads to small business venture

Emerson, a freelance designer and bridal consultant in St. Paul, was contracted through University Athletics to design 20 custom, hand-sewn dance costumes for the Blue Devils.

Emerson began with several ideations for the dancewear. / Reem Emerson

The team wore the costumes for their winter jazz routine, choreographed by Ziwicki, who chose a soft but powerful composition, “Stand in the Light” by Jordan Smith, for the performance. She wanted the costumes to be light, airy and feminine.

“The process and steps it took to design, pattern and sew all the costumes was similar to how we design our collections within the fashion program. The team didn’t have a costume in light colors, so we chose a blue hue that would still represent the Blue Devils,” she said.

After ideations, Emerson created five garment prototypes and presented them to Ziwicki. They discussed revisions and changes in the applique décor and fabric choices to allow for body movement and eliminate gaping.

The final design included a high neckline and backstrap. The asymmetrical knee-length skirt allowed for two different looks and was made of stretch knit performance mesh. Applique and crystal rhinestone details and a hand-made, detachable applique clip on the waistband added a touch of winter grace.

Emerson designed 20 costumes for the Blue Devils dance team. / Noah Albricht

Emerson learned much of her hand-sewing techniques while interning last summer at Beauty By Design, in Minneapolis.

“One thing that I did not expect when going into this project was that I would come out of it as a small business owner,” she said. “Taking on the dancewear project was much more than sewing beautiful costumes. It helped give me career options that I never knew I could have. It was a fantastic experience.”

Ten fashion design seniors, including Emerson, will model 45 pieces in their capstone clothing collections at the WEAR Fashion Show at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 27, in the Memorial Student Center Great Hall. Tickets are required and are available to purchase online.

WEAR is part of 91��Ƭ’s Spring Showcase of student-centered events in April and May. It is hosted by the WEAR Fashion Association student organization.

Emerson, center, will showcase her bridalwear collection at WEAR Fashion Show on April 27 / 91��Ƭ

Emerson, who also has a degree in industrial design from 91��Ƭ, will graduate on Saturday, May 4. She is interviewing for full-time positions where she can help companies bring ideas to life.

The Blue Devils dance team competed in the Dance Xtreme Americup Championship in Minneapolis in February, receiving many recognitions, including the Andrew Lawrence Sportsmanship award. They won second place in the collegiate contemporary division for Stand in the Light, which was recognized for its positive message and the performers’ stage presence.

The team will host tryouts on Saturday, April 20, and Sunday, April 21, in Johnson Fieldhouse. Tryouts are open to all 2024 high school graduates or older, and auditionees must be considering or committed to 91��Ƭ for fall 2024.

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