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Games that began as student projects

By metstudios

05 February 2026

Not every successful game begins in a professional studio. Many start as student projects, created as part of coursework, experiments, or final-year submissions, before growing into popular and successful games.

These games highlight the power of teamwork and imagination, and the role students play in shaping the future of games art and games design.

Spacewar!

Image of Spacewar game

Created in 1962 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Spacewar! was developed by students Steve Russell, Martin Graetz, and Alan Kotok, and is widely considered one of the first interactive video games. Russell wrote the game on a PDP-1, one of the earliest computers designed with user interaction in mind, which made real-time gameplay possible.

In Spacewar!, two players control opposing spaceships and attempt to destroy each other with missiles, all while carefully manoeuvring to avoid being pulled into the gravitational field at the centre of the screen. Simple to play by today’s standards, the game was groundbreaking and laid important foundations for the future of video games, inspiring generations of developers and demonstrating the potential of computers.

Flow

Image of Flow game

Flow (stylised as flOw) is an independent video game created by Jenova Chen and Nicholas Clark. Originally released as a Flash game in 2006, it was created as a student project at the University of Southern California. Used to accompany Chen’s master’s thesis, Flow was reworked into the 2007 PlayStation 3 game by his development studio, Thatgamecompany.

Taking place underwater, the aim of the game is to consume other micro-organisms to evolve, all while moving deeper into the sea until the bottom is reached. Each stage of evolution changes the creature’s shape or grants new abilities, reinforcing the game’s core idea of growth, exploration, and player-driven progression.

Portal

Image of Portal game

Developed and published by Valve Corporation, Portal is a first-person puzzle-platformer video game primarily created by a team led by Kim Swift, with writing by Erik Wolpaw. Kim Swift previously featured on our blog, 5 incredible games made by women that you need to play.

The game was based on the student project Narbacular Drop, developed at the DigiPen Institute of Technology. Impressed by the concept, Valve recruited the student team and expanded the idea into a full commercial release, resulting in one of the most innovative and critically acclaimed puzzle games of its time. Swift herself was hired directly out of college by Valve to help bring the project to life, highlighting how a student prototype can evolve into an industry-defining title.

Octodad

Octodad was created by a team of 18 student developers at DePaul University in Chicago. Following its success, several members of that team went on to form the independent studio Young Horses, Inc., which later developed the commercial sequel, Octodad: Dadliest Catch. This turned a quirky student experiment into an indie hit, showing how creativity and teamwork can turn a student idea into a real success.

Octodad is a third-person adventure game about chaos, deception, and fatherhood. Players control Octodad, an octopus posing as a human, navigating everyday tasks with his wobbly tentacles, all while keeping his true identity hidden from his unsuspecting family.

Super Daryl Deluxe

Originally funded by a successful Kickstarter campaign that exceeded its goal, Super Daryl Deluxe is an indie action-RPG developed by Dan & Gary Games. Set in a high school where players explore, battle monsters, and uncover mysterious disappearances, the game is praised for its quirky humour, distinctive art style, and engaging gameplay.

Dan was responsible for the distinctive visuals of the game, while Gary handled the design and programming. Super Daryl Deluxe is a great example of how collaboration can bring a project to life.

These student-made games show what’s possible when creativity, teamwork, and passion come together. Students are among the best innovators in the gaming industry, showing that great games can start anywhere – even in a classroom.

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