Student-initiated creative and scholarly works are typically mentored by CM&BHC as supervised MFA thesis projects, MA Integrative Projects, CTIN491 Advanced Game Project, 490/590 Directed Research, doctoral dissertations, USC URAP/PURF awards (undergraduates), honors projects, and volunteer work. The intellectual property of student-initiated projects remains with the students (except when sponsored by a federal USC award). CM&BHC can help serve as a bridge to new markets, clinical or business partners, and provide study design assistance for formal evaluation after completion. Some projects have become commercialized, while others have been piloted in studies. Several were pivotal concepts to help propel the students' careers. We celebrate all of them in their entire journey, however short or long. Below are some projects that we have mentored and/or evaluated as part of research undertaken at the center. Many of these projects have publications associated with them, as well as numerous awards and press -- we are very proud of our students and can barely keep up with their accomplishments.
Partial list of student awards:
Cards of Heart: 2023 Sloan Game Development Award; Honorable Mention, Best Student Game 2025 Independent Games Festival; Gold Medal; 2025 International Serious Play Awards.
(val)iant: or val’s guide to having a broken vag: 2023 Games for Change Best Student Game Winner; Queer Games Festival 2023 Shortlist; USC Feminist Media Festival Finalist; Indiecade 2023 Impact Spotlight Award Nominee (MFA thesis game); 2022 Sloan Game Development Award; Official Selection,12th International Games and Playful Media Festival
WingWor: 2023 Games for Change Best Student Game Official Selection.
There You Are: 2022 Games for Change, Best Student Game, Amsterdam International Film Festival 2021 - Best Video Game, Urban Mediamakers Festival (UMF) 2021 - Best Game Winner, Moscow Russia International Film Festival - Best Video Game, 2021 SIEGE - Best Audio, 2021 Nordic Game Discovery Contest Season V Grands Final - Final Finalist, 2021 EVA PLAY DIGITAL - Best Art.
Alma: 2021 Brazil’s Independent Games (BIG) Festival Finalist for Best Diversity Game, Best Social Matters Game, and Best Student Game.
Scurry Along: A Soundtoy Experience, 2020 Tokyo Game Show Showcase.
Healing Spaces: 2019 Digital Dozen Breakthroughs in Storytelling Awards, Official Selection, Indiecade 2018; Top Idea, 2018 OpenIDEO Competition; 2020 Best Novelty paper award, PETRA Conference.
Ama’s Memento: Location Based and Live Play Award, Indiecade 2019; VR for Change Alcove Awards Finalist 2020.
Tracking Ida: Best Gameplay, 2017 Games for Change Awards.
Octobo: Finalist, Indie Prize Awards, Best Kids and Family Game & Most Innovative Game 2016; Finalist, Indiecade E3 2016; Finalist, Alt.Ctrl.GDC 2016; Finalist, LA Zine Fest 2016 PlayDate Game Show (commercially released).
Inner Activity: Finalist, Immersive Technologies, Walt Disney Company Innovation Award; Best in Show, Nvidia Platinum Prize, 2016 VRSC Festival.
Nevermind: Official Selection, 2016 Indiecade Arcade: Coast to Coast; Finalist, Indiecade 2015; Finalist, ACM SIGGRAPH 2013 Student Research Competition; Finalist, 2012 Serious Games Showcase and Challenge; Finalist, Best Technical Achievement, 2012 Unity Unite Awards; Finalist, Best Student Project, 2012 Unity Unite Awards. (commercially released)
Covalence: People’s Choice Award Winner, Educational Game Arcade, 2013 Annual Games+Learning+Society (GLS) Conference.
Virtual Sprouts: Winner, 1st Prize, Special Award by the USC Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy, USC 2013 Undergraduate Research Symposium.
Blowing Blues: Best Software Demo, 2013 Conference of the Entertainment Software and Cognitive Neurotherapeutics Society (ESCONS).
Team VISIONary: Finalist, 2011 Cornell Cup USA, Intel.
Trainer: Winner, 2010 Grand Prize & GE Healthimagination Award, Apps for Healthy Kids, USDA.
Healing Spaces is a smart platform that allows caregivers to transform spaces through light, color, sounds, and visuals, turning any environment into a place where older adults living with dementia can focus, engage and relax.
Ready Teddy is a VR tool that prepares kids for an MRI.
The Being Academy is a digital gymnasium for mental clarity, spiritual growth, and practical exercises to help believers live the very good life God created us for.
Shelldon provides an easily accessible, child-friendly tool for parents to quantitatively assess the child's development.
Inner Activity is a series of immersive, multi-sensory virtual reality experiences.
Soulfarer is a mixed reality game that innovates on the way shoulder pain rehabilitation is conducted for manual wheelchair users.
Tracking Ida is an educational alternate reality game about Ida B. Wells.
The Voice in the Garden is a narrative-based game using player's voice as the main input.
Trainer is a game inspired by Pokémon (Gameboy, Nintendo), Trainer gives Players the responsibility of caring for creatures who all have dietary and fitness needs.
‘Ama’s Momento’ is a mixed reality museum dedicated to Awu Chen's grandmother who dreams of building an art museum to preserve Taiwanese culture.
Octobo is an educational multi-sensory smart plush robot that enables development in an interactive environment.
Soundtoy is a multi-sensory training game designed to assist hard of hearing children in their journey to the auditory rehabilitation.
The Palimpsest Program was a high school program designed to signal belonging to all women of color and nonbinary individuals to study computer science in college.
Nevermind is a biofeedback-enhanced adventure thriller game that takes you into the dark and twisted world of the subconscious.
Blowing Blues is a breath-controlled artistically crafted interactive application that explores improving player's resilience in the face of life's stresses and worries.
Social Clues is a puzzle-adventure game for children with autism and developmental disabilities that teaches pragmatics and social skills.
Adventurous Dreaming High Flying Dragon is a Kinect-based set of mini games for kids with ADHD between ages 6-8.
Pluff is a plush sensor-filled toy that emotes through his own avatar to help teach social skills and empathy to children or provide companionship.
Student Poster Collection
