RIT Games: GDC Edition

March 9, 2026

The games community at RIT is home to our nationally ranked game design and development, new media design, and new media interactive development programs, as well as cross-disciplinary teams of developers and designers in the colleges of Computing and Art and Design, and MAGIC Spell Studios.

rit.edu/games

Floss Boss, Patchwork, and Don't Run With Scissors game title graphics

Three RIT teams selected for alt.ctrl.GDC

alt.ctrl.GDC has quickly become one of the most popular stops on the GDC convention floor. As the exhibit has grown, so has the competition to develop unique controllers and gameplay experiences that demonstrate how physical interaction, tactile engagement, and playful scale can transform how games are played.

We're thrilled that three of the roughly twenty teams selected for this year's community space are from RIT!

Learn more about the games:

Ever wanted to step inside the mouth of a giant fish? 🐟 In Floss Boss, you use a comically sized toothbrush and custom sensors to clean a mouth bigger than you before time runs out!
Patchwork 🧟‍♂️is an exciting collaborative exhibit where you and your friends bring your very own monster to life! Move quickly to wire up machines and finish high stakes tasks around the lab before it all goes sideways. This exhibit uses dozens of incredible controllers and sensors to envelop you in the experience completely.
In Don't Run With Scissors, you take a step inside of comically large scissors... and do just that! 🤨 Race the clock to slice through dozens of everyday objects, rack up points, and leave a trail of destruction behind you.

🔸 More Highlights 🔸

4th year game design and development student Jeff Chen to present at GDC; receive Gold Prize for Game Narrative Review

RIT student Jeff Chen thrives on the connections that form between players and the characters within games. Chen’s analysis of the game In Stars and Time has earned him the GDC Game Narrative Review program’s prestigious Gold Prize, which enables him to give a talk and present a poster at the annual event, March 9-13 in San Francisco.

Student researcher Cooper Fleishman to present 'Helldivers' and the Art of the Living Game: Designing for Community Ownership on March 9 at GDC

In this talk, Cooper Fleishman explores what transforms a game from having players into having a true community, using Helldivers 2 as a case study in prosocial design. He argues that Arrowhead achieved this not through moderation policies or reward loops, but through deliberate systems like shared resources, emergent squad roles, and a GM-driven galactic war.

RIT Alumni & Friends Happy Hour, Thursday, March 12, 2026, 5-7pm, The Irish Bank, 10 Mark Lane, San Francisco, on pink background with QR code linking to tinyurl.com/RIT-Alumni-Mixer-2026

Learn more about some of the work being done by our students, faculty, and alumni!

Student Spotlight: Published Games from MAGIC Spell Studios

RIT’s MAGIC Spell Studios is a university production house and publishing entity recognized as a Center of Excellence in Digital Game Development by New York State. Check out their portfolio of work on our games page!

Student Producer Program develops leaders capable of taking projects to the finish line

By offering real-world experience managing teams and clients, MAGIC Spell Studios’ new Student Producer Program presents students with unique opportunities to fully engage in digital media projects under development. As a student producer, Kevin McNulty, a fifth-year game design and development student from Forty Fort, Pa., recently helped lead projects to completion. Learn more >

Overboard team wins Best Interactive Project for game experience at Strong Museum of Play

Inspired by game shows with physical challenges such as Wipeout, American Ninja Warrior, and the game 'floor is lava,' Overboard contestants find themselves in a shipwreck-turned-gameshow-set, run by a super snarky seagull.

Kendall Dirks, left, with Assistant Professor Phil Szrama on set of a to-be-release film, in RIT MAGIC Spell Studios' soundstage. Among their responsibilities was adding computer-generated imagery to animate and digitally enhance the qualities of a physical mask designed by a special effects artist.

Alumni Spotlight: Kendall Dirks '25

After graduation, Dirks landed a position as a visual development artist at Framestore—one of the largest visual effects production companies in the world. His feature film experience, along with the broad skill set he developed in the 3DDD program, proved to be a major draw for the studio. Learn more >

US News & World Report - 2026

Best Undergraduate Game/Simulation Design and Development Programs

Princeton Review - 2025

Top 50 Game Design: Undergraduate Category

Top 25 Game Design: Graduate Category

Animation Career Review - 2024

Top 25 Game Design
BS Degrees

Top 50 Game Design Schools and Colleges

Top Animation
BFA Degrees

Some of the great games studios employing RIT alums!

Blizzard Entertainment	Rushdown Studios	WB Games NY
Rocket Science Studios	Riot Games	Wolfjaw Studios
Rockstar Games	Velan Studios	Workinman Interactive

Step into the hub of Interactive Media at RIT during this year’s inaugural Interactive Media Symposium hosted by the School of Interactive Games and Media (IGM). Celebrating the academic and practical achievements of the RIT creative community, this event brings together students, faculty, alumni, and industry professionals in one space.

Join us for a series of engaging talks featuring industry speakers and current students, or check out our various showcases across MAGIC, including immersive interactive experiences, video games, computational art installations, analog games, the latest in AR/XR/VR, and emerging technologies.

Find us in MAGIC on Saturday, April 11, 2026, to experience the unique innovation that the RIT community has to offer.

Rochester, New York is home to the “ultimate play destination,” The Strong Museum of Play, which houses the National Video Game Hall of Fame.

Event	Date/Location	Info
PAX East	March 26-29, 2026,Thomas M. Menino Convention & Exhibition Center, Boston, MA	We are booth #20084 and we will be featuring 3 student games: Potted Pets, Unholy Roller and Pelican Post
2026 Interactive Media Symposium	April 11, 2026, RIT MAGIC Spell Studios	Join us for a series of engaging talks featuring industry speakers and current students, or check out our various showcases across MAGIC.

RIT Games newsletter is created by a team of professionals from across the university working to promote the incredible work of our community! If you have specific questions for a team member, or a specific area, find contact information below!