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Six student teams from DARE Academy debut their creations at Drop in and Play

A talented group of student game developers from Â鶹ԭ´´ took centre stage at a public event hosted by Dundee Contemporary Arts (DCA) on Saturday 30 August.

Participants in the University’s flagship DARE Academy competition debuted their independently created games as part of DCA’s popular and free Drop In and Play event. For the first time, these emerging developers showcased their creations to a wide audience, offering attendees the chance to try the games firsthand and engage directly with the developers.

The games featured included:

• Gobblin' by Hyperfix – A vibrant fantasy game where players become a mischievous goblin sneaking into a royal banquet, crafting magical dishes to gain powers and outwit castle guards.
• Adorate by Fishbowl Studio – A fast-paced real-time strategy game where players act as a god, possessing followers to defend their base, grow their cult, and unlock divine powers.
• Still Forgotten by Final Prism Interactive – A stealth adventure filled with surreal encounters, where a protagonist suffering from amnesia slowly uncovers the truth of their past.
• Elusive Core: Zero Trace by Cosmic Coda – A pixel art platformer set in a dystopian future, featuring a rogue android navigating stealthily through a crumbling world.
• Synaptic by Bonny Bandits – A narrative-driven experience where players explore a protagonist’s memories through a childhood dollhouse, uncovering lost journal pages and forgotten history.
• Galactic Postal Servitude by Riverboat Games – A quirky simulation puzzle game set in an intergalactic post office, where players process packages for a variety of alien customers with unique needs.

DARE Academy, Abertay’s premier games design programme, brought together six undergraduate teams to develop innovative game prototypes. Supported by university academics and seasoned industry mentors, the teams honed their creativity and technical skills, laying the groundwork for future careers in game development.

Clare Brennan, a lecturer in the Department of Game and Arts at Abertay, said:

It’s been a real pleasure to collaborate with DCA for this year’s Drop In and Play, and to see our DARE Academy teams share their games with the public. Events like this are vital for nurturing new talent and connecting students with Dundee’s vibrant creative community. The energy, imagination and skill on display was inspiring — a true reflection of the city’s reputation as a hub for innovation in games. We’re proud of every team and excited to see where their journeys take them next.

Since its launch in November 2012 as part of the NEoN Digital Arts Festival and Discovery Film Festival, Drop In and Play has become a highlight for gaming enthusiasts in Dundee. This August’s edition was presented in partnership with Ninja Kiwi, the Dundee-based developers behind the globally popular Bloons series. Since 2005, Ninja Kiwi has been committed to creating engaging gaming experiences from their offices in Dundee and Auckland, New Zealand.

Find out more about studying games at Abertay