Game Design students showcase their work during Dragons Den

On 25 April 2025 at 13.00 hours, game-loving Eindhoven will gather in the Fontys ICT Innovationlab at Strijp TQ. In-house game studio Dogfood will organise the midterm event ‘Dragons Den’, in which students present their game concepts to a panel of industry experts. And for good reason: it gives students important validation from the game industry.

Pitching to the industry

Teague Murray Marshall organises the Dragons Den with his colleagues and emphasises the importance of such an event: ‘The game industry can be very intense, and finding a place in it is difficult. By creating a situation in which students pitch to industry professionals, we create a situation in which they practice with that pressure. It forces them to think carefully about their product and to apply their professional skills.’ The students are critically questioned by people with backgrounds in game development and production, but also by people with a Business, Investment, Business or Marketing background: ’That makes it very exciting, but also educational because you get to hear so many perspectives. But this validation from the industry also lends legitimacy to what you are doing. It is also a lot of fun, because after the sharp feedback, we also get to eat pizza together and play cool games.’

Murray Marshall explains that the event is an important tool for the game development team: ‘The game industry is relatively small in the Netherlands, but a very specific world. So this event is also important for our network and provides students with important connections for their future.’

Dogfood Studios

Dragons Den is an initiative of Dogfood Studios, an internal game studio specifically set up to make the road to the industry easier, says co-founder Dennis Kirsch: ‘We want to give students a good start in the industry and through this studio we can offer assignments, but also support them in starting their own game studio. Of course, there is more to it than just game technology, so we offer them a safe environment in which to start.’ Internship posts are difficult to find for game design students, emphasises Murray Marshall: ’The game industry in the Netherlands is relatively small, but it remains a separate, hectic world. So, through Dogfood and Dragons Den, we hope to build up a network in that industry.’

This network is important for the study programme, but also for the students, Kirsch agrees: ‘It enables us to give the students a good start in that industry, but it also makes it easier for us to secure long-term projects and to collaborate on research into game development. Hopefully Dogfood Studios will also enable us to market our own titles in the future.’

Gamification and user experience

Anyone who thinks that game design is a niche that only focuses on the entertainment branch is wrong. Gamification is an important component of user experience, whether it concerns educational software or app design. Kirsch: ‘The most important underlying idea in game design is that you are making something “fun”, and game design elements can be seen in almost all online interactions. Think of a progress bar when you fill in your insurance details, or the way language software keeps you going. But we are also seeing more and more serious games being used for training situations. The ‘Honeybee’ project for the Ministry of Defence is a good example of this. This ‘game’ is a training tool that military drone operators can use to practice their skills. This project surprised the jury at a previous Dragons‘ Den.’

Open event for game enthusiasts

Marshall and Kirsch also promise many surprising projects for the next edition and both hope that the event will continue to grow. Murray Marshall: ‘It's serious, of course, but above all it's also a lot of fun. The event is open to visitors, so everyone is welcome to see what the up-and-coming talent has to offer.’ Whether it's industry veterans or students with a passion for game design, Kirsch hopes that the Dragons Den will continue to grow: ‘Above all, we want to bring industry, talent and education together. There aren't many opportunities like this yet, but every year the event grows further into a gathering for the industry.’

Want to be there? You can apply via the link. Dragons Den will take place at the Strijp TQ location in Eindhoven, in the Fontys ICT InnnovationLab on 25 April 2025.

Register here!