GTE: Renens City Stories

Projects BA MEDIA & INTERACTION DESIGN

GTE: Renens City Stories

A one week workshop where the first-year students were taught the basics of Blender and how to achieve a similar visual language to that of early era video game graphics.

Students were asked to create a looping animation or 'Story' from the perspective of a character in the city of Renens where ECAL is based. These were then packaged into a playable game displayed on a series of CRT monitors controlled using a PS1 controller.

The game itself was completely run in Blender using Geometry Nodes & Python.

Workshop (2024) with Jack McVeigh

Assistants
Kylan Luginbühl
Students
Andreas Abbaszadeh, Steve Bouillant, Rosalie Girard, Laurine Gigandet, Nyria Graber, Teo Grajqevci, Brikeld Hoxha, Shana Meinecke, Yann Müller, Daniel Rocha, Dalia Spichtig, Jonathan Vögele
Know-how
3D Graphics, Game
Video edit of the student's works

The Story

 

The students were asked to create a looping animation or 'Story' from the perspective of a character in the city of Renens where ECAL is based. The stories were then packaged into a playable game displayed on a series of CRT monitors controlled using a PS1 controller.

Marché du Temple, 03h15, Rosalie Girard

Park, Jonathan Vögele

Avenue du 24-Janvier, Andreas Abbaszadeh

Epenex 4a, Laurine Gigandet

M1 lausanne-flon, Shana Meinecke

Migros, Teo Grajqevci

Asset Turntable

 

In addition to the sotry, the students reproduced an object ("asset") related to the scene they imagined. 

Rosalie Girard

Teo Grajqevci

Jonathan Vögele

Nyria Graber

Dalia Spichtig

Brikeld Hoxa

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Emma Grosu – ESC

BA MEDIA & INTERACTION DESIGN

Emma Grosu – ESC

by Emma Grosu

Video games allow players to escape into narrative worlds where they hold ‘all the power.’ In ESC, the game's character seeks to escape his own reality. This reversal examines the notions of freedom and constraint in video games, ironically highlighting the limits of our existence. What would happen if a character became aware of their situation, realizing that they are not in control of their movements but are, instead, imprisoned by them? ESC allowed me to explore concepts of immersion such as breaking the fourth wall and mise en abyme. Inspired by works like ‘The Truman Show’ and ‘Sword Art Online,’ I illustrated how the perception of freedom can be an illusion, both in video games and in the physical world.
Alexandre Gambarini – Echoes from the Tales

BA MEDIA & INTERACTION DESIGN

Alexandre Gambarini – Echoes from the Tales

by Alexandre Gambarini

Whether it's the legend of Joan of Arc, William Tell, Che Guevara or other emblematic figures, our societies and our daily lives are partly punctuated by these tales. Echoes from the Tales is an interactive sequence that traces the life of Vasil Levski, a Bulgarian icon. By listening to his story, punctuated by strong symbolism, the sequence enables us to grasp how these stories can shape individual and collective identity. The aim of this interactive sequence is to analyze how a story can be assimilated and transformed by the individual imagination and then passed on, as well as understanding how age-old narratives such as Vasil Levski's can be hijacked by modern storytelling.
Aryana Noorani – Check-out / Check-in

BA MEDIA & INTERACTION DESIGN

Aryana Noorani – Check-out / Check-in

with Pauline Saglio, Christophe Guignard, Alain Bellet, Gaël Hugo, Laura Nieder, Lara Défayes

In this point-and-click game, players take on the role of a maid on her first day in a luxury hotel. Each level consists of a messy room left behind by guests. The  player must remember the list of tasks and complete them in the correct order to restore the room. The gameplay relies on simple, repetitive actions, where order and memory are key, with no room for error in such meticulous surroundings. Through repetition, the actions become mechanical, but the slightest mistake forces the player to start over. Guided by the overbearing voice of a manager, the experience combines curiosity, frustration and a quiet sense of absurdity in a simple game loop.
Mathias Liniger – Just a game?

BA MEDIA & INTERACTION DESIGN

Mathias Liniger – Just a game?

with Pauline Saglio, Christophe Guignard, Alain Bellet, Gaël Hugo, Laura Nieder, Lara Défayes

Just a game? is an interactive project that explores how war video games contribute to the trivialization of violence through their game design. Why are weapons perceived as desirable objects? How do customization, visual and sound effects make the act of killing satisfying? What remains of a body after death in a video game?  And what does this say about our relationship to violence? In these games, nothing is left to chance: pleasure, oblivion, hostility — it's all a question of design. Through a series of classic combat scenes, this immersive documentary invites viewers to observe, question and understand the systems that transform war into a playful experience.
Betaverse – 2025

BA MEDIA & INTERACTION DESIGN

Betaverse – 2025

with Mario Von Rickenbach

Using a mixed reality headset, the students used their surroundings as playground. Through creative gestures, each experiment proposes a way of interacting with the environment.

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BA MEDIA & INTERACTION DESIGN
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