Three Final Projects by Department of Visual Communication Graduates Nominated for GDWC International Game Competition

Three final projects by graduates of the Visual Communication Department at Bezalel in collaboration with the Game Development Division at the Hebrew University are nominees for the GDWC International Game Development Competition.

The Game Development World Championship is a global competition for game developers, which aims to highlight new talents and ideas and open the door for participants to the professional world of game development. This year, over 2,200 games were submitted to the competition, of which a handful were selected to compete in the various categories. Three games by Bezalel graduates are nominated in the Best Student Game category.

Lost Garden

Ori Shany, Ramon Zerem, Yoni Pushett

Supervised by: Eric Lerner and Doron Assayas Terre

The game “Lost Garden” is a virtual space that represents lost nature and invites the user to renew their experience of partnership and appreciation for nature through creation. The game offers an opportunity to sculpt a breathing system composed of soil, water and plants. This takes place in a process of development, discovery and progress, alongside disconnection and relaxation. The game won an honorable mention for outstanding final project and an honorable mention in the student category at the IGF.

Project page on the Bezalel 2024 Graduates website

Breaking News

Danil Bialo, Tamir Herzberg, Evyatar Cohen

Supervised by: Rotem Fisch and Yuval Markovich

A chaotic interactive adventure where players can smash the TV to alter reality. This defies traditional passive content consumption, while showcasing iconic television scenes in a blend of abstract humor and 90s-inspired realism. The project won the Meisler Prize and the Figgie Award.

Project page on the Bezalel 2024 Graduates website

Embrace

Maya Abramovich, Aya Oikawa, Idan Shalom, Itamar Citrin

Supervised by: Eric Lerner and Yuval Markovich

In “Embrace,” the player sees reality as the subjective experience of the main character, but also as it really is. A person’s inner world is complex, and alongside good qualities, everyone has negative qualities that they often try to hide. In the game, players learn to use those negative elements to progress through the stages as an analogy for the fact that people must come to terms with their negative sides and learn to accept themselves as they are—the sum of their good and less good qualities.

Project page on the Bezalel 2024 Graduates website