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Six teams announced as finalists for Abertay's annual video games design competition
Abertay University has announced the finalists for its flagship video game design competition, DARE Academy.
Six talented undergraduate teams will spend the summer developing and refining game prototypes, competing for the prestigious DARE trophy and a grand prize of £5,000.
A highlight of the university’s calendar, the competition offers students intensive support from academic staff and industry experts. Over the coming months, the teams will work in the university’s state-of-the-art Centre for Excellence in Computer Games, honing their concepts and creating playable prototypes in a professional studio environment.
This year’s finalists were selected by a panel of expert judges, who were impressed by the originality, polish and potential of the teams’ pitches.
The Dare Academy 2025 finalist teams are:
- Fishbowl Studio
- Bonny Bandits
- Final Prism Interactive
- Cosmic Coda
- Hyperfix
- Riverboat Games
The teams will have the opportunity to showcase their games at two events in Dundee: “Drop in and Play” at DCA on Saturday 30 August, and the awards ceremony at the CoSTAR Realtime Lab at Water’s Edge on Thursday 11 September.
DARE has a strong track record of launching careers and start-ups, with former teams going on to form successful indie studios including Pocket Sized Hands and Bit Loom.
Dr Dayna Galloway, Head of the Department of Games and Arts, said:
We’ve been absolutely blown away by the standard of submissions for this year’s DARE Academy. The creativity, ambition and quality on display have been incredibly exciting to see. A huge thank you goes to our judging panel for their time and input, and we’re thrilled to be working with such brilliant industry mentors and sponsors again this year. Their support will be vital in helping our students grow – not just during DARE, but as they move forward into careers in the games industry.
Torin Pellegrini, team leader of Fishbowl Studio, said:
We’re absolutely thrilled to have made it to the DARE Academy finals – it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. As Abertay students, we know how much this competition can open doors in the industry, and we’re ready to make the most of it. This year’s line-up is packed with originality and fun, and we can’t wait to work with mentors to develop the best version of our game and contribute to DARE’S amazing legacy. Go Fishbowl!
Last year's DARE Academy winners were Triple 7 Studios with their game “Left Upon Read”. They were crowned winners by a panel of top industry judges at the UK’s biggest video games expo, EGX in London.
