Programs

Pixel art poster for GameFest 2023.

Presented by the Games and Simulation Arts and Sciences (GSAS) Program at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, GameFest is an annual celebration of student creativity and innovation in the broader fields of analog and digital game design. The two-day event takes the form of a game development showcase, symposium, and competition with prizes awarded by a panel of local industry experts.

Level Upstate 2022 logo

In previous years, the Level Upstate Summer Program has functioned as a six-week intensive incubator for game developers looking to commercialize their creative ideas. 

Beginning in Summer 2023, Level Upstate will be moving away from this existing model and restructured as a year-long game development mentorship program. Accepted participants will spend twelve months working in person and remotely with a rotating team of mentors comprised of faculty in the Games and Simulation Arts and Sciences (GSAS) Program at RPI and professional game developers and partners local to the Capital Region. In the process, participants will pitch, prototype, and playtest their primary projects while simultaneously working to refine their understanding of the market and specific business goals and strategies. 

Poster for RGS 2023.

Organized by RPI's Game Dev Club, RGS is an annual opportunity for all Rensselaer students to showcase their games to the local community. This year's event is the second following a pandemic-era hiatus between Fall 2019 and 2022, so we're looking forward to seeing you there -- especially if it's your first time around!

Ripcord logo

Project Ripcord was formerly a publishing portal for games and interactive stories created by Rensselaer students. Today, Ripcord is in the process of reemerging as a joint blog-and-podcast series for popular games-related discourse.

Over the coming months, we'll begin to post articles about some of the many students enrolled in the Games and Simulation Arts and Sciences (GSAS) and Critical Game Design (CGD) Programs at RPI, as well as written works by the students themselves. 

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