Largest ever Game Republic Student Showcase comes to University of Salford

The competition, now in its 18th year, tours universities and colleges and sees leading game studios who have made some of the biggest global games titles judge game art, game animation, narrative design, game technology, game design and teamwork of the student projects. This year will be the largest showcase ever.

Game demos, character designs, art portfolios, technical demonstrations and animations will be presented in a fantastic array of 66 projects at the University of Salford’s MediaCity campus.

Jamie Sefton, Managing Director of Game Republic, said: “We have been overwhelmed this year by the wide range of projects coming through, making it a record breaking Student Showcase! I expect to see a really high standard of work produced by the hundreds of students attending. It’ll be a really special day for the students, course leaders and games company judges.”

In 2023, research showed that 90% of previous winners in the Game Republic Student Showcase had gone on to secure games jobs, with 81% staying in the region. This year, the event will also include University of Salford students recording the event and conducting interviews throughout the day gaining vital work experience to support their professional development.

Final year teams will compete in eight categories: Game Art, Game Animation, Game Technology, Game Narrative Design, Game Level Design, Game Design, Game Audio and Best Team, which will be judged by leading games studios who have worked on an impressive range of global hits including Team17 (Worms, Overcooked), Pitstop Productions (Baldur’s Gate 3, Black Myth: Wukong), Atomhawk (Suicide Squad, Call of Duty), Double Eleven (Minecraft Dungeons, Red Dead Redemption 2), Red Kite Games (Hogwarts Legacy, Fall Guys), Revolution Software (Broken Sword, Beyond a Steel Sky) and Sumo Digital Sheffield (Sackboy – A Big Adventure, Fallout 4).

Amber Agar, a BSc Games Design and Production student at Salford, designed the games mascot for the event which has been used on websites, posters, social media and on limited-edition mouse mats given out on the day.

The prize presentation will be the first part of the evening programme and will be followed by a video presentation by UK Games Fund and a Games Industry Panel on getting into the industry. The event will finish with networking and drinks with games companies, course leaders, student teams and previous winners.

Ric Michael, Subject Lead for Creative Technology at the University of Salford, said: “It is a real pleasure to be hosting the GR Student Showcase here at our MediaCity campus.

“For many years, our students have been actively taking part in the showcase as its made its way around the country and as such, we are delighted to be hosting its record-breaking 18th showcase. 

“Not only is it a real highlight of the annual games education calendar but it is also renowned for offering students the opportunity to engage directly with figureheads from across the industry and have their talents recognised.”