Jonathan Scoffin and Rowan Bell took home two of the six awards on offer at Gamebridge 2026, with Jonathan winning the Design Excellence Award and Rowan receiving the 2D Art Excellence Award.
Gamebridge, held at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, brings together the next generation of games developers with leading studios, recruiters and industry professionals. This year's event attracted more than 480 students from 74 universities and colleges across the UK, showcasing over 100 student-created games and art projects.
The annual festival celebrates outstanding student work across disciplines with more than £5,000 awarded in prizes.
BSc (Hons) Computer Gameplay Design and Production student Jonathan received the Design Excellence Award for his final-year project, Tiny Shaders. Judged by industry professionals, the category recognises exceptional gameplay mechanics, level design, environmental storytelling and overall player experience.
Jonathan said: "At the event I met so many amazing people with incredible projects, so to be picked as the winner in my category came as a big surprise and I couldn't be happier.
"I'm very grateful for the support I received from my friends and the University while developing this project, especially my final year project mentor Adam Martin, who gave great feedback and advice throughout development."
Reflecting on the festival, he added: "Gamebridge is an incredible event. The opportunity for students and graduates across the country to present their work directly to so many members of the industry is incredibly valuable. The support through portfolio reviews, talks and networking is amazing, and I'm so grateful to the organisers and sponsors."
Meanwhile, BSc (Hons) Concept Art for Games and Film student Rowan Bell was awarded the 2D Art Excellence Award for his iimaginative final-year concept art project centred around an ageing shopkeeper who drags his beloved neighbourhood bodega across America rather than leaving it behind.
The judges praised Rowan's distinctive visual style, engaging narrative and comprehensive demonstration of the concept art process, from early ideas and iterations through to the final designs.
Rowan said: "It was a shock. When you looked around at everyone's work, the standard was incredibly high. There wasn't a single bad entry – everyone in the category had produced brilliant work.
"When I asked the judges what made my project stand out, they said it was the cohesive art style, the unique story and the fact I'd shown the whole concept art pipeline, including what didn't work as well as the final outcome."
He plans to use the prize money to invest in his freelance career and continue developing future game projects.
"There were so many like-minded people to meet and make connections with," Rowan added. "Speaking to industry professionals and seeing the quality of work on display was inspiring. It's an experience that will stay with me."
University of Staffordshire is home to one of the UK's largest games institutes and has built an international reputation for producing highly skilled graduates across game art, design and programming. Through close partnerships with industry and a practice-based approach to learning, students regularly showcase their work at national and international events, gaining valuable experience and professional connections before graduation.
Professor Chris Headleand, Head of the Games Institute at University of Staffordshire, said: "For our students to come away with a third of the available awards is an excellent reflection of their talent and the quality of the work being produced at University of Staffordshire.
"It is a brilliant result and another reminder that our students are able to compete, and win, on any stage, anywhere.”
Discover more about studying at University of Staffordshire by booking your place at an Open Day or apply now through Clearing for a September start.