Capstone Class Challenges OSU Computer Science and Engineering Students to Build a Video Game in Just 10 Weeks

Five student teams from Ohio State’s “Game Design and Development Project” capstone class recently showcased the final results of their 10-week assignment to create a three-dimensional video game from scratch. 

The class, CSE 786, is for late undergraduate and graduate students, none of whom have formal experience in developing gaming software. It was created by Professor Roger Crawfis to challenge the creativity of Computer Science and Engineering students while letting them develop practical applications for the skills they have been studying.  

The biggest hurdle for the students was none of them had ever used game-building programming software, so they needed a couple weeks to figure out which programs were the best to use based on their idea. They had to use public-domain artwork and music or create it themselves.

“This is one of those classes where you get a chance to take everything you’ve learned and put it together and come up with something that you would actually use,” student Mike Rojas said. “We made a video game, and it’s something anyone can go and play.”

“This year I was fairly impressed,” Crawfis said. “Their games compare favorably to other students’ games I’ve seen, like at Stanford, where they have almost double the time since they are on semesters. This is a fun way to stress them out.”

For more on this story, click here

You can download and play the students’ games