The 10th annual GameFest drew crowds from campus and the community to the Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center to see the latest and greatest in student-designed video games. The annual competition was judged by professional video game developers from Vicarious Visions, a firm co-founded by Rensselaer grad Karthik Bala ’97 and based in Menands. Hangeki, a game designedby Rensselaer students, took home top honors. The fast-paced take on a classic arcade space shooter game was designed by Damian Cross, Natalie Johnson, Jaron Kong, Jota San, Terence Tolman, and Greg Weil. Second and third place went to competitors visiting from the New York University Game Center: second place went to Kaleidoscope, an adventure featuring a crew stranded in space without a ship, and third place went to Gemini, a game that aims to create an emotional bond between the player and a character. Rensselaer-designed games also took home top marks for Design (Gravity’s Pull) and the two Audience Choice awards (Head in the Clouds and Lead with your Face). —Emily Donohue
