From Vietnam to Melbourne: the inaugural ACMI + RMIT Vietnam Games Prize

For RMIT Vietnam students Thao Cao Uyen and Quyen Nguyen, October brought an opportunity to take their creative ambitions beyond the classroom and into the heart of Australia's games industry.

The pair attended Melbourne International Games Week, held from 2 to 11 October, after being selected as the first recipients of the ACMI + RMIT Vietnam Games Prize. 

Introduced in 2025–26, the initiative extends the existing partnership between RMIT University and ACMI and the long-standing ACMI + RMIT Games Prize awarded to Melbourne-based games students.  

“We’re delighted to have launched the very first ACMI + RMIT Vietnam Games Prize, expanding the ways we champion young and emerging talent through our partnership beyond Australia and into our region.”

"Connecting students with industry networks and events through Melbourne International Games Week is exactly what our work with RMIT is all about: outward looking, focused on real impact, and supercharging the next generation of creative leaders, not just here in Victoria, but across the globe," said Seb Chan, Director and CEO of ACMI.

Thao and Quyen, graduating students from RMIT Vietnam's Bachelor of Design (Games), were recognised for their respective games, with both projects demonstrating the creative potential of games as a medium for artistic expression and storytelling. 

“Thao and Quyen’s works brought fresh perspectives to Melbourne International Games Week. Their games demonstrated a real attention to craft, are packed with creative flair, original design, and tell unique stories, which is what indie games is all about. It was really exciting to see them here engaging with our world-leading indie games culture,” said Lucian Rodriguez Lovell, Associate Lecturer, Digital Design (Games) at RMIT, who was a member of the judging panel.

Melbourne International Games Week is the major event on Australia’s games industry calendar. This year’s program brought together a range of experiences, from the industry-focused Games Connect Asia Pacific conference and Games for Change Summit to independent games showcase Freeplay: Parallels and the large-scale PAX Aus convention. 

During their Melbourne visit, Thao and Quyen were given access to ACMI X, the creative coworking community at ACMI, giving them an opportunity to connect with practitioners working across games, screen culture and creative technology.  

The students' itinerary also included time at RMIT's Melbourne City campus, where they took part in activities with the RMIT School of Design's Master of Animation, Games and Interactivity program. 

Together, these experiences offered a broader view of the games industry, from additional education options, creative experimentation and independent development to professional networks and the opportunities available to emerging designers. 

The inaugural Vietnam Games Prize represents another opportunity for RMIT and ACMI to support emerging creative talent while strengthening connections between Australia and Asia-Pacific games communities. 

“I’m just so delighted about this initiative, given it has created opportunities to recognise emerging talent, build closer relationships between Vietnam and Melbourne, and create opportunities for RMIT Vietnam students to engage directly with Australian industry professionals and our creative community more broadly,” said Naomi Stead, Associate Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Engagement from the College of Design and Social Context.

For Thao and Quyen, the prize was an opportunity not only to celebrate their achievements, but to experience the wider industry they are preparing to enter. 

“Quyen and I got to explore the game industry in Australia within a week. Experiencing game development in an international context is essential for us to create more meaningful games," said Thao.