[photo credit: ArtCenter College of Design]
“This award is the culmination of countless hours by our students to create a game that is unlike any other,” said Christophe Gomez, ArtCenter’s associate chair of the Game Design program. “It is enormously satisfying to see their creativity acknowledged by a very discerning audience of game lovers, in addition to seeing ChromaCorp placed amongst the top experimental game projects.”
The award-winning game, ChromaCorp, immerses players in a fictional company that controls the global color supply, where they balance mundane desk work with acts of rebellion as they discover the company’s questionable methods for harvesting color. As players extract colors to meet daily quotas, they gradually unveil ChromaCorp’s dark secrets and must choose whether to continue their tasks or join with other employees to quietly resist the company’s influence. ChromaCorp’s alt.ctrl.GDC Audience Award follows its win last fall at IndieCade 2024, where it won the Live Action Award.
Meanwhile the ENTX 2025 will showcase work by more than 300 students and alumni in animation, concept design, game design, and themed entertainment.
The event runs from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at ArtCenter’s Hillside Campus located at 1700 Lida Street, in West Pasadena. General admission is free, but paid tickets are required for panel events, though free overflow seating will be available via livestream.
Advance registration is encouraged through the link on ArtCenter’s website: https://www.
Visitors can explore a range of student showcases including concept design exhibits, production design galleries, and a clay modeling gallery. Special attractions include an “Outer Space Architecture” exhibit showcasing student collaboration with the Neutra Institute and a “Making Of” animation shorts exhibit. From 1:00-4:00 p.m., Pepe’s Tacos food truck will be available in the North Parking Lot.
The expo features interactive elements including video game playtesting in Rooms 279 & 198, ChromaCorp playtesting in Annex room A15, a student-designed escape room in Annex room A7, and various galleries throughout the campus. Visitors can also participate in the ENTX passport system, collecting stamps throughout the event to enter a raffle for a signed copy of “The Art of DreamWorks The Wild Robot,” and engage in a puzzle activity where they find clues hidden among projects to uncover a special message.
Industry panels include a discussion about “The Wild Robot” with Production Designer Raymond Zibach and special guests discussing DreamWorks’ Academy Award-nominated animated film, based on a book by ArtCenter alumnus Peter Brown. At 3:30-4:30 p.m., Entertainment Design faculty member Gwyn Conaway will moderate a panel of ArtCenter alumni who are forging successful careers in the entertainment industry.
