Goals

The KSU Game Studio develops and publishes video games. It is divided into five teams: development, art, narrative, UX research, and communication & marketing. Students collaborate to create, develop, evaluate, and eventually publish video games through the KSU Game Studio.

Housed within Kennesaw State University, the Studio provides a hands-on, interdisciplinary environment where undergraduate students from diverse majors work together as a cohesive creative unit. Each team contributes to the game development process from concept to launch, mirroring professional studio pipelines. The development team focuses on coding and gameplay mechanics, while the art team brings characters and environments to life. The narrative team crafts compelling stories and dialogue, ensuring emotional and thematic coherence. UX researchers playtest and analyze user feedback to optimize player experience, and the communication & marketing team designs promotional strategies and manages community engagement.

The Studio supports a research-driven approach to game design. Faculty mentors guide students in applying industry-standard tools and agile workflows, preparing them for careers in the games and interactive media industries. The project goals are as follows:

  • Interdisciplinary collaboration, training, and leadership
  • Understanding multi-team product development
  • Publishing video games
  • Generating research on games and games reception
  • Developing marketing materials around games.

Experience Gained

As part of the KSU Game Studio project, students will work in interdisciplinary teams to design, develop, and publish original video games. Depending on their assigned team - development, art, narrative, UX research, or communication & marketing - students will take on specialized roles while collaborating closely with peers across all areas of production.

Students on the development team will write and debug code, prototype mechanics, and build gameplay systems using industry-standard engines like Unity or Unreal. The art team will design characters, environments, UI assets, and animations that bring the game’s visual identity to life. The narrative team will develop storylines, character dialogue, lore, and branching story structures, often using interactive writing tools such as Ink.

Those in UX research will conduct playtests, analyze player behavior, and gather feedback to improve usability, accessibility, and overall player satisfaction. Meanwhile, the communication & marketing team will manage the game’s online presence, create promotional content, coordinate launch strategies, and engage with the gaming community.

Throughout the project, students will practice agile development, present milestones in studio meetings, and receive feedback from faculty mentors and peers. They will also build professional portfolios and gain experience in project management, team dynamics, and creative problem-solving. By the end of the project, students will have contributed to a published video game, an achievement that combines technical skill, creative storytelling, and real-world experience.

Majors and Interests Needed

  •  Art
  • Computer Game Design and Development
  • Computer Science
  • Digital Animation
  • Economics
  • English
  • Entrepreneurship
  • History
  • Interactive Design
  • Journalism and Emerging Media
  • Learning Design and Technology
  • Marketing
  • Media and Entertainment
  • Music
  • Psychology
  • Public Relations
  • Software Engingeering
Three tudents at computers playing video games

Team Advisors

Victoria Lagrange, Ph.D
Assistant Professor of Game Narrative
Email: vlagrang@kennesaw.edu

Christopher Cornelison, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Microbiology
Email: ccornel5@kennesaw.edu

Nick Murphy
Lecturer of Software Engineering
Email: nmurphy1@kennesaw.edu