In their own words, the NYU Game Center “is dedicated to the exploration of games as a cultural form and game design as creative practice. Our approach to the study of games is based on a simple idea: games matter." They expand on that mission statement on their website, but the bottom line is that they think games are serious business and worth exploring at a deeper level just like other forms of art. I met with 5 students from the NYUGC here at GDC who showed off the game they created as their thesis project for the program, a puzzle game of sorts built around a very clever movement mechanic. Check out Cognition.
I love the back and forth movement of the little gears, and as the game progresses they use that mechanic in new and interesting ways by throwing in different types of puzzle elements in order for you to clear the way to a level’s end goal. The name itself is clever too, as the “cogs" who are the main characters are also alive and “cognizant" as they make their way through the game. I love wordplay! It’s a surprisingly quality effort for a student project and if you think it looks interesting too you can look forward to Cognition launching for free at some point in June.
