Gillian Smith
@codingcrafter.bsky.social
Director of IMGD at WPI. Game design, generative AI, computational craft, generative design, feminist tech, mom stories. she/they
We are in Western Colorado at a museum that (weirdly!) has an 1809 copy of the Boston Chronicle. It details how the town next to where we live in MA celebrated Independence Day.
“Massachusetts — First to assert her rights, may she be the last to forget them.”
Feels appropriate to see in 2025.
“Massachusetts — First to assert her rights, may she be the last to forget them.”
Feels appropriate to see in 2025.
June 11, 2025 at 3:24 AM
We are in Western Colorado at a museum that (weirdly!) has an 1809 copy of the Boston Chronicle. It details how the town next to where we live in MA celebrated Independence Day.
“Massachusetts — First to assert her rights, may she be the last to forget them.”
Feels appropriate to see in 2025.
“Massachusetts — First to assert her rights, may she be the last to forget them.”
Feels appropriate to see in 2025.
And the last one of the day! Saving the Terrorbirds: a project where this team collaborated to create a fictional world, and then made four different projects within that world to compare/contrast different forms of interactivity within it.
April 25, 2025 at 8:55 PM
And the last one of the day! Saving the Terrorbirds: a project where this team collaborated to create a fictional world, and then made four different projects within that world to compare/contrast different forms of interactivity within it.
This team focused on mitigating latency in cloud-based racing games. Super cool project where they implemented a unique controller assistance technique and used bot playtesting to determine optimal values.
April 25, 2025 at 8:41 PM
This team focused on mitigating latency in cloud-based racing games. Super cool project where they implemented a unique controller assistance technique and used bot playtesting to determine optimal values.
This team is working on mitigation techniques for latency in cloud-based games. They made a racing game and implemented a controller assistance technique to improve quality of experience, and used bot testing to determine the optimal values for intervening with assistance.
April 25, 2025 at 8:37 PM
This team is working on mitigation techniques for latency in cloud-based games. They made a racing game and implemented a controller assistance technique to improve quality of experience, and used bot testing to determine the optimal values for intervening with assistance.
It’s documented! They made weekly code poems! They did think aloud studies!
And you can play with it here: stinkymilo.github.io/Prosetta/Fro...
And you can play with it here: stinkymilo.github.io/Prosetta/Fro...
April 25, 2025 at 8:26 PM
It’s documented! They made weekly code poems! They did think aloud studies!
And you can play with it here: stinkymilo.github.io/Prosetta/Fro...
And you can play with it here: stinkymilo.github.io/Prosetta/Fro...
Prosetta is a new esoteric programming language (esolang) where code is hidden within a poem you compose, inspired by constrained writing methods. Absolutely delightful! The text of the poem is the code, it encourages people to hide messages. It’s like a code puzzle!
April 25, 2025 at 8:22 PM
Prosetta is a new esoteric programming language (esolang) where code is hidden within a poem you compose, inspired by constrained writing methods. Absolutely delightful! The text of the poem is the code, it encourages people to hide messages. It’s like a code puzzle!
Spiral Development MQP - this team focused especially on the production method, and makes a game following that method. They chose to make TWO games, meaning they had two case studies to reflect on. They followed 15 (!) spirals over the year. In each spiral they implemented a new feature.
April 25, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Spiral Development MQP - this team focused especially on the production method, and makes a game following that method. They chose to make TWO games, meaning they had two case studies to reflect on. They followed 15 (!) spirals over the year. In each spiral they implemented a new feature.
Much To Do To Say I Do! A wedding planning simulator game, emphasizing the importance of building and maintaining relationships. Two “brooms” (the marrying couple) are getting married, and you are playing mini-games that get them ready for the altar. This is so sweet and lovely!
April 25, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Much To Do To Say I Do! A wedding planning simulator game, emphasizing the importance of building and maintaining relationships. Two “brooms” (the marrying couple) are getting married, and you are playing mini-games that get them ready for the altar. This is so sweet and lovely!
Up next is the Japan project center team! They are sharing about both the amazing robot game project they made with students at Ritsumeikan University, and the “arcade management simulator” they made as an entire game. Shinsekei Arcade is a cozy arcade management simulator.
April 25, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Up next is the Japan project center team! They are sharing about both the amazing robot game project they made with students at Ritsumeikan University, and the “arcade management simulator” they made as an entire game. Shinsekei Arcade is a cozy arcade management simulator.
And The World Went Dark is a roguelike that invites players to care about their characters and make gameplay choices that impact their emotional state. Made in Godot, which they say allowed all team members (including artists and writers) to contribute in-engine.
April 25, 2025 at 7:14 PM
And The World Went Dark is a roguelike that invites players to care about their characters and make gameplay choices that impact their emotional state. Made in Godot, which they say allowed all team members (including artists and writers) to contribute in-engine.
SPI-Glass is an augmented reality game played here on the WPI campus! Players hunt ghosts, learn about the story world, and play mini-games throughout. They have developed a base tech layer that will then be adopted next year in multiple grad and undergrad projects!
April 25, 2025 at 6:56 PM
SPI-Glass is an augmented reality game played here on the WPI campus! Players hunt ghosts, learn about the story world, and play mini-games throughout. They have developed a base tech layer that will then be adopted next year in multiple grad and undergrad projects!
Now we have one of more “IM” side projects of IMGD: Third Culture Threads. Tanya Ali developed an interactive installation about her experiences as a member of the diaspora. She used traditional fabrics from her home country of Pakistan and conductive fabric to make an interactive documentary.
April 25, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Now we have one of more “IM” side projects of IMGD: Third Culture Threads. Tanya Ali developed an interactive installation about her experiences as a member of the diaspora. She used traditional fabrics from her home country of Pakistan and conductive fabric to make an interactive documentary.
TerraForma is a tactical strategy game where players use magic to change terrain and alter gameplay. They used a phase development model to build out a minimal viable product with three levels, three characters, and a whole lot of spells, tiles, and audio effects.
April 25, 2025 at 6:07 PM
TerraForma is a tactical strategy game where players use magic to change terrain and alter gameplay. They used a phase development model to build out a minimal viable product with three levels, three characters, and a whole lot of spells, tiles, and audio effects.
Hypotheon is an entire D&D module with a strong focus on anti-fascist, anti-grimdark worldbuilding and interaction mechanics. They developed a “combat through debate” system!! And even created a guide to help onboard new players and new writers for making stories in their world.
April 25, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Hypotheon is an entire D&D module with a strong focus on anti-fascist, anti-grimdark worldbuilding and interaction mechanics. They developed a “combat through debate” system!! And even created a guide to help onboard new players and new writers for making stories in their world.
Midnight Oil is a VR Horror Game that tries to get the player to feel isolated and includes psychological thriller elements.
April 25, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Midnight Oil is a VR Horror Game that tries to get the player to feel isolated and includes psychological thriller elements.
Project Boca: Plates of Power. This is an enormous team (I think I counted 15 people?) who made a game centering Latino culture. Over 800 art assets, 13 characters, and a lot of focus on building sustainable art pipelines using a custom auto-rigger. And, procedurally generated cities!
April 25, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Project Boca: Plates of Power. This is an enormous team (I think I counted 15 people?) who made a game centering Latino culture. Over 800 art assets, 13 characters, and a lot of focus on building sustainable art pipelines using a custom auto-rigger. And, procedurally generated cities!
Overgrown! This team made a co-op game where one player is a robot and the other is a raccoon. The game has players explore an overgrown, post-industrial world. What drove them: how to give players agency to take small actions that contribute to fixing systemic problems. And, PCG for world design!
April 25, 2025 at 4:53 PM
Overgrown! This team made a co-op game where one player is a robot and the other is a raccoon. The game has players explore an overgrown, post-industrial world. What drove them: how to give players agency to take small actions that contribute to fixing systemic problems. And, PCG for world design!
First up we have Memoria Altera, a dystopian puzzle game that explores the theme of disinformation. The team experimented with a circular management structure and rotated through leadership roles. Lots of work in immersive design as well as shader programming. The character art is beautiful, also.
April 25, 2025 at 4:40 PM
First up we have Memoria Altera, a dystopian puzzle game that explores the theme of disinformation. The team experimented with a circular management structure and rotated through leadership roles. Lots of work in immersive design as well as shader programming. The character art is beautiful, also.
Ethan Lockhart (undergrad degree in architectural engineering, now getting his MS in IMGD) explored procedural vernacular architecture generation. He made a tool for procedural city building in Houdini with four example cultures and building styles to draw from. So, so cool!
April 25, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Ethan Lockhart (undergrad degree in architectural engineering, now getting his MS in IMGD) explored procedural vernacular architecture generation. He made a tool for procedural city building in Houdini with four example cultures and building styles to draw from. So, so cool!
Kaiyu Bao did a deep dive into learning visual effects in Houdini for his project including erosion, woven materials, and tornado effects.
April 25, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Kaiyu Bao did a deep dive into learning visual effects in Houdini for his project including erosion, woven materials, and tornado effects.
Shubham Sharma is presenting his work exploring co-generating architecture and narrative at realtime. Inspired by Caves of Qud and Townscaper. Very ambitious, and our first reference of the day to the Oatmeal Problem! He has a suite of demos of underlying tech for his future plans.
April 25, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Shubham Sharma is presenting his work exploring co-generating architecture and narrative at realtime. Inspired by Caves of Qud and Townscaper. Very ambitious, and our first reference of the day to the Oatmeal Problem! He has a suite of demos of underlying tech for his future plans.
Zheyu Wu is presenting his music video project, Wandering, which shares imagery with Jiangnan-style architecture and regional features. He developed custom shaders for mimicking Chinese painting styles. Really beautiful work!
April 25, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Zheyu Wu is presenting his music video project, Wandering, which shares imagery with Jiangnan-style architecture and regional features. He developed custom shaders for mimicking Chinese painting styles. Really beautiful work!
Rachel Toups and William White are sharing their work on an audio-only game. They use voice acting, soundscape design, and musical cues (a combo of foley and synthesized) to make a rich world where the only way to navigate the world is through audio. This is very hard to get photos of, obviously!
April 25, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Rachel Toups and William White are sharing their work on an audio-only game. They use voice acting, soundscape design, and musical cues (a combo of foley and synthesized) to make a rich world where the only way to navigate the world is through audio. This is very hard to get photos of, obviously!
MingZhang Guo is presenting his game, Lockdown Zone Wars. His project explores dystopian themes of isolationism and nationalism with a sci-fi story about a capitalist state that maintains power through cloning. A lot of focus on artistic world-building and cross-cultural design, super cool!
April 25, 2025 at 1:57 PM
MingZhang Guo is presenting his game, Lockdown Zone Wars. His project explores dystopian themes of isolationism and nationalism with a sci-fi story about a capitalist state that maintains power through cloning. A lot of focus on artistic world-building and cross-cultural design, super cool!
Jiangwen Nong created a livecoding language embedded in @unrealengine.bsky.social Unreal Engine. His goal was to harness the incredible graphics and physics capability of the engine to make realtime visuals performance more accessible and responsive to audio.
April 25, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Jiangwen Nong created a livecoding language embedded in @unrealengine.bsky.social Unreal Engine. His goal was to harness the incredible graphics and physics capability of the engine to make realtime visuals performance more accessible and responsive to audio.