Agenda

Every year, students at leading game design programs conduct a detailed analysis of the narrative elements of a game title of their choice as part of the Game Narrative Review Competition. The resulting papers are submitted to the GDC narrative board for review, and the submitters with the most promising entries are then invited to create a digital poster as a visual synopsis of their review.

Successful digital poster submissions are declared winners and exhibited at the GDC. Each winner will be given 5 minutes on stage to discuss their project in front of a live GDC audience.

This year’s winners have explored everything from big-budget blockbusters to smaller, critically acclaimed indie titles—presenting complex and detailed analyses that foreshadow the contributions they will likely make to the field of game narrative over the course of their careers.

We’re proud to announce that this year’s winners are:

Platinum Winners

Anna Green, Kennesaw State University (Bayonetta)*

Basil Tutza, Drexel University (IMMORTALITY)*

Qi Ren Soo, DigiPen Institute of Technology (Flower)

Gold Winners

Aleksandra Tretiakova, Sogang University (The Last of Us Part II)

Allison Lee, University of Southern California (Consume Me)*

Ben Yu, University of Southern California (Klonoa 2: Lunatea's Veil)

Blythe Watson, Sheridan College (Minecraft)

Cary Shin, DigiPen Institute of Technology (Pokémon Black & White)*

Hannah Geissler, Sogang University (Planet of Lana)

Isaiah M. Singleton, Drexel University (Metal Garden)

Jeff Chen, Rochester Institute of Technology (In Stars and Time)*

Katherine Jordan, Northeastern University (Signs of the Sojourner)

Li (Aiden) Jiang, Southern Methodist University (Needy Streamer Overload)*

Sean Erren, Sheridan College (There Is No Game: Wrong Dimension)

Theodoros-Thirimachos Davarakis, Northeastern University (Slay the Princess)

Tyler Majewski, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Fran Bow)*

Violet Li, Sheridan College (Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical)*

Xinyu (Ella) Zhang, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Cyberpunk 2077)

Zac Millman, Drexel University (PEAK)*

*Winners denoted with an asterisk will be presenting during this session. All other winners will be presenting during the other Poster Microtalks Session (10:30-11:30am / 4:30-5:30pm).