Students show off final projects at 2022 Computer Games Showcase

Attendees gathered in Tishman Hall to play the final projects developed by computer science seniors in EECS 494, Introduction to Video Game Development.

On December 9th, EECS 494 instructor Austin Yarger and his students held the Fall 2022 Computer Games Showcase, a biannual exhibition of the course’s final projects: original video games. Over 350 attendees—with 100 more people participating remotely—got the chance to play 19 games crafted by students from the U-M course, as well as from students in Eastern Michigan University’s game program. 

The EECS 494 final group project requires students to cover all phases of game development, including system conceptualization, specification, design, implementation, and evaluation, as well as audience-building and marketing. The students developed the games over six weeks using the Unity game engine. In the end, each group should finish a game that is accessible and fun to a wide audience. As the students developed their games, they submitted development blogs to IndieDB.com. The popular site is a platform for small studios to promote their work and report on progress, and gives the class the opportunity to treat their project like a serious design undertaking for an audience.

Learn more about the student projects from Fall 2022 EECS 494: 

Subtension by WolverineSoft Studio

Subtension 1st Trailer (Fall 2022 Version)

Outfit, crew and command your submarine to save what’s left of humanity beneath the seas of a ruined earth. Man your sub’s systems and take aim in this real-time strategy epic! Inspired by FTL, this subnautic student project serves as our first 2-semester release.

Ragnarök TD by WolverineSoft Studio

Ragnarök TD is a 2D top-down tower defense game created as a case study of Ninja Kiwi’s Bloons TD 6 by the University of Michigan’s WolverineSoft Studio. Follow the story of a small village in the North as they fend off the beasts of Ragnarök in this revamped Steam iteration of the original project.

TURBONEON by Studio DEEM Engine

TURBONEON is an action-packed antigravity racing game! Use your ship’s tether beam to maintain top speed around hairpin turns, and even attack enemy ships! Race for glory across two vibrant 80’s-inspired racetracks against human and CPU racers! 

Blockraft by SnakeX

Blockraft Game Trailer – SnakeX

Blockraft is a Real-Time Strategy game in which two players compete for more territories. Collect resource, build up weapons, destroy enemy fortifications, and defeat the opponent.

Food Fight by Swolverine Studios

Food Fight Trailer [Swolverines]

Duel your friends in this 1v1 combat based multiplayer game with a rock, paper, scissors combat system! Fight to see which food will reign supreme and which food will go cold!

Bug Boogie by Untitled Games

“Bug Boogie” Trailer

Join Groovy Jerry as he goes on a journey  to meet new bandmates and become the champion in the Bug Boogie Band competition!

Zombie Cakes by E. Chip Bag Studios

ZOMBIE CAKES

Zombie Cakes is a co-op action cooking survival game where two players bake delicious rolls and cakes to shoot at hungry gluten-intolerant zombies. Confined to their food truck, that has a habit of breaking down, the chefs must work together to handle food production and zombie killing to survive each wave. Over time, the chefs will unlock new machines, recipes, automation, and more to build their truck into a gluten shooting powerhouse.

Little Lantern by Peachyy Slayy

Little Lantern is a 2D puzzle platformer where Oppy the cat uses a lantern to manipulate special blocks within the level. Navigate through tricky dungeon levels by holding, dropping, or throwing your lantern to make blocks appear, disappear, or even move! Learn about the existence of the underworld and discover secrets along the way. Help Oppy escape the dog-ruled dungeon and make it back home.

Roadkill Rampage by Untitled Games

ROADKILL RAMPAGE TRAILER

The deer in Michigan have gone crazy with blood thirst…for HUMANS!!! Your car, grandma, and a totally legal weapon strapped to your vehicle is your only hope for survival. Buckle up and drive, Meat Bucket.

guiding her by Peachy Keen Games

guiding her is a resource manager/visual novel hybrid in which you, as the dutiful companion you are, must drag your beloved owner out of her house and into the real world again. But things are hard for her right now, and if her energy runs out, you’ll have to return home.

Bad Practice by Shady Lobster Games

Bad Practice Trailer

Bad Practice is a medically themed top down shooter with a focus on protecting and healing a patient’s wounds. Players get to fight off a multitude of enemies which attempt to infect the patient’s wounds as well as attacking the player themselves. In order to do this, they must take advantage of their different weapons and tools to stop the ever advancing germs and viruses.

Desktop Defender by Sprinting Quokkas 

Desktop Defender is an asymmetrical cooperative bullethell game that gets progressively harder as the player advances through each round. One player is controlling the Antivirus (Controller), while another controls the System (Mouse). The cursor can use unique abilities to clear out groups of enemies, while the antivirus has unique weapons used for focusing individual enemies at a time.

Granny’s Day Off by Liminalscape

This is a 1-v-1 competitive third person pie thrower where you compete against another grandma to gain points through various means. You can collect special pies to gain an upper hand but beware pieing civilians because the police will come.

The Long Road by Lambda

The Long Road Trailer

The player needs to go through the long road, explore and pick powerful items along the road and defeat enemies, and go to the end of the road.

ElectriKitty by Crunchtime Studios

ElectriKitty – Trailer

Play as a cat on the hunt for a squirrel in this platformer game. Explore this dangerous world and master the mystic power of electricity. Collect rings and solve puzzles to continue the hunt.

Alien Escape by Grounded Games

Themed around A puzzle platformer focused on a time travel mechanic. Escape from Area 51 to find your way home!

Raveler by Team IIIII

[Trailer] Raveler

Raveler is a multiplayer, platform game in which you will  recover the past memory of a couple. During the journey,  the two players are connected by a rope symbolizing their relationship and need to cooperate to reach the end of their story.

A Kitsune’s Tail by Broccoli Bats

A Kitsune’s Tail is a spellbinding puzzle platform game about a spirit fox on a quest to earn its nine tails. Drawing raw elemental power from the environment around it, the fox will travel the world from the mountains to the forest and encounter creatures fantastical and strange, growing ever more powerful and facing more challenges the more tails it secures.

Cavelit by Hosico Studios

Cavelit is a 2D platformer, where you are a miner that has been caught in a cave-in. The only option is to head further in and try to find your way out. Can you survive the dangers of the depths and climb your way back to the surface?