RMIT: Where game design scholarship recipient settles

RMIT: Where game design scholarship recipient settles

Determined to explore gaming, Nguyen Ngoc Tu Quyen spent almost a year creating a linear game featuring a customisable character that led her to RMIT’s Bachelor of Design (Games).

Nguyen Ngoc Tu Quyen was among 104 students who received an RMIT scholarship in 2023, and the only student awarded the Game Design Scholarship which commenced in October 2023.

Alt Text is not present for this image, Taking dc:title 'Nguyen Ngoc Tu Quyen received RMIT’s Game Design Scholarship at the recent ceremony.' Nguyen Ngoc Tu Quyen received RMIT’s Game Design Scholarship at the recent ceremony.

Quyen was inspired by the video game ‘Getting Over It’, a single-player platform game developed by Australian video game designer Bennett Foddy.

The task of the game is to help the player-controlled character to reach the top of the mountain.

“There are no checkpoints. If players accidentally slip their mouse and the hammer no longer grips the ledges, they tumble back to the very beginning in a blink of an eye. That is when the poor players start their journey though the five stages of grief. I even saw YouTubers flip their chairs and tables when those incidents happened, and if I paid for the furniture, I would honestly do the same [Quyen smiled].”

“I was inspired by Bennett’s coding, compelling scripts, stunning visuals and dynamic character design,” said Quyen.

“His genius approach of making games not to please people, really excites me.

“The realistic animation and vibrant colours persuaded me to download the game. It was satisfying to finally ‘get over it’ after many attempts. That is what made it unforgettable,” Quyen said.

While searching for a university that offered a program in game design, RMIT stood out and impressed Quyen with its facilities, curriculum and vibrant international community.

Quyen’s eyes lit up when she shared her experience of presenting the game that impressed the selection panel and got her a scholarship to study at RMIT.

In her final year at school, Quyen studied an online course in game design. She embraced the experience and opportunity to build a game from scratch called ‘Where the sun settles’. 

Alt Text is not present for this image, Taking dc:title 'nguyen-ngoc-tu-quyen-2' ‘Where the Sun settles’ game

In her free time, Quyen sketched ideas for the pixel art game - on various surfaces, the back of her school notebooks, iPad and sketchbook.

“I wanted to introduce a light-hearted game where players could learn about Vietnamese culture and landscapes and have fun.”

Alt Text is not present for this image, Taking dc:title 'nguyen-ngoc-tu-quyen-3' Quyen sketched the ideas for the pixel art game whenever she had free time on whichever surfaces she happened to access at times.

“The players inherit a farm from their grandfather. The farm is in the middle of a peaceful suburb. Every day, they wake up surrounded by crops and cattle and the warm sun shining over them. Starting small, the farm grows gradually as players earns more money while interacting with their neighbours.

“The lead characters, Grandpa Hung and his friend Phin-a-duck, are the players companions on a quest for a new chapter in their lives,” said Quyen.

Alt Text is not present for this image, Taking dc:title 'nguyen-ngoc-tu-quyen-4' Players can enlarge their farm gradually over the course of the game.

The scholarship will cover fifty percent of Quyen’s tuition fees.

Quyen is excited about studying at RMIT and the opportunity to create innovative and engaging games that challenge players and push the boundaries of what is possible in the future of the Vietnamese video game industry.

Story: Ha Hoang

08 December 2023

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