Our Game Art students have been working on a client brief that was set in September by Ollie Cullen, founder of Studio Forestboy.
Game Art students have been working in groups to develop games that showcase their art to fulfil the brief. Ollie has supported their progress throughout the year and in March he came back to play their games. His mentorship has helped students push their ideas further, encouraging them to think critically about scope and quality of art produced.
Ollie Cullen pictured with Jamie Hatton, Cory Thompson and Cameron Marsh.
The client is an experienced game producer, having worked on titles such as Crusader Kings III, PUBG and Metal: Hellsinger VR, which received a game of the year nomination. Ollie has previously been a speaker at Devcom, discussing his technical knowledge in porting to VR and has supported our students previously during another project. Ollie commented “I was genuinely blown away by the students’ work on this project. Setting an open narrative brief like this is always a risk because you never know how it will come together, but the quality and creativity on display exceeded all expectations. Every game felt unique and carefully considered, and it was clear how much effort each group put into connecting their ideas into a cohesive story. They should all be incredibly proud of what they’ve created.”
The project has been a valuable opportunity for students to experience the full creative pipeline, from brief to delivery, while gaining confidence in their ability to produce industry‑ready work. Their dedication over the past several months has resulted in a diverse collection of games that reflect both their talent and their growth as emerging artists. Students were able to choose roles suitable to their skillset and manage tasks across the team to keep the development on track. Ollie has been able to provide feedback, guidance and industry insight, helping students shape their games and fulfil their chosen roles.
Ollie Cullen pictured playing a game made by Jamie Whittenbury, Jordan Nelmes, Aaliyah Cowell and Jen Ward.
Module Leader, Zara Sharma, added, “it’s thanks to people like Ollie, our students get a real taste of working with a client and delivering to professional expectations. We’re incredibly grateful for his contribution and the expertise he’s shared throughout his time supporting this module. The students have been professional during this project, and the quality of art produced this year has been such a high standard, they should all be proud of what they’ve achieved.”
The group commented on their experience of this module:
Jamie Whittenbury commented to say “someone who's worked in the industry as a client has been a real benefit when it comes to morale and gathering feedback. Hearing comments from a person who we 'look up to' was very encouraging, as well as providing very good insight into what we should be aiming to do to get into games”.
Jordan Nelmes added “it was extremely helpful and insightful, having someone to help guide us, give us feedback, and motivate us to keep pushing our project to be as great as it could be! His words of encouragement did wonders and all the feedback given was acted upon, which improved our final project by leaps and bounds. All in all, it was one of my favourite experiences and project during my time at university and I will proudly display it on my portfolio for years to come”.
“Having Ollie as our professional mentor has been an invaluable learning experience. Through his guidance, I have learnt how to effectively collaborate and produce with a team. This project as a whole will be a proud memory of mine”, Aaliyah Cowell.
The Ashwood Residences
Images from the Ashwood Residences, developed by Jamie Whittenbury, Jordan Nelmes, Aaliyah Cowell and Jen Ward.
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