CSE showcases student video games at Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra concert

November 28, 2023
Attendees of all ages enjoyed playing student-designed games before the show at the Michigan Theater.
A couple dozen people surround a CSE table with laptops featuring student games.
Concertgoers enjoy student-developed games in the Michigan Theater lobby before a recent A2SO concert featured famous tunes from video games.

On Saturday, November 18, CSE joined forces with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra (A2SO) at the Michigan Theater to showcase student-designed video games during a fun night of music, costumes, and gaming. Over 1,000 people attended the orchestra’s video game-themed concert, featuring orchestral arrangements of music from Super Mario, Halo, Final Fantasy, the Legend of Zelda, and more.

Dozens of game enthusiasts of all ages congregated in the theater lobby before the show to enjoy games designed by students in EECS 494: Introduction to Game Development, taught by CSE lecturer Austin Yarger. 

The games on offer included Little Lantern, a 2D puzzle platformer where users play as Oppy, a cat exploring the underworld with nothing but a lantern to light his way. Attendees also enjoyed Tennis Hero, in which players use their racket skills to navigate 3D puzzles and combat everything from armed soldiers to dragons. A crowd favorite was Zombie Cakes, a multiplayer game that tasks teams with fending off an army of the undead by pelting them with baked goods.

“The concert was a great opportunity for the public to see the creativity and ingenuity of our students,” said Yarger, “and for kids and their parents to learn a bit more about the game development process.”