ULusofona’s VAM Showcase stands out for innovation and talent

On 16 January, at Lusófona University - Porto University Centre, the VAM Showcase took place, presenting the 1st phase of the annual projects developed by the 3rd year of the Bachelor's Degree in Video Games and Multimedia Applications. The event, organised by the programme director, João Alves de Sousa, brought together students, lecturers and industry guests, providing an opportunity to observe the diversity and creativity of the work produced.

The 3rd year projects are annual and will continue to be developed throughout the 2nd semester, with a new presentation scheduled for a similar event in July. A noteworthy aspect of this edition is that, for the first time, the four finalist games are being developed on different platforms (Godot, Unity, Unreal and Roblox), highlighting the students’ flexibility and adaptability to various game engines and working methodologies.

The four projects presented were:

• Bloody Mary: A cooking game set in a restaurant for vampires, developed by Alex Nogueira, Ana Catarina Costa, Guilherme Isidoro, João Tavares and Leonor Tedim.
• Geo Zoo: A children’s puzzle game in which players create different animals from quarter circles, developed by Afonso Almeida, Dinis Mendes, Pedro Garcia, Álvaro Renato da Cruz and Mariana Monteiro.
• Nocturne Battlegrounds: An online multiplayer arena game in which players become vampires, developed for Roblox by Adriana Ferreira, David Sousa, Inês Gomes, Marco dos Santos and Tomás Gomes.
• Disasterpiece: A duo of clumsy thieves attempt to cooperate in order to steal without being caught, created by Lucas de Lima, Rafael Monteiro, Ricardo Santos, Rodrigo Santos and Tiago Rola.

Projects from the 2nd year, which are semester-based, were also presented. At this stage, students produce their first 2D games, preparing to develop 3D games in the 2nd semester. Among the highlights were:

• Inkfall: A small black stain attempts to overcome obstacles before its ink runs out, by Afonso Almeida, Jorge Costa and Miguel de Melo.
• Campus Smokeout: A narrative game in which a student looks for ways to smoke without being caught by teachers, developed by Ana Sofia Claussen.
• Slaughter House: A horror game set in a block of flats with a mysterious secret, by Bruna Silva, Afonso Leites, Gustavo Eryk Silva and Pedro Pereira.
• Slughshot: An action game in which a small slug moves by firing a cannon and facing giant enemies and bosses, by Bernardo Godinho, Xavier Shaboo and Andrés de Abreu.

The showcase provided students with the opportunity to receive feedback from professionals in the video game industry, while enabling companies to discover the projects developed, opening the door to potential internship opportunities or future collaborations.

See the Event Photos on Lusófona University's Facebook page

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Text | Photography
Bruna Pereira

Photo Editing
Paulo Renato