Where Emerging Talent Meets the Industry 🎮
On June 18 and 19, 2025, the Montpellier campus of ESMA hosted the Video Games Grand Prix, an event where third-year students from the Rennes, Toulouse, and Montpellier campuses defended their final projects before a professional jury of fourteen industry figures. Over two intense days, the atmosphere combined the rigor of a professional competition with the inspiration of seeing the future of video game development take concrete shape in the hands of new talents.
A Jury with Industry Experience
Leading the jury was Pauline Dupuy, producer at DON'T NOD, accompanied by designers, art directors, and producers from various studios. Dupuy highlighted the maturity and seriousness with which the teams presented their games, noting that the level shown "has nothing to envy many professional indie releases." The evaluation covered technical, artistic, gameplay, and originality aspects, with detailed feedback that students can use in their transition to the professional world. 🏆
The Nine Projects in Competition
The titles presented represented an impressive diversity of genres and approaches:
- Rennes: Derayah, Unclock, Maps & Cards, Tiny Kinesis
- Toulouse: Muse, Sunder, Void Fisher
- Montpellier: Nova, Stackhead (first ESMA game developed for Nintendo Switch)
Each project demonstrated months of teamwork, integrating programming, art, design, and narrative.
Presenting here is like launching your game on the real market; the jury doesn't forgive, but their feedback is worth gold.
Winners and Recognitions
After the jury's deliberations, four awards were granted:
- Best Technical Achievement: Stackhead (Montpellier)
- Best Graphic Design: Nova (Montpellier)
- Best Gameplay: Tiny Kinesis (Rennes)
- ESMA 2025 Grand Prix: Muse (Toulouse)
Muse, the game awarded the highest recognition, stood out for its original game concept and polished execution.
Event Structure and Atmosphere
The first day was dedicated to exhaustive tests and personalized feedback sessions with jury members, where teams received technical comments and improvement suggestions. The second day consisted of formal presentations followed by the awards ceremony in front of family, friends, and peers. The atmosphere mixed nervousness, pride, and palpable excitement for the closure of a training stage and the beginning of professional careers.
Implications for the Future of the Industry
Events like the ESMA Grand Prix demonstrate the vigor of video game development training in France. The quality of the presented projects—especially Stackhead, the school's first game developed for Nintendo Switch—suggests that these students are ready to integrate directly into studios or embark on their own indie paths. The industry thus receives new blood with practical experience in complete development cycles.
If the level continues on this upward trajectory, soon professionals will be learning from students. And who knows—perhaps the next Dreams or Disco Elysium will emerge from these hallways. What is certain is that the future of French video games has solid foundations... and campuses in Montpellier, Toulouse, and Rennes. 😊