GameFest 2026 Showcase
Team Members: Dylan Valencia - Programmer, Tech Artist, VFX Artist
Anatoliy Kuznetsov - Programmer
Gabe Dellario - Programmer
Antoine Burrell - Programmer
Alto Wu - Animator
Timmy Daramola - Animator
Liam Burk - 3D Artist
Oliver Zema - SFX/Music
Lydia Honerkamp - Writer/Level Designer
University: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Description: A sidescrolling action game where you can hit enemies so hard they go back in time! Brawl in 4 dimensions, using your time rewind to reposition enemies to your advantage, as you fight your way to the top floor of a megacorporation's headquarters.
Check out their itch page: https://brainlessfigure.itch.io/4d-stick-fight
Finalist: Grand Prize
Team Members: Andi Zhu - Programming, Game Design, Level Design
Ella Zhang - Art, Game Design, Level Design
Char Zheng - Audio, Game Design, Level Design
University: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Description: A Decade of Eggs is a 2D Puzzle Platformer made in Unity. You play as the chicken who has had enough and wants to escape the egg factory. Use your ability to lay and move eggs together to help the chicken reach freedom!
Check out their itch page: https://andeeeeez.itch.io/a-decade-of-eggs
Winner: Game Design Award
Finalist: Grand Prize
Team Members: Jack Keegan - Game designer/boss designer.
Leo Schindler-Gerendasi - Lead programmer/composer.
Dylan Pegg - Producer/Marketing
Amelia Caird - Level Design/Marketing
Mason Zettlemoyer - Programmer
Kendyl Greer - Lead Artist
Victoria (Tori) Schinstine - Artist
John Wagner - SFX Designer
Lizzy Noe - UI/UX Design/Graphic Design
Kelly Chen - Artist
University: Rochester Institute of Technology
Description: Catch exotic fish and fight comical sea-monsters as you chase after The One That Got Away in this fishing-centric boss rush!
Check out their Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3529390/Bait__Tackle/
Finalist: Technical Excellence Award
Team Members: Sofia Rivas - Producer
Sebastian Bolatto - Systems & Gameplay Designer
Elad Flaishon - Gameplay Design & Programmer
Midna Meyer - Narrative Design & Gameplay Programmer
Jay Kozell - 3D Artist
Samay Shah - VFX Artist
Alexander Rodrigues - Concept Art
Petra Aponte - 3D Artist
University: Rochester Institute of Technology
Description: Cursebreakers is a first-person multiplayer horror game where an organization tasks you and your friends to exorcise The Manor and break the curse before it seeps out into the rest of the world. Navigate through the twisting halls of The Manor, collect items, and overcome challenges to dispel the curse that has possessed one of your friends. Can you prevent the end of the world?
Winner: Experimentation Award
Team Members: Aiden Crossfield - Production Lead, Programming Lead, Technical Artist
Lune DiFulco - Writer
Calissa Tyrrell - Programmer, Technical Artist
Eugene Oh - 3D Modeler, Texture Artist
Alex Hertz - 3D Modeler
Jasmin Chen - Texture Artist
University: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Description: Work with your fellow cult members to take back what’s rightfully yours! A multiplayer VR game developed in Unity Engine, one player navigates a museum filled with traps and puzzles while the other fights a sketchy website to get the information needed to traverse through the museum. Together, the players are able to make their way to a vault, where the real treasures of the cult they’re working for are being stored, including a ouija board they then must escape with.
Check out their itch page: https://swimtime1227.itch.io/devotement
Team Members: Jack Pederson - 3D Artist, Game Designer and Developer
Kaitlyn Rodriguez - Game Director, Game Designer and Developer
Patrick Coughlin - Game Designer and Developer
Pranav Rajnish - Game Designer and Developer
Ryan Zhang - Technical Artist
Victoria (Tori) Schinstine - 3D Artist
Kendyl Greer - Producer
Sam Burgoyne - Game Director, Producer
Will Tallarico - Producer
University: Rochester Institute of Technology
Description: Dream Swimmer immerses you in the serene environment of your local indoor pool, where an extraordinary revelation awaits: every time you dive beneath the surface, you’re transported to the boundless expanse of the ocean. This hidden world beckons to you, filled with vibrant marine life and uncharted territories. Yet, your physical form presents a challenge. Each breath draws you back to the surface, tethering you to reality.
Dream Swimmer was developed under the theme “Paths of Change” as part of RIT's echoes Vertically Integrated Project. Via games inspired by local community members & their work, students explore the role of games & game development in building empathy and understanding. In particular, the game was inspired by Paulette Swartzfager's “Dream Swimmer”. The poem paints a vivid picture of a swimmer who, beneath the surface of a pool, yearns for a limitless underwater world, a place where imagination and reality blur. Themes of breath, depth, and duality—between control and surrender, body and mind—guided our ideation.
Check out their Github page: https://rit-vip-echoes.github.io/Dream-Swimmer/
Winner: Art Award
Finalist: Experimentation Award
Finalist: Impact Award
Team Members: Yuna Kim — Creator / Developer
University: University of Connecticut
Description: Where is your home?
And what happens when “home” is something you must leave and rebuild again and again?
Growing up between countries, I experienced many homes—each temporary in its own way. Over time, I realized that home was never contained in a single place. Instead, it lived in the moments, objects, and memories that stayed with me long after I had moved on.
Echoes of Home is an interactive experience that explores belonging, displacement, and memory through immersive digital environments and AI-guided interaction. Players move through a series of spaces that reflect the shifting nature of home—from a familiar room, to a chaotic street, and finally to an inner refuge shaped by personal reflection. These environments are not literal recreations, but symbolic landscapes where fragments of stories, emotions, and objects gradually emerge.
As the experience unfolds, the world responds to player interaction, inviting reflection on a simple question:
What does home mean to you?
While the places we live may change or disappear, the sense of home we carry within ourselves can continue to grow, adapt, and endure.
Check out their website: https://www.yunakimdesign.com/post/echoes-of-home
Team Members: Kaiden Lakheeram - Building assets, character sprite, and programming
University: Rochester Institute of Technology
Description: In this game, you play as a city mayor who is tasked with constructing a city for your fellow citizens. Using the gold you gain over time, you must construct a variety of buildings for your citizens to live in and enjoy. Be careful though, because you need to keep your greenhouse gas emissions low enough to prevent the destruction of your land and community! Can you keep your citizens happy without negatively impacting the environment?
Check out their itch page: https://ufighter34.itch.io/emission-imposisble
Winner: Impact Award
Team Members: Thomas Roman
Aidan Vitka
Jack Lutz
University: Rochester Institute of Technology, SUNY Oneonta
Description: An educational game where players use functions as movement
Team Members: Gabriel Jimenez - Lead/Art
Eddie Matthews - Programmer
Nick Rice - Audio
Ryan Wang - Programmer
Marcus Negron - Programmer
Ryan Taccetta - Narrative
William Mao - Art
University: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Description: A take on games like "Papers, Please," "No, I'm not a Human," and "That's not my Neighbor," where players have to verify that Entrants are Humans, and not Robotic Imitators. While players use various stations to investigate the Entrant, they will also have to fend off Imitator threats that try to break into their office.
Check out their itch page: https://gabriellj.itch.io/human-error
Finalist: Art Award
Team Members: Ar Kuchimanchi - Development, 2D Artist, Game Designer and Developer
Carrie Wilson - Game Director
Jack Keegan - Game Director, Game Designer and Developer
Kaitlyn Rodriguez - Game Designer and Developer
Max White - Composer
Miranda Lenaghan - 2D Artist
Nicholas Binetti - Game Designer and Developer
Roberto Tello - 2D Artist
Sasha Avteniev - Game Designer and Developer
Kendyl Greer - Producer
Sam Burgoyne - Producer
Will Tallarico - Producer
University: Rochester Institute of Technology
Description: Play as a curious child in the 1960s, one too young to know the events going on around them. Your parents won't let on what's really going on, and they want you to be distracted with your toys and games. Slowly learn what your parents are scared of while you play, and piece together exactly what they aren't telling you.
Hush was developed under the theme “Paths of Change” as part of RIT's echoes Vertically Integrated Project. Via games inspired by local community members & their work, students explore the role of games & game development in building empathy and understanding. In particular, the game was inspired by Paulette Swartzfager's “October Crisis” and Gail Hosking’s “Near The Iron Curtain”.
The poems provided both historical and emotional context for Hush. They encapsulate a confused world where everyone was frightened that any day could be the last, but from the perspective of children. Between both poems there was a common theme of kids who were aware of the world around them who sought relief through their worlds of imagination and games.
Check out their website: https://www.echoes-vip.org/themes/paths-of-change/hush/game
Team Members: Maddie Mullins - Lead designer
Angelle Vasquez - 2D artist
Ricky Zarkoski - 3D artist
Ricardo Manuel Flores - Programmer and narrative designer
Melody Randolph - Programmer
Jack Allard - Programmer
Sam Lebowitz - Programmer and audio designer
Nick Rice - Audio designer
University: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Description: Indee's Nutty Restaurant is a cozy and humorous game where you play as Indee, a squirrel who is trying to pay off her debt to a shark. You will need to find and forage all the ingredients for the dishes you serve and befriend customers to unlock new areas of the world for foraging.
Check out their itch page: https://nicofthyme.itch.io/indees-nutty-restaurant
Finalist: Art Award
Finalist: Technical Excellence Award
Team Members: Frankie Alfano - Gameplay Programmer
Vincent Le - Producer, Technical Lead, Audio Lead
Esther Loo - UI/UX Designer
William Tallarico - Design Lead, Systems Programmer
Tamanna Taneja - AI Programmer, Enemy Artist and Animator
Ryan Zhang - Creative Director, Art Lead, Technical Artist
University: Rochester Institute of Technology
Description: In Sanctum Protocol, The Virus has infected your faith. As a machine priest, take calculated risks to navigate the sanctum’s network, wield verses in battle, and lock in rule-altering Doctrines. How far are you willing to bend the rules to restore order?
Check out their website: index1391.com
Team Members: Autumn Conway - Game Director, Game Designer and Developer
Daniel Badger - Game Designer and Developer
Gina Piccirilli - Sound Designer
Milo Qureshi - 2D Artist, Game Designer and Developer
Ryan Keller - Composer
Sebastian Bolatto - Game Designer and Developer
Sejjemba Magoye: Game Designer/Developer
Kendyl Greer - 2D Artist, Producer
Sam Burgoyne - Game Director, Producer
Will Tallarico - Producer
University: Rochester Institute of Technology
Description: In Jelly Beach, explore emotions like nostalgia and childlike joy as you make your way through a boardwalk, collect items, and trade with people to achieve your goal of obtaining the most amazing thing you can imagine: a jelly donut!
Jelly Beach was developed under the theme “Paths of Change” as part of RIT's echoes Vertically Integrated Project. Via games inspired by local community members & their work, students explore the role of games & game development in building empathy and understanding. In particular, the game was inspired by John Roche's “Jelly Donut”. It reminded us of being kids with no money and having to trade to get something we wanted. The joy we felt in those moments of independence and the nostalgia for them led to our design.
Check out their website: https://www.echoes-vip.org/themes/paths-of-change/jelly-beach/game
Finalist: Game Design Award
Finalist: Grand Prize
Team Members: Bastian Farrera - Co-Producer, Head 3D/Texture Artist, Level Designer
Ryan Gibeau - Lead Programmer, Co-Producer
NithinSathiya - Technical Artist, 3D Artist
Henry Davis - Animator, 3D Artist
Tarik Baghdadi - Project Manager & Systems Programmer
Rachel Gates - Lead Sound Designer
Mya Zayas - 3D Artist, Composer
Gabrielle Arabe - Concept Artist, UI Artist
Eduardo Huamani - 3D/Texture Artist
Emily Joaquim - Programmer
University: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Description: Lantern Light is a first-person action horror puzzle game set within a decrepit manor crawling with twisted monstrosities. Armed with only your axe and the fragile glow of your lantern, you tread along the verge of madness as you traverse the manor's darkened halls. Use your lantern’s light to blind enemies and its precious oil to burn away corruption. Smash through wooden planks and defend yourself by cutting down horrors with your axe. Solve environmental puzzles by activating light pedestals and reflecting beams with mirrors to cleanse areas you cannot reach alone. Keep the light alive, preserve your sanity, and confront your deepest fears in Lantern Light.
Check out their Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2192100/Lantern_Light_DEMO/?beta=1
Team Members: Evelyn Shilosky - Co-creator
Izzy Cottone - Co-creator
University: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Description: You are an amateur detective, investigating a murder that occurred at a Masquerade Ball. You have 5 minutes until the police arrive to solve the murder! Will you be able to solve the murder mystery?
Check out their itch page: https://codingmermaid.itch.io/masquerade-murder-mystery/purchase
Team Members: Mary Haley
Matt Izzo
Aaron Bush
Annalee Dorozynski
Ashank Rajendran
Luke Justice
University: Rochester Institute of Technology
Description: Befriend Cranky Monsters by Brewing Tea from Gathered Resources on a Magical Island.
After getting stranded on a magical island filled with cranky monsters, you must now learn to coexist and befriend them through the power of tea.
Check out their itch page: https://marytheproducer.itch.io/monster-tea-time
Finalist: Narrative Award
Team Members: Ariel Mercurius - 3D Artist
Jeremy Barruso - Game Director, Game Designer and Developer
Kai Gidwani - Game Designer and Developer
Kevin Insinna - Game Designer and Developer
Marc Browning - Composer, Sound Designer
Rebecca Greene - 3D Artist
Sejjemba Magoye - Game Designer and Developer
Stevie Meyer - 3D Artist, Game Designer and Developer
Kendyl Greer - Producer
Sam Burgoyne - Game Director, Producer
Will Tallarico - Game Director, Producer
University: Rochester Institute of Technology
Description: Myth of Change follows you as you leave home, exploring the discomfort and anxiety associated with change. After you have your goodbyes with your father, you set out on a road trip towards your new life. While on the road, you'll speak with loved ones to help you process your feelings on this journey. And, in the end, you'll reach a point of acceptance with this change.
Myth of Change was developed under the theme “Paths of Change” as part of RIT's echoes Vertically Integrated Project. Via games inspired by local community members & their work, students explore the role of games & game development in building empathy and understanding. In particular, the game was inspired by Paulette Swartzfager's “The Myth of the Nutria”. The poem tells the story of being forced to leave home due to the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina. While the game does not capture that literal experience, it does follow those core ideas of being uprooted and forced into discomforting change.
Check out their website: https://www.echoes-vip.org/themes/paths-of-change/myth-of-change
Team Members: Thomas Wills II - Project lead
Reece Balduzzi - Creative/Marketing Lead
Igor Polotai - Level Design
Aidan Thompson - Art Director
Jacob Chiem - Music Director
Gina Piccirilli - Sound Effects Lead
University: Rochester Institute of Technology, SUNY Oswego, Onondaga Community College
Description: Office Party Panic is a quirky 3D platformer where you play as a sentient chair. Make use of enemy abilities to traverse pocket dimensions, fight bosses, and collect supplies for your boss, Stapleton. It’s time to get this party started!
Check out their itch page: https://business-casual-studios.itch.io/office-party-panic
Team Members: Leslie Zeng
University: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Description: Outis 2026 is a 2D side-scrolling adventure game inspired by Chinese and Greek mythology. This game follows Outis, a headless wanderer seeking transcendence and the return of his lost identity. Players will traverse worlds of mist and myth, encounter beings both sacred and malevolent, and ultimately unveil the world’s deepest mysteries: Who created it? Why is Outis headless? And who, truly, is Outis?
Check out their itch page: https://lesliezeng.itch.io/outis2026
Team Members: Nicholas Branscombe - Team Lead/Producer, Developer
Lauren Bagley - Art Lead, Marketing
University: Rochester Institute of Technology
Description: Over Engineered is a 2D simulation sandbox game where you manage a ball factory that performs too well. Inspired by Rube Goldberg machines, the player must use random machines and parts to delay the shipment of balls. With future machines locked behind time milestones, the player must overcome time barriers to create something original. With 45+ parts, each new advancement propels the players machine further into Over-Engineered chaos
Check out their website: https://sharpergames.com/
Finalist: Game Design Award
Finalist: Impact Award
Team Members: Leo Schindler-Gerendasi - Producer, Audio Programmer, Systems Programmer
Jack Keegan - Gameplay Designer, Gameplay Programmer, Art Lead
John Brazell - Tech Lead, Gameplay Programmer, Systems Programmer
University: Rochester Institute of Technology
Description: The Storm Is Coming.
In Pull It Together, you and up to three other wagoneers must band together to outpace the superstorm that's coming your way. You only have each other, what you can forage, and anything you can fit in your trusty wagon. You must work together to keep yourselves and the wagon in shape while you navigate the wilds and all the dangers and opportunities that it provides.
Nature can be unforgiving, and you will have to face many trials along your journey to safety beyond the mountains. Your progress may be impeded by sudden weather, the terrain will become more treacherous as you progress, and wild beasts may be on the prowl for you, your wagon, and your supplies. Engage these threats in different ways as you learn how to survive together.
As you scavenge for different resources like food, wood, and tools, you’ll soon run out of hands to carry them all. However, your wagon has enough space to carry everything you need! Featuring a spacious interior to store numerous items and players, hooks to hold your important tools, and shelves to store mysterious, boon-granting trinkets, the wagon will be your best friend on your journey. It’s up to you to keep your wagon in good condition, as you will not last long without it.
From the encounters you may face, to the resources that you find, and even to the trail itself, each time you set forth will be different. You may find treasure buried in piles of dirt, have your wagon accosted by a horde of ravenous beavers, and even catch a glimpse of a UFO! Each game of Pull It Together provides a new challenge for long-time wagoneers and first-time explorers alike.
Check out their Steam page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4458000/Pull_It_Together/
Team Members: Edward Tian - Programmer
Tristan Ortiz - Programmer
Kayleigh Poynton - Programmer
Ainsley Mills - Artist
Bianca Babcock - Artist
Ryan Liu - Artist
Oliver Zema - Audio
Khayniyah Culpepper - Narrative/Design
University: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Description: Shinshoku is a 3D, first-person, point-and-click adventure game set in Japan. You inherit the role of shinshoku (shrine keeper) after your grandfather’s recent passing. As the new shinshoku, your job is to care for and maintain the shrine. However, when you arrive, you find that the entire shrine is in complete disarray: the foliage is unkempt, the residence building is filled with old junk, and, worst of all, yokai occupy every inch of the grounds. Solve puzzles and converse with the yokai residents to restore the shrine left in your care.
Check out their itch page: https://piperidine.itch.io/shinshoku
Team Members: Billy Guzik - Game Balance Designer, Gameplay Programmer, Marketing
Patrick Emmons - Animator, Combat Designer/Programmer, Spell Interaction Programmer, Player Controller Programmer
Oscar Tiong - VFX Designer/Programmer, UI Art/Implementation
Jayesh Singh - Network Programmer, Combat Programmer, Spell Interaction Programmer
Max White - Producer, Sound Designer, Composer, Level Designer
Emily Purdum - Character Designer/Animator
Hannah Lee - Environment Designer/Artist
University: Rochester Institute of Technology
Description: The year is 2000… Y2K has caused the source code of the universe to be leaked, allowing humans to bend reality using spell-like coding techniques called “Spell-Codes”.
Those who have harnessed the power of spell-codes now compete to obtain the ultimate power: the “Universal Motherboard” which allows the user to control everything in the universe.
Weave codes and sling spells as a punk Y2K spell-code synthesizer in this 2-4 player, couch/online, 2D party brawler. Acquire new exe & config spells to add to your arsenal and create your own unique playstyles.
Check out their itch page: https://fmpo.itch.io/spell-code
Team Members: Sam Lebowitz
University: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Description: A visual novel about breaking into a noble's house to steal a spell scroll
Check out their itch page: https://mrhitech.itch.io
Winner: Technical Excellence Award
Finalist: Experimentation Award
Finalist: Impact Award
Team Members: Ryan Gibeau
University: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Description: Spondooli: Boom ‘N Bust is the party game that makes money fun. Boom ‘N Bust is a fun, competitive multiplayer stock market game, where players trade across a given period in stock market history while time passes at an accelerated rate. Throughout a game, students trade over decades of real history, flying by at days per second. The stock data is all accurate, however, the names of the stocks are made-up. Therefore, students must use their knowledge of financial history, graph reading skills, and their ability to outwit other students with power-ups, to reach mastery. Boom ‘N Bust allows for students to look forward to quick 3 minute games at the end of class, where they learn decades worth of investment experience.
Check out their website: https://spondooli.com/boom-n-bust
Winner: Narrative Award
Finalist: Experimentation Award
Team Members: Zach Devine - Lead Programmer
Caitlin DeRosa - Technical Artist
Vera Palandri - Illustrator
Anderson Leroy - Composer
University: Long Island University Post
Description: Spree is a narrative game about recalling forgotten memories. Draw items, go shopping, and probe the depths of your mind.
Check out their itch page: https://cdertrees.itch.io/spree
Team Members: Belle Larson
Caleb Arp
Ashwin Seetharaman
Jonatan Z. López
Rain Deng
Char Zheng
Jack Hu
Nathaniel Gunnels
Nick Rice
University: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Description: Play as an outer-space big-game hunter, who's landed on this planet in order to claim the heads of 3 weird and wacky monsters as trophy kills. Set traps during the prep phase, then grapple across rocky plateaus and activate traps while the monster rampages. Be careful, as one wrong move will see you swiftly killed and eaten.
The game consists of two phases, a prep phase where you place traps along a valley, and a rampage phase, where you run away from the monster. Use a grappling hook in order to vault across rocky gaps to avoid the monsters attacks and activate traps at the right time to kill the monster.
Check out their itch page: https://p0rt-a-be11-0.itch.io/theexpedition
Winner: Grand Prize
Finalist: Game Design Award
Finalist: Narrative Award
Team Members: Alex Genchev - Technical Artist
Eduardo Huamani - 3D Artist
Juan Devarie - Gameplay Programmer
Shawn Putman - Level Architect
University: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Description: The World Ends in Red is a romantic narrative set in early century Argentina (1700s). You play as Liro Watabe, a vampire navigating his home in a desperate search for his lover, Eutimio Velasco.
As night closes in, you maneuver the echoing halls of your castle, using the supernatural abilities you were born with, enhanced movement, stealth abilities, echolocation, and time-rewind powers all in hopes to overcome puzzles, evade enemies, and undo fatal mistakes. The castle itself aids and reshapes you, as clues hide in the echoes of the past.
Your purpose is just one and is most urgent: find Eutimio before the red reaches him before time, fate, or hate makes reunion impossible. Love is your guide, memory is your power, and time is mercy.
Time and love unravel as the world ends in red.
Check out their itch page: https://alexxgen.itch.io/the-world-ends-in-red
Team Members: Frankie Alfano - Programmer
Matt Izzo - Programmer
Sebastian Bolatto - Designer
Sofia Rivas - Producer and Artist
Elad Flaishon - Programmer and Designer
Tamanna Taneja - Programmer and Animator
University: Rochester Institute of Technology
Description: Verdant Engine is a single player strategy roguelike, where the player controls a massive mech that has been possessed by a plant-like entity. The mech has a garden growing atop of its chassis, and the placement of plants influences its combat capabilities. The mech must make its way through the city, battling immense polluting factories, before defeating the central AI that keeps the factories running.
Check out their itch page: https://cilmering.itch.io/verdant-engine
Finalist: Game Design Award
Finalist: Technical Excellence Award
Team Members: Thomas Anderson
University: Rochester Institute of Technology
Description: Your mission is to descend. Seal the rift at any cost, pilot.
WARD: Descent is a 2D dungeon-crawler roguelike where you pilot an armored combat suit through an overrun research lab. You have one directive: seal the rift at its bottom. Reaching it will not be easy. You must navigate the ever-shifting facility, collecting enhancements and surviving encounters with hostile anomalies as you descend.
Managing your upgrades is critical to survival. The order in which you install them determines how they interact, allowing for powerful synergies or catastrophic inefficiencies. Some upgrades demand more processing power than your suit can provide, requiring you to manually complete sequences to trigger their effects. Mastering these sequences will be vital to your mission’s success.
Check out their itch page: https://atommy126.itch.io/ward-descent