2026 REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!

If you’re interested in making the most out of your summer, register soon. Space is limited!

Champlain College, ranked Top 10 in the country for Game Design, offers intensive residential programs for high school students looking to explore or expand their knowledge of the world of game development. Both Academies utilize the methods of our highly acclaimed Game Studio and are taught by our own industry-expert faculty. Using the most current technology and modeled after the most successful game studios, these Academies offer an ideal setting in which to study game development in a hands-on, collaborative environment.

Champlain Game Academy

Level Up Your Summer at the Champlain Game Academy

Step into the world of game development and see what it’s really like to study at the college level. The Champlain Game Academy gives high school students (grades 10–12) and recent graduates the chance to dive into the fast-paced, collaborative world of game creation—just like the pros do.

Modeled after Champlain’s nationally recognized Game Studio, the Academy emphasizes hands-on teamwork. As a student here, you will explore every corner of the industry, including:

• Game Art & Animation
• Design & Narrative
• Programming
• Production Management
• Business & Testing
• Sound Design

Then, under the guidance of professors and industry veterans, you’ll sharpen your skills in areas that excite you most. Working together, you and your team will bring an original game concept to life using industry-standard tools like Maya, Unity, and C#.

By the end of the Academy, you’ll:

• Understand how professional dev teams really operate
• Create a playable prototype to showcase in a college application portfolio
• Gain firsthand experience of what it’s like to study game development in college and live on campus

By the end of this program, students will have an understanding of the behind-the-scenes operations of the world’s professional game studios, a game prototype that can be used in a portfolio for college applications, and first-hand experience of what it will be like to study game development in college.

Champlain Game Academy is perfect for:

• Students entering grades 10–12 or recent graduates heading to college
• Gamers and creators curious about what it takes to make games
• Future developers who want a head start on their college journey

Your summer mission: Build a game. Build your future.

Indie Game Studio at Champlain

Build Worlds. Build Your Studio.

The Indie Game Studio immerses students ages 16–19 (entering grade 11 through the first year of college) in the environment of a real game studio. Designed for students with prior experience in Unity, Unreal, or 3-D modeling software like Maya or Blender, this program builds on existing skills while introducing the teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving that define indie development.

Students dive into the indie development cycle, tackling concept creation, rapid prototyping, iterative critique, and pitching. Every session mirrors a real studio environment, with hands-on production, cross-role collaboration, and team feedback. The program culminates in a professional-style game pitch, where students present their creative vision alongside a playable prototype to share with friends and family.

By the end of the Academy, students will gain:

• A realistic understanding of how indie studios operate
• A team-built prototype to showcase in a college-application portfolio
• First-hand experience of the creativity and collaboration at the heart of game development

The Indie Game Studio is designed for:

• Students ages 16–19 with prior game development or 3-D modeling experience
• Alumni of the Champlain Game Academy who are ready for the next challenge
• Students interested in exploring the indie side of game development in college

The Indie Game Studio: where creativity and collaboration power the next generation of indie game makers.