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After graduation, I hope to become a content and mechanics designer in commercial games or applied games, where I can utilise my skills to create engaging experiences. In the long run, my goal is to achieve a significant game credit and give back to the people and initiatives that helped me break into the industryHarry Petch | Abertay University | BA (Hons) Game Design and Production
From a young age, Harry Petch showed a remarkable talent for game design. At just 14, he took his first steps in the industry by entering his first-ever game prototype into the BAFTA Young Game Designers competition, where he earned a nomination in the age 10-14 Game Making Award.
At the awards ceremony, Harry had the chance to talk to Abertay alumni and students, who shared their positive experiences about their time at the university. As he went on to ask for advice from professionals in the game industry, including producers, designers, and hiring managers, he found that Abertay's name kept coming up as the gold standard for game education.
Harry said:
This validation from multiple sources made me realise that Abertay was the right choice for me. So, I made the bold decision to leave my native Kent and relocate 500 miles to Dundee. Moving was daunting at first, but the university had great resources that supported me every step of the way. Dundee as a city welcomed me in, and I’m happy to now be a proper Dundonian with no plans to leave any time soon!
During his second year, Harry created Net Carbon, a game that addressed the issues of climate change and sustainability. The game's impact was felt globally, as it was featured at COP26 in Glasgow and played by individuals such as the United Nation's President and William, Prince of Wales. Building on this momentum, Harry went on to work on The Healing Tree, a game that promotes mindfulness and trauma therapy, which earned a bronze award at the International Serious Play Awards.
In his final year, Harry pushed the boundaries of innovative game design with Sight Unseen, a VR experience that explored stereoscopic vision in action game mechanics. The game made a lasting impression at Abertay’s Digital Graduate Show, taking home the prestigious Outplay Entertainment Gameplay and Systems award.
Harry is now further developing Sight Unseen with a team of friends under the banner Pretty Interesting Experiences, with the team named as a finalist in Dare Academy 2024, the University’s annual video games design competition.
