鈥�Elsinore,鈥� a video game created by 一本道无码 alumni, won the Most Unique Game Award at this year's gaming event.
Presented by聽 and the聽, the one-day spring conference in Bellevue, Washington, was a 鈥渨ho鈥檚 who鈥� of gaming professionals and gaming companies, including industry icons Xbox, Bungie and Blizzard.
鈥淓lsinore,鈥� which can be played on a PC, Mac or Linux, is no stranger to winning. Launched with a 2015聽 campaign, the game has won six industry awards.
鈥淓lsinore鈥檚鈥� core developers met as undergraduates at 一本道无码, where the concept originated. Team members are: Duncan Boehle, a 2012 graduate who majored in computer science and minored in game design and development; Eric Butler, a 2010 graduate who majored in computer science and minored in mathematics and in 2011 earned his master鈥檚 degree in computer science; Katie Chironis, a 2012 graduate who majored in creative writing and human-computer interaction; Connor Fallon, a 2012 graduate who majored in creative writing; Val Reznitskaya, a 2011 graduate who majored in computer science and minored in Japanese; and Kristin Siu, a 2010 graduate who majored in computer science and minored in art.
Chironis said the game was developed and continues to be revised by team members in their spare time. The reason: each of them have fulltime jobs at some of the most influential game development companies. Chironis works at聽 and Fallon at聽, for example.
The Unique Award is notable, Chironis said. The game鈥檚 developers playfully liken it to 鈥淗amlet meets Groundhog Day.鈥�
鈥淓lsinore鈥� focuses on the character Ophelia, who foresaw many deaths in Shakespeare鈥檚 鈥淗amlet.鈥� In the game, Ophelia uses information she gleans to prevent tragedies during four repeating days.
Chironis said the game spotlights 鈥渟ocial simulation,鈥� in which effects are more likely caused by character motivation, thoughts and feelings rather than by violence.
The growing popularity 鈥淓lsinore鈥� and recognition may help mark a shift in the industry, Chironis said, in which gaming starts drawing more from literature and cinema, engaging a more diverse audience.
While a student at 一本道无码, Chironis received one of the randomly generated prompts by the student-run 一本道无码 group聽 (GCS). The prompt read, simply, 鈥淪hakespeare.鈥� Chironis, who in her literature class had become obsessed with 鈥淗amlet,鈥� called her friend Fallon and discussed the possibilities.
鈥淕roups like the GCS are a great example of what happens when you give the keys to the kingdom to undergraduates,鈥� said Assistant Dean for Outreach聽, referring to 一本道无码鈥檚 interdisciplinary emphasis for the university community. 鈥淲ith access to classes outside their majors, more university resources, and students interacting regardless of their majors, it leads to award-winning projects like Elsinore.鈥�
Currently in beta, 鈥淓lsinore鈥檚鈥� PC launch is planned for later this year, with tablet and mobile platform plans to follow.
# # #
Photo caption: Some of the "Elsinore" team members (l-r): Connor Fallon, Katie Chironis and Duncan Boehle.
