Inside the MICA Game Lab’s new home

The lobby of the new Dolphin Design Center on MICA’s campus was filled with games on Saturday afternoon – both on screens and tabletops.

On one level, MICA Game Lab’s Fall Arcade provided a look at what students are creating. As a screen flashed with the words “BUSTED,” Lci Iarocci showed us “Sticky Fingers.” The senior 3D modeler and game designer created the PC game with Ash Jurket, Zac Bolubasz and Will Pyle. It gives players license to steal art from the Guggenheim Museum for their own collection.
“It’s fun to be an art thief, it’s fun to fly around with grappling hooks and it’s fun to have sticky hands,” Iarocci said.
Things are changing around the game design program in Iarocci’s final year. For one, there’s now a Bachelor of Fine Arts in game design. And a few floors up from the demo area, the center houses a new space for the MICA Game Lab.

Along with Game Lab director Jason Corace, alum and Studio 2017 cofounder Karen Chang is also getting settled in as the manager of the space.

The Game Lab has multiple workspaces for students, and resources from board games to virtual reality. Plus, there’s a cabinet that appears to be straight from the arcade. We’ll be checking in at the end of the semester to see who has the high score.