CCIS students clinch 3rd spot at nat’l DOST gamedev challenge
By Divina Grace Eugenio, STRATCOM Correspondent
Three student game developers from the College of Computing and Information Sciences (CCIS) secured the 3rd spot in the Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST) Level Up 2.0 Esports Game Development Challenge at SM City Laoag on November 20.
Competing as 𝐒-𝐍𝐲𝐱 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨s, team members Jansen Baloaloa, Michael Ryann Luen Velasco, Clinton Wayne Visaya, and Gabriel Jerickson Galapin developed 𝘉𝘈𝘕𝘎𝘚𝘈𝘒: 𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘙𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨, a modern and playful reinterpretation of the traditional Filipino hide-and-seek street game, 𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘴𝘢𝘬.
The game allows hiders to collaborate and outsmart a lone seeker as rising water gradually engulfs the neighborhood. Its 2D map draws inspiration from Laoag City, transforming plazas, narrow alleyways, farm tracks, and the iconic bell tower into strategic hiding spots, ambush points, and inventive trap locations. Players can also customize their characters with Filipino-themed outfits, adding cultural flair.
Now in its second year, DOST’s Level Up: Esports Game Dev Challenge continues to support Filipino creativity and innovation in gaming and esports. After the success of its first run, this year’s competition offered even more opportunities for aspiring developers to show their talent, try new technologies, and create games that highlight quality, originality, and positive social impact.
Through this initiative, DOST showed its continued commitment to growing the country’s game development and esports community while inspiring the next generation of Filipino innovators.
The Level Up 2.0 Esports Game Development Challenge forms part of the Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST) 2025 National Science, Technology, and Innovation Week (NSTW) held on November 18-21.
College of Computing and Information Sciences
Nov, 26, 2025 08:20:am
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STRATCOM
