Will Hamilton’s dissertation project V-Art has been nominated in the Best Student Game Category at the TIGA UK Games Education Awards, which recognising outstanding students, education providers and good practise.

The 41-year-old, who recently graduated with first-class honours in BSc Computer Games Development, designed the game to act as an accessible art gallery – sending players inside stunning virtual reality (VR) recreations of well-known paintings, such as The Scream by Edvard Munch.

He said: “Accessibility is really important to me – I grew up with undiagnosed ADHD, and I have loved ones and friends who live with disabilities.

“If you want to see art, you have to be able to travel to where it is – and even then, you might not get to see it for long.
Will Hamilton

“I wanted to create a VR experience that anyone could use to enjoy real-world art. The twist is, that V-Art sends them inside the picture and allows them to explore a 3D recreation of 2D art.”

Will worked hard to ensure the game was accessible to all – considering everything from how it controls, to the potential for motion sickness. He also added audio descriptions, and multi-language support.

He added: “It was really important to me that the barriers to access were as low as is possible. It took a lot of time and effort, but it was absolutely worthwhile.

“I’m absolutely delighted to be nominated for a TIGA Award – I honestly didn’t think the game had a chance of making the shortlist, and I was quite taken aback to find out that it had.
Will Hamilton

“I’m really grateful for the support and encouragement of the academics at UWS – it’s meant a great deal to me.”

Gavin Baxter, Senior Lecturer in Computer Games Development, said: “Will has produced something of an exceptional standard and I think, it’s fair to say, of commercial quality. He more than deserves this nomination, and I am delighted for him.

“At UWS, we pride ourselves in producing graduates who are ready to make an immediate impact in their chosen field – and Will is a great example of this. I look forward to watching his career go from strength to strength.”

To play V-Art for free, visit: https://twistdrabbit.itch.io/vart

To find out more about studying Computer Game Development at UWS, visit: https://www.uws.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/undergraduate-course-search/computer-games-development/