Mission Complete as FIEA Students Launch their Games for the Cohort 21 Capstone Presentations
After months of collaborative designing, testing, and developing Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy students unveil their final games, showcasing creativity and leadership.
Written by: Emily Dougherty | Published: August 18, 2025
Photo by: Nitin Bakshi
The Nicholson School of Communication and Media’s nationally and globally ranked Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy (FIEA) recently hosted its Cohort 21 Capstone Presentations. This event is the culmination of a year-long “Capstone” for graduate students in the program to showcase original video games, bringing their creations to life in front of a live audience.
FIEA’s Capstone is a unique milestone in the program, providing an opportunity for groups of around 20 students to work together to design, build, and release their own original game over the course of two to three semesters. Each team is comprised of many leadership roles such as project lead, development director, art lead, and others, as required. These roles are similar to the gaming industry, giving students a taste of game development careers and equipping them with experience to succeed after graduation.
Morgan Schafer, a student pursuing an interactive entertainment degree in the project management track, and her team created Punk Rock Exorcist, a game about a teenage girl whose partner is kidnapped by a demon. Players aim to fight their way through high school to rescue the character.
Schafer says she is especially proud of the final boss fight, a complex technical challenge that brought the team together.
“He’s this giant guy with half his waist cut off, four arms in the air, and he follows you around and tries to slam on you,” Schafer says. “It was a technical wonder, and I’m really impressed we were able to get it working.”
Photo by: Nitin Bakshi
Schafer says none of this would be possible without the glowing recommendation from her friend to apply to FIEA.
My best friend used to tell me amazing stories about her experience here,” Schafer says. “She says she had the best time collaborating with her team, and it helped me decide that I really wanted to be a part of this myself.”
Hannah Papa, a student pursuing an interactive entertainment degree in the project management track, says they came to FIEA with bachelors in character animation from UCF. Even with a background in art, Papa wanted to pursue the project management track after working in a simulated studio environment, which inspired them to refine their leadership skills.
“This program was the perfect way to go more in depth with game development,” Papa says. “From my undergraduate experience, I already knew I loved working on a team, but here I was able to really step into that leadership role and learn how to guide a project from start to finish.”
Photo by: Nitin Bakshi
Husk Planet is the resulting game from Papa’s group, which uses deductive reasoning through language puzzles that challenge players to decode glyphs using clues. Papa says creating a puzzle game from start to finish was a rare and rewarding challenge, and the biggest takeaway is the importance of relationships to foster collaboration.
“Community is everything,” Papa says. “The impressions you make on people and the impressions they make on you will follow you everywhere, so making really good connections and learning how to work on a team is incredibly helpful.”
Zakhar Sheyko, a student pursuing an interactive entertainment degree in the project management track, says video games have been a part of life from an early age when he was growing up in Russia. FIEA’s reputation and emphasis on collaboration attracted Sheyko to pursue the program.
“FIEA is one of the best places to gain experience working on a team,” Sheyko says. “You are given a rare chance to learn so many things outside of your own track through this Capstone project, and it’s something you just can’t get working alone.”
Photo by: Nitin Bakshi
His game, Dillo’s Dilemma, is a 3D platformer film game that combines building mechanics with exploration and stars an armadillo named Dillo who has to fight off Tack, the devious rat king.
“I’m proud that every element flows naturally, the art and gameplay feel like they belong together, and my team was eager to make the game as good as possible,” Sheyko says. “That eagerness was the most valuable part for me.”
For Avery Hart, a graduate student pursuing an interactive entertainment master’s degree in the project management track, her journey to FIEA was a whim of chance. After earning a bachelor’s degree in visual arts from the University of Florida, she moved to Austin, Texas to start her career. Though she did not have a background in game design, she wanted to pursue a career in game production and applied to FIEA. She shares her joy in receiving this opportunity and moving back to Florida to pursue her education.
“It was the best feeling of my life,” Hart says. “I had always wanted to go into game production, and I knew I would regret it if I never even tried.”
Hart and her team developed Crimson Knight, which she says was inspired by hardcore subgenres of video gaming. She said she is particularly proud of the auditory aspects of the game, which included original music composed by students in North Carolina, and voice acting from UCF’s own theatre students.
Photo by: Nitin Bakshi
“It was such an incredible, collaborative effort with people from other schools, cohorts, and friends—that was the best part,” Hart says. “It’s amazing to see how many people wanted to be part of this game.”
Hart says collaboration is most effective when students are willing to listen, adapt, and embrace change.
“I’ve learned that it’s best to leave your ego at the door and be prepared for change,” Hart says. “It’s more rewarding to build something together than to try and bulldoze your own vision through.”
For fellow Knights who are curious about taking the next step in their education, Sheyko shares advice.
“My advice is to be a sponge — consume as much as you can, learn from everyone, and build friendships,” Sheyko says. “Don’t waste time on small conflicts because the memories you make here will last for a lifetime.”
FIEA is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, marking two decades of innovation in game development education. Learn more and register for the event at https://fiea.ucf.edu/20years/.