The ESMA 2024 Video Game Grand Prix : a look back at two intense events !

A showcase for student creativity

The ESMA Video Game Grand Prix is a prestigious platform for students to compare their creations with the expert opinions of professionals. The Grand Prix was held in two stages : first the Toulouse and Montpellier schools gathered in Toulouse, then it was the turn of the Rennes campus event.

This year, 18 professionals from various studios and areas of the industry, including Ubisoft, Epic Games and the AFJV, assessed the students’ projects. Their presence not only validated the quality of the work presented, but also provided valuable advice for the future development of the young talent.

Exploring a variety of style

The projects presented this year showcased a wide variety of style and concepts, underlining the creativity and skill of the students.

For Rennes :

– Chroma : A 3D platformer / adventure where the player takes on the role of an artist evolving within her creativity. 

– Crops Warriors : An online cooperative game in which the player, in the role of a farmer, goes on an expedition to collect a quota of carrots in a given time. 

– Crystal Moon : A puzzle game featuring a space archaeologist searching for a civilisation on a frozen moon.

– Zombie Tale : A 2.5D puzzle-platform game in which the player takes on the role of a pacifist zombie on a quest to find the adventuress who cut him in half, and with whom he is in love. 

For Toulouse :

– Apart : A contemplative game encouraging players to explore the mountains in real life. 

– Babel : A collaborative construction game where players build a shared city based on mutual aid and cooperation. 

– Dans la peau d’un Polatouche : A single-player 3D platformer where players take on the role of a flying squirrel, the hero of a fairytale

– Tomoe : A fighting game where players take on the role of an emblematic warrior from the Heian period, with a narrative inspired by paper theater

For Montpellier :

– Core Defenders : A cooperative duo experience where players take on the roles of the robots Clic and Clac, joining forces to collect resources and build defence turrets. 

– Nirvana : A bullt hell Fast FPS where take on the role of Ari, a young woman captured by a mystical civilisation, trying to escape from a temple. 

Winners of the ESMA 2024 Video Game Grand Prix

The Rennes event crowned Crystal Moon as the Jury’s Favourite, while Chroma won the Jury’s Grand Prix. In Toulouse and Montpellier, Babel was awarded the Jury’s Coup de Coeur, while Core Defenders won the Jury’s Grand Prix. These awards are a resounding endorsement of the teams’ hard work and creativity.

The professionals present emphasised not only the quality and outcome of the games presented, but also the professionalism and originality of the teams. This feedback is crucial for the students, as it helps them hone their skills and prepare for future challenges. 

A fantastic final

In conclusion, we would like to offer our warmest congratulations to all our students for their remarkable work. They have successfully completed their studies at ESMA. We wish them every success in their future endeavours. 

We cant’ wait to qhare the videos from thses 2 events with you, as well as the making-of projects.

Moreover, the graduation games will soon be available on itch.io and Steam, giving you the chance to discover and appreciate the talent of our young game players.