Our Game Lab is a space where students create games for students. Honors students design a variety of narrative-driven digital and non-digital games intended to help learners engage with fundamental concepts across different disciplines. Students have the opportunity to develop computer games, virtual reality experiences, or non-digital tabletop games (e.g., board games, card games, dice games, and social games) that can be easily implemented in classroom settings. Once created, faculty interested in incorporating game-based learning into their curriculum can request a consultation to discuss their course, play student-developed games, and explore how game-based learning can be used to reinforce key concepts in the classroom. These games are also available to any interested student, even if their instructors have not integrated them into coursework. In particular, our game library allows students to access digital games online or schedule an appointment to play non-digital games.

Game Jam

Beginning in Spring 2023, the Honors Scholars Program, in collaboration with City Tech's chapter of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS), hosts game jams focused on playtesting and game literacy. During these events, students showcase and playtest original games, gathering constructive feedback from participants to improve design and gameplay. These sessions emphasize collaboration, iteration, and learning through player experience. Subject matter experts are consulted as needed to support learning and design goals.

Students are also encouraged to attend NYU Playtest Thursdays, where interactions with students and faculty from the NYU Game Center and the Games for Learning Institute provide organic mentorship in game design and game-based learning practices.

Internships

Game Lab interns design and develop games intended for use in classroom settings. Students are provided with dedicated space and resources to support their creative and technical work.

Interns begin by completing online tutorials created by previous Game Lab interns. They then move into the planning and research phase, developing a playable paper prototype before advancing into a full production cycle that results in a completed educational game. Finished projects are added to the game library and may be used in instructional settings.

Students present their work at the Game Lab Showcase during the semi-annual Dr. Janet Liou-Mark Honors Scholars & Undergraduate Research Conference. In some cases, educational research associated with these projects leads to additional conference presentations and scholarly publications that help disseminate the work more broadly.

Learn more about the exciting projects our game lab students have developed.

Interns