The annual Fall Festival at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) highlighted groundbreaking student projects in interactive entertainment, showcasing the latest innovations in video game design. Held on December 5, 2023, at the university’s Entertainment Technology Center, the festival transformed the venue into an interactive arcade where visitors experienced gaming prototypes developed over the past semester.
Among the standout games was Overboard, a multiplayer experience where teams aim to sink each other’s pirate ships. Frank Lin, an artist and producer for the game, emphasized the intention behind its design. “We wanted to create a game that’s just fun to play with friends,” Lin explained. He noted that the focus is on enjoyment rather than strategy, allowing players to engage in light-hearted chaos. “What they can do is just kind of like, destroy the friendship in a good way and just have fun,” he added.
Another notable project was The Escape March, inspired by the 1994 film “The Shawshank Redemption.” This game required a more strategic approach, as players used a controller shaped like a hammer to escape from jail while avoiding detection by guards. Ivy Hu, an artist on the team, aimed to immerse players in an intense experience. The physical aspect of the game, including the custom hammer controller stored in a fake Bible, enhances the thrill of the gameplay.
First-year graduate students also contributed to the festival, creating projects from scratch in just two weeks. One such project, The Cavern, featured a semi-circular video display designed to foster teamwork. José Mireles, who demonstrated this car racing game, explained that players control the cheering sections of the crowd rather than the race cars themselves. “You can’t cheer too much, but it’s possible to cheer at the wrong times, causing the drivers to accelerate into a wall or into other cars,” Mireles noted.
The game supports up to 25 players simultaneously, which can lead to a lively atmosphere. Mireles highlighted the educational aspect of the game, stating, “We are using this playground to spark conversation about communication and cooperation.” Even when a car crashes, he reassured participants that the experience remains enjoyable, as the primary goal is to have fun.
The Fall Festival at CMU not only showcased students’ creativity but also emphasized the potential future of gaming as a medium for social interaction and learning. As these innovative projects illustrate, the boundaries of interactive entertainment continue to expand, promising exciting developments in the gaming industry.
