Search For A Star & Rising Star 2023: Ones to Watch + full achievements listing
Starting with 1100 students signing up to take part across 6 categories, this year’s Search for A Star & Rising Star game development challenges have been one of the largest we’ve ever seen!
Each challenge tasks students with completing a game project to an industry brief, which are then reviewed by our team of industry assessors, with the highest scoring being selected as finalists.
In addition to all of our exceptional winners and finalists across programming, design, environment art, character art, animation & VFX, there were also many people across all categories that produced excellent projects and showcased a range of high-level skills, making a significant achievement in the challenges.
Although they may not have made it to the finals, our One To Watch selection have all shown skills and potential to become fantastic game developers very soon — we’re looking forward to seeing them progress with their work and into games industry careers!
Character Art Achievements 2023
Search For A Star
Students in their final year of a degree or in postgraduate study.
Winner
Mihai Andru Sandu
Middlesex University London
Finalists
Eti Udosen, University of Huddersfield
Joseph Hughes, University of Huddersfield
Kipras Stankevicius, Middlesex University London
Luke Chesworth, Futureworks
Rising Star
Undergrad students not yet in their final year, or studying at FE level.
Winner
Alicia Figueiredo Amaral
University of Huddersfield
Finalists
Ben Clancy, University of the Creative Arts
Christiane Schaper, Howest DAE
Elliot Crompton, Staffordshire University
Rob Cole, University of Portsmouth
Character Art Ones To Watch 2023
Search For A Star
Aneeza Ashraf, TH Köln
Dan Herbert, University of Hertfordshire
Dian Jin, University of the Arts London
Elizabeth Midgley, University of Hull
Ethan Gangotra, University of Huddersfield
Felix Miall, Falmouth University
Gabriele Pukin, Huddersfield, University of
Hannah Blachford, Teesside University
Hannah Wooldridge, Futureworks
Harry Barnes, University of Huddersfield
Jialiang Gong, University of the Arts London
Leah Thompson, Staffordshire University
Libbi-Faye Marshall, Staffordshire University
Natela Samkharadze, Falmouth University
Sasha Gallie, University of Hertfordshire
Tyreece-Lee Salkind, Norwich University of the Arts
Zachariah Coates, Falmouth University
Rising Star
Beck Hemsley, Warwickshire College and University Centre
Esmée Horler, Breda University of Applied Sciences
Eve Callaghan, Staffordshire University
Isabel Middleton, Falmouth University
June Iec, University of the Arts London
Katharina Alexander, Howest DAE
Samuel Wood, Falmouth University
Sophie Jones, Falmouth University
Yanouk Verleysen, Howest DAE
Environment Art Achievements 2023
Search For A Star
Students in their final year of a degree or in postgraduate study.
Winner
Victoria Primmer
University of Portsmouth
Finalists
Diana Karakushyan, University of Hertfordshire
Edward Holmes, Middlesex University London
Mart Meitus, Futureworks
Michael Dolman, University of South Wales
Rising Star
Undergrad students not yet in their final year, or studying at FE level.
Winner
Tom Verbeeck
Howest DAE
Finalists
Alexandra Caisin, Middlesex University London
Emily Kenny, Falmouth University
Olivia Gunn, Falmouth University
Ovidiu Ariciuc, University Centre South Essex
Environment Art Ones To Watch 2023
Search For A Star
Aziz Ahmed, Birmingham City University
Bahareh sadat Reza Tofighi, Falmouth University
Bradley Ordish, Staffordshire University
Gergely Szabo, Glasgow Caledonian University
Ibolya Orcsik, University of the Creative Arts
Katie Lofts, University of Central Lancashire
Lucile Lachard, Rubika Montréal
Nathan Richardson, Abertay University
Oliver Britland, Falmouth University
Ziyi Yang, Solent University
Rising Star
Ben Rodgers, University of South Wales
David Hyde, De Montfort University
Erin Bashford-Hobbs, Falmouth University
Games Design Achievements 2023
Winner
Mo Abdulaziz
Brunel University London
Finalists
Cassy Cornish, Falmouth University
Cory Allan, University of Central Lancashire
Ewan Miller, University of Huddersfield
Miles Carr, University of Central Lancashire
Games Design Ones to Watch 2023
Search For A Star
Students in their final year of a degree or in postgraduate study
Alex Fonseca, Falmouth University
Jun Denny Cheng, Sheffield Hallam University
Stefanos Ntailakis, Glasgow Caledonian University
Samuel Bate, University of Central Lancashire
Jamie Forshaw-Harrison, University of Central Lancashire
Luke Meeks, University of Central Lancashire
Viktor Suranyi, Glasgow Caledonian University
Rising Star
Undergrad students not yet in their final year, or studying at FE level.
Charles Django Cornell, Abertay University
Games Programming Achievements 2023
Search For A Star
Students in their final year of a degree or in postgraduate study
Winner
Luke McFarlane
Abertay University
Finalists
Daniel Filby, Falmouth University
Joe Bevis, Birmingham City University
Michael Gebhart, TH Köln
Ryan Cole, Falmouth University
Rising Star
Undergrad students not yet in their final year, or studying at FE level.
Winner
Robbe Mahieu
Howest DAE
Finalists
Dmitrii Kolchin, University of the Creative Arts
Animation & VFX Achievements 2023
Games Animation
Winner
Alvin Oblitey
Staffordshire University
Finalists
Karla Tanner, Staffordshire University
Katherine Lindhorst, Teesside University
Siobhan Foster, Staffordshire University
Games VFX
Winner
Robbe Mahieu
Howest DAE
Congratulations to everyone who took part in this year’s challenges, and a huge thanks to all of our studio partners below for their support across all of our activities this year!
