For Students: Join Our Game Design Programs

What’s something you’ve done in this program that made you feel proud of yourself?

The art that I’ve created throughout my time in Game Academy has truly made me reevaluate my growth as an artist and realize how much potential I have when I put in all of my effort. I typically focus on perfecting the core of the game first, rather than jumping straight to graphic design. That changed when I discovered Piskel. Using Piskel helped me realize that I am able to make art that I’m genuinely proud of, something I hadn’t experienced until I joined Urban Arts.

How has learning game development changed the way you see what you’re capable of doing?

Learning game development changed how I see my abilities. It showed me that I can use my skills not just to make games for fun, but to create things that can teach, help and benefit others. It made me realize I’m capable of building ideas that have a purpose, not just entertainment.

How has this program changed the way you think about your future or career goals?

This program changed how I think about my future. Before, I planned to be a regular software developer at a big tech company. After this experience, I realized I want something different. Now I want to build my own startup game company and create something original instead of just working in a standard role.

What does being a leader in a creative space mean to you now?

Being a leader in a creative space means helping the team stay focused, encouraging new ideas and guiding the project forward without shutting anyone down. It’s about supporting creativity, not controlling it.

When you hit a challenge in your project, how did you approach finding a solution?

When I hit a challenge in my project, I record myself explaining what I’ve done so far. Listening back helps me spot where things went wrong, and from there I can figure out how to fix the problem.

Share your experience in Game Academy.

This was the first space where I really opened up to people, and it helped me make my first friends after moving to New York.

Can you share a moment when you realized you had the power to make something entirely your own?

I think the first time we made a basic movement script was when it clicked in my head that, with enough knowledge, practice and time, I could actually make something. It seems a bit silly in retrospect, considering all I really knew at the time was how to make the program react to a key input, but I’d never coded and had certainly never thought that I’d be able to code a game before. Making a simple WASD-pressing simulator felt like performing a crazy magic trick. I don’t think many people understand just how surreal that kind of realization is: that you’re capable of eventually making something your own, something that conveys the kind of story you want to tell.

What’s one way this program has prepared you to take your next step after high school?

Prior to the Game Academy 2D Program, I’d just been coming out of a disappointing first three years of high school after figuring out that I, in fact, did not really want to be a lawyer. I was floating around the creative sphere, but didn’t really know what I wanted to do after graduating; I’d first applied for Game Academy hoping that I’d get some answers there. Fortunately, answers were all that I found. It was through this program that I realized that I really liked interactive story-heavy games, and that I would certainly be able to make something along those lines if I furthered my knowledge in the game design field. So, needless to say, I know what I’d like to major in now.

What have you learned about working with others to turn an idea into something real?

Nobody’s good at everything— that’s a reality I had to face during my time in the 2D Development Program. Even though I’d already learned more than I could’ve ever imagined in the span of a couple weeks, I simply did not know how to program well enough to bring the kind of game I wanted to make to life. Fortunately, my peers were very talented and also had brilliant ideas that I liked, so I was able to work with them to make our shared vision into reality. Not only did our combined efforts make the final game’s quality increase tenfold, but it made the process much more fun for everybody. More is truly the merrier when it comes to game design.

What does creativity mean to you now, after working on your own games or projects?

I’ve always dreamed of creating something that speaks to people, and Game Academy is a catalyst for creation and all things related. I had no clue how to make the thousands of ideas bouncing around inside my head a reality, but this program handed me what I needed and pushed me forward. Knowing that a previously far-off dream is now in reach makes you think a lot more about things you’d like to make, and I’ve become a much more creative person as a result of my time in the 2D Development Program.

Can you share a moment when you realized you had the power to make something entirely your own?

For a long time I simply had game ideas and wrote it down, I’d always make rules and imagine scenarios (Sometimes I’d even make them into board games just so I could have a chance of playing them). I always saw it as cool ideas that I’d love to play, honestly I’d fall in love with my games even though they were non existent. After a while when I neared freshman year I was working on a fighting game and I just had the thought that “This probably will never be a real game” and at first I was a little sad but after a while I lost motivation on the project and kind of accepted that. However about near mid school year I entered AP CSP, in which I learned to code in python, at first I didn’t care much but after about 2 months I was at the head of the class and when we got an assignment as simple as making a calculator I end up adding on random features to it, and tuning out bugs. At first I did not realize but after a while I came to the realization that I could make anything. Literally anything I could Imagine; I could touch and see and understand with just some simple logic.

How has this program changed the way you think about your future or career goals?

I always have wanted to be apart of a team dedicated to Game design at maybe some time in the future. To me that has always been a dream, and honestly before game academy it felt like a far away one in fact. However when I did the 2d program over the summer I got that feeling I was looking for (in the team project); that being in a real collaborative team environment. So Game Academy made this o so distant dream feel like it was within reach. So if I were to say in what way Game Academy shaped my ideal future; I’d say by making my dream feel real.

How has this program helped you become more of a leader – either in class or outside of it?

This program has helped me to become a leader by giving me not only the skills needed to convey my idea to another, but also the ability to find compromises between ideas in ways in which every party is happy. Many times in my team project in 2d and even in the fresh beginnings of my 3d team project, there was many conflicting ideas of how the game should be; however we all spoke our ideas and we made compromises to where everyone’s idea had it’s part.

What’s been your favorite Game Academy project so far, and what inspired it?

I’ve only really had two of my own Game Academy projects (that are completed), those being the personal project (Cold sumo, a local 1v1 game in which both snowmen attempt to push the other off the screen using abilities and strategy) and the team project (Cat-phishing, a single player economy based bullet hell fishing game); both being in the 2d course. However I much preferred my team project over my personal project, because in my personal project I was forced to due things which I had little to no interest in at the time, like learning how to make music or animating; However in my team project I was able to put full focus on the Game design and programming side of things whilst my teammates helped with graphics, music, and other such things. My game was inspired by fishing games like crazy fishing whilst also being inspired by simulator games on apps like Roblox and bullet hell games like, Undertale or Deltarune.

Anything else you’d like to share about your experience in Game Academy?

Overall Game Academy has been an amazing experience, I’ve made these friends and connections all while learning a subject that in reality would’ve been pretty much impossible for me to learn without teaching myself; and for that I am forever grateful. Thank you Game Academy.

What’s something you’ve done in this program that made you feel proud of yourself?

Something that I feel proud of doing is creating my final group game.

How has this program changed the way you think about your future or career goals?

This program changed the way I think about my career goals by fully fleshing out my dreams and what I want to do to achieve it.

What have you learned about working with others to turn an idea into something real?

I learned that working people who are passionate about turning ideas into reality make the best teamwork.

What does creativity mean to you now, after working on your own games or projects?

Creativity to me now means expressing your own ideas and bringing them to life with others.

Anything else you’d like to share about your experience in Game Academy?

My favorite Game Academy project so far was my personal project, Journey To The Stars. It’s mainly inspired by Kirby.

What’s something you’ve done in this program that made you feel proud of yourself?

During the final project over the summer program I was left to be the main programmer, I had the final version of the game and was working on overall puzzle gameplay. My co programmer was working on inventory and enemies. After all of it was done I was stuck integrating it all into the final product. We weren’t using Github so I had to manually translate and transfer all the code over to the final build. It took until 30 minutes before the arcade to finish and build the entire project, and I was proud of it.

How has this program changed the way you think about your future or career goals?

I do believe I have a chance somewhere in computer science and technology. I’ve always loved programming and its a great career, very fun, and hopefully the rise of AI stops before I manage to get a job in CS or game design.

Can you describe a time you took the lead on a project or helped your team solve a challenge?

At some points during the final project, my teammates who finished things had no clue what to do, our “head” of the project hadn’t really been doing much so I had to step up and tell people what to do and when to do it. This did lead to some stress on people, including myself however it led to an incredibly polished game that was received well by the people who saw it.

What’s been your favorite Game Academy project so far, and what inspired it?

The project I made with Illuminic, Illumine had been my favorite project by far, it had a blend of things we had to research and things we’ve already learned. We wanted to make a horror game and were inspired by puzzle games such as Mr.Hops playhouse.

Can you share a moment when you realized you had the power to make something entirely your own?

During the summer program I felt like when I had melee combat down packed as well as some tips from the internet and the ATAs, I felt i could make a whole new game by myself.

How has this program changed the way you think about your future or career goals?

The ability to learn and understand code has made me question if my art skills can only be used for, well, art.

What have you learned about working with others to turn an idea into something real?

You can’t really make something all by yourself you need people to back you up as well as carry the tasks you cant meet.

What does creativity mean to you now, after working on your own games or projects?

I’m way more expressive in creativity now that I know I can make a game if I really wanted to, this program made me expand my boundaries far beyond just art and animation.

Anything else you’d like to share about your experience in Game Academy?

If you wanna get a quick jumpstart into programming i really recommend game academy.

How has this program helped you feel more confident in your own ideas or abilities?

This program has enabled me to be able to feel like I can really use my ideas and knowledge to my advantage. I always felt creative and never knew how to use it until this program helped with that through coding.

How has this program changed the way you think about your future or career goals?

Before this program I felt unsure on what I wanted to do with my future. Here I feel like I have a path on what I want to do and who I want to become. I want coding to be in my future and im glad this program can help me with exactly that!

What have you learned about working with others to turn an idea into something real?

I feel like what makes the program so great is the amount of care by my peers and teachers. Meeting others and working with them was nice with all of us being interested in coding and being around the same age. Working with others on a game is the best feeling ever once accomplished, knowing you helped even in the smallest bit is more than great. You really think “Wow, I did this.” And thats what I learned, how much teamwork really matters.

What’s been your favorite Game Academy project so far, and what inspired it?

My favorite project during Game Academy has to be the 2D Group Project we did over the summer. The environment that we had built in just a few weeks was great, everyone felt like they had a meaningful part and was confident in their abilities. The workspace at that time was the best I’ve ever dealt with. I felt so comfortable to do what I wanted to do and be able to communicate that with me team making it into our game.

Anything else you’d like to share about your experience in Game Academy?

Everyone of the staff is here to just have fun and teach. Don’t be afraid to meet other people here because they are all here for the similar reasons as you. I learned that quick and I hope future programmers do too!

How did you get into game design?

When I was in fourth grade I came up with my first game idea (which I will gate keep). At the time I was into playing scratch games; I think the only games I played around that time were scratch games and Roblox. I stopped going on scratch for a while until around 2020-2021 when I decided to go onto scratch again. Then after that I made an account and I started trying out coding which is why I wanted to join the Game Academy.

What is the most useful skill—big or small—that you learned at Urban Arts?

Learning about BandLab has been a big help.

What’s the most fun thing you did this year at Urban Arts?

The most fun thing I have done SO FAR is trying to make music for our project, it was fun learning how to make music :D

What’s the hardest part about game dev?

Actually making games.

Fave video game character:

Krillin

Fave deli purchase:

Grape Arizona

Most used emoji?

😭

What do you want to study in college?

Learning about animation.

Where do you imagine yourself when you’re 30? What are you doing?

I’ll have my own game studio with 10 quintillion dollars and an army of 252370442 Fast Kicking Krillin’s

How did you get into game design?

Urban Arts was the first experience.

What is the most useful skill—big or small—that you learned at Urban Arts?

How to manage my time better.

What is the most fun thing you did this year at Urban Arts?

Presenting my game at the annual Arcade.

What’s the hardest part about game dev?

Actually giving tasks to teammates.

Fave video game character:

Harvey from stardew valley

Fave deli purchase:

Turkey sandwich & Apple juice.

Most used emoji?

🤪

What do you want to study in college?

Computer Science, Electrical Engineering

Where do you imagine yourself when you’re 30? What are you doing?

Living in the country side, painting and working for a tech company online.

How did you get into game design?

I got into game design by experimenting in Unity and writing Game Design docs for some of my personal projects.

What is the most useful skill—big or small—that you learned at Urban Arts?

I learned more about design, time management, and how to coordinate with a team.

What is your favorite part of game dev?

My favorite part of Game Dev is figuring out how the mechanics interact with the world of the same, and programming those interactions.

What’s the hardest part about game dev?

The hardest part of game dev is managing your scope as much as managing your time between different parts of the project.

Fave video game character:

Sonic the Hedghog

Fave deli purchase:

Bacon, egg, and cheese.

Most used emoji?

💀

What do you want to study in college?

I want to study civil engineering or computer science.

Where do you imagine yourself when you’re 30? What are you doing?

I imagine myself during the day in a civil engineering job helping commuters get connected to public transit and doing game dev during the night.

How did you get into game design?

So I have been messing around with computers for years doing a mix of anything computer related but one thing I could not fully get into was Game Development. To clarify it was not like I had zero idea of what it was; I have watched tons of content about creators getting into Game Design and making cool games, art, and much more so I did at least have basic knowledge of how it works but the main reason why I had not gotten into it was due to my hardware limitation’s, and also a lack of guidance. It was very overwhelming trying to make a game when you didn’t exactly know what you were supposed to do and tried to do it by yourself. So randomly after transferring from another high school, I saw a poster about Urban Arts Game Academy. And that intrigued me as it was an after-school program about simply Game Design. So I signed up and am going to say the most cliche thing: the rest was history.

What is the most useful skill—big or small—that you learned at Urban Arts?

At Urban Arts, I would say I have enhanced my skills rather than learned new ones. Overall it allowed me to get into Game Design and that led me to get more interested in it. This program overall helped me improve in the already basic skills and knowledge I had in Game Design before I had joined. I would say that the most useful skills I have improved mainly in thanks to Urban Arts are (1) Collaboration and (2) Communication.

What is your favorite part of game development?

My favorite part of game development is just doing it. Now I am not saying that I have zero problems with anything; I do deal with some issues but it’s just that I enjoy Writing Stories, Programming, Doing Art, And making Music and Sounds. All of them have their reason as to why they are fun that’s why my favorite thing about game development is just doing it.

What’s the hardest part about game dev?

After actually getting into Game Development, it has given me a better understanding of how it is. From that, I can tell you that the hardest parts of game development are Time management, Collaboration, Organization, And the most important thing Inspiration.

Fave video game character:

I have played so many games and many of them were simulator/city builder games so if I could name who would be my Favorite video game character I would say the goat himself, Matthew’s Kennedy. It is the name I would give to all my main characters in the Persona games and overall these were the best games I had ever played.

Fave deli purchase:

Now I hope no one actually hates on me for this but I rarely go to a Deli. But when I do go I would always be down to get a Philly Cheesesteak.

Most used emoji?

Top 3 most used emoji’s of all time:🔥 🤑 😅

What do you want to study in college?

Thanks to the Support at Urban Arts it has convinced me more to consider studying at college. If you asked me a year ago if I wanted to go I would have instantly said No as I have not seen much of a reason to go until now as I usually self-teach myself. So I would say that what I want to study in college is either Software Engineering, Game Development, or even Computer Science.

Where do you imagine yourself when you’re 30? What are you doing?

If I play my cards right and I continue to work hard by 30 I do see myself running a successful tech startup that will to change the world for the better.

How did you get into game design?

I got into game design when I first applied to Urban Arts and I development my first game as a part of Level 1.

What is the most useful skill—big or small—that you learned at Urban Arts?

The most useful skill I learned is communicating with others.

What is your favorite part of game development?

My favorite part of game development is narrative. The most fun thing that I did this year at Urban Arts was working with my team Beyond the Bubble on the Game Design Document.

What’s the hardest part about game dev?

The hardest part about game dev can be communicating with others in your team to make sure everyone understands what everyone is doing.

Fave video game character:

Princess Daisy

Fave deli purchase:

Ham, egg, and ketchup, and mayo on a roll.

Most used emoji?

😭

What do you want to study in college?

I want to study chemistry or computer science.

Where do you imagine yourself when you’re 30? What are you doing?

I imagine when I am 30 I want to work on using computational methods in discovery of new drugs. I want to work on making drug discovery a more efficient process with the use of computers.

How did you get into game design?

At first I wasn’t into designing games, just playing them and trying to get better. However, when it came time to find a passion to pick up in life I couldn’t think of anything else but games and computers. At the start of my interest, I didn’t know how to program or even start coding a game. I didn’t even know that Visual Studio was used for programming and not video editing (imagine my confusion when I tried uploading a video). However the summer of my 11th grade, I finally found a guiding path to Game Design. Urban Arts helped me code games with the knowledge I lacked when it came to making games and has helped me pursue and evolve my interest in games.

What is the most useful skill—big or small—that you learned at Urban Arts?

Working with others. Before going into Game Academy I was an incredibly independent person, I mean that with full truth, I disliked working with others if it didn’t include someone I was friends with. Urban Arts, broke that shell and pushed me to work with people I couldn’t have anything in common with to make something we all had a common sight of.

What’s the most fun thing you did this year at Urban Arts?

Working on my Level 2 game. My team didn’t include everything we wanted for the final demo, but the time and the work we did put into the game was satisfactory for me and became a golden memory in my life.

What’s the hardest part about game dev?

Trying to work with software or with the knowledge you have. Sometimes Unity can be a pain in the neck and back when it comes to scripts, you can have an error and will sometimes stay there trying to find the mistake because Unity refuses to point it out in the screen. And don’t get me started on using Visual Studios, sometimes the app will stop working with Unity or you don’t have a certain extension downloaded which can mess up your code or not alert/fix errors. Now with knowledge, it mostly comes down to trying to find the exact line of code you want to see or a script you want to put in your game but know you don’t know how to write.

Fave video game character:

Sonic the Hedgehog

Fave deli purchase:

A basic combo, but a cold turkey with LTM, red Doritos, and a Pepsi. It’s my usual go to whenever I’m hungry for anything but can’t decide what to eat.

Most used emoji?

😑

What do you want to study in college?

Computer Science

Where do you imagine yourself when you’re 30? What are you doing?

Finding a chiropractor to fix my back pain because of the hours I spent in a shrimp position.

How did you get into game design?

I saw the website for Game Academy and I always wanted to try coding. When my school told me I could apply, I did.

What is the most useful skill—big or small—that you learned at Urban Arts?

How to code with C# Scripts and how to work with others

What’s the most fun thing you did this year at Urban Arts?

Besides making the games, it would be playing other people games.

What’s the hardest part about game dev?

I think including so many ideas that makes the game interesting in a few months as well as making it so it fits in everyone’s vision. But game dev is really fun.

Fave video game:

Five Nights at Freddy’s, The Sims4, or Roblox

Fave deli purchase:

Oreos

Most used emoji?

🤣

What do you want to study in college?

Psychology then law

Where do you imagine yourself when you’re 30? What are you doing?

Either in law or making games

How did you get into game design?

I was inspired by the games I played, or more specifically the fun I had playing with my friends. However, the more I played, the more I realized the developers focused on pumping out new content rather than refining already-existing content and fixing bugs, which was a major problem. I became fascinated with the “how” I can fix it and “why” such bugs were left unattended, and so, I wanted to explore game design and the subsequent programming of it.

What is the most useful skill—big or small—that you learned at Urban Arts?

Peer feedback and properly incorporating the feedback was I really important skill I lacked. I learned that the games needed a purpose because games were, ultimately, games. They were not for my sole entertainment, but for the entertainment of a wider population, and so, I learned the importance of playtesting from someone who hadn’t developed the game, how to incorporate their feedback, and the ways to gain insight just from the way they played.

What is your favorite part of game development?

It’s really fun to create new things, from tinkering with mechanics, breaking down complex problems, to merging already-existing mechanics. With some planning and critical thinking, the complex mechanics just becomes so much simpler and easier to implement.

What’s the hardest part about game dev?

The hardest part is finding the right tutorial for my current level. I know that 99.9% of the problems I face have been solved by someone else, but the problem was finding the right one. Sometimes, even the easiest solution would be incomprehensible and I would need to create a mishmash of different tutorials to solve it.

Fave video game character:

Asgore Dreemur – Undertale

Fave deli purchase:

Crackers, the plain ones without any fillings or cheese.

Most used emoji?

qwq (I prefer emoticons)

What do you want to study in college?

Computer Science

Where do you imagine yourself when you’re 30? What are you doing?

I would be a software engineer creating and debugging programs for companies and creating games on the side as a hobby.

How did you get into game design?

I grew up playing and watching play throughs of video games, and it really inspired my to make something similar that people can resonate with.

What is the most useful skill—big or small—that you learned at Urban Arts?

I learned how to truly be myself in spaces without fear of judgement.

What is your favorite part of game dev?

I love being able to simply create. There’s no extreme limits on what you can create so I can show the world parts of me that I’m passionate about.

What’s the hardest part about game dev?

Trying not to get burned out. When you have responsibilities, doubts, and fears, all of that kind of adds up and can cause you to lose sight of that passion. What’s worked for me is constantly finding new inspirations and reasons to keep creating. Why did you start in the first place? Use that reason to keep going.

Fave video game character:

At the moment, it’s Melody from Splatoon! She’s literally me.

Fave deli purchase:

Gourmet Special on a Roll—roast beef, mushrooms, peppers, cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes.

Most used emoji?

What do you want to study in college?

Computer Science

Where do you imagine yourself when you’re 30? What are you doing?

I want to own my own indie game studio and create all sorts of games. Horror, adventure, RPGs—it doesn’t matter to me as long as it tells a meaningful story.

How did you get into game design?

It started in the 8th grade when I was goofing around with a tool called MCreator and just went on from there, I was also interested in tech like Windows and Linux and how its history was made like the promotion and the behind the scenes of how Bliss was made, it’s an all time favorite video.

What is the most useful skill—big or small—that you learned at Urban Arts?

A good game always has good and creative mechanics like even something silly is always good.

What’s the most fun thing you did this year at Urban Arts?

I made a bunch of designs and they are some of my favorites like the game I am working on with some friends is a game about Pollution.

What’s the hardest part about game dev?

Mostly the coding but sometimes if you ignore that and just forget the stress then you’re all good, and coming up with new kinds of characters is hard sometimes too.

Fave video game character:

The Batter from the game OFF (2008)

Fave deli purchase:

Blue Takis, Very Berry Nerds Gummy Clusters and sometimes if I am feeling good, Mountain Dew

Most used emoji?

🔥

What do you want to study in college?

Mostly Digital art or Game Design

Where do you imagine yourself when you’re 30? What are you doing?

Mostly doing more art, and helping people with their work.

Students

The Vanishing Enigma

Eskimo Exorcism

Lucid Dreams

Just a Mind

Grumpy Cat Hates Sweaters

Curupira

The Vanishing Enigma

Anime Regnum

Stella Burnout

Am I The Bug Guy?

Catastrophic

The Battle of Desires

Yaju Shikkaku

Am I The Bug Guy?

Noccy Dress Up

Catastrophic

Chill Combat

Students

Games

The Vanishing Enigma

Games

Eskimo Exorcism

Lucid Dreams

Just a Mind

Gallery

Music

Games

Grumpy Cat Hates Sweaters

Curupira

The Vanishing Enigma

Games

Anime Regnum

Stella Burnout

Games

Am I The Bug Guy?

Catastrophic

The Battle of Desires

Games

Yaju Shikkaku

Games

Am I The Bug Guy?

Noccy Dress Up

Catastrophic

Games

Chill Combat