THA Heads to Gamescom 2026

Gamescom is considered the world’s largest event for computer and video games and will bring together the international games industry and gaming community in Cologne from August 26 to 30, 2026. For the THA, the focus is primarily on up-and-coming developers: No fewer than four student teams will showcase their latest games and prototypes at the RAW TALENT joint booth. In 2026,

the RAW TALENT booth will be organized for the first time by the German Society for Game Sciences e. V., the academic professional association and advocacy group for game sciences in Germany. The booth is sponsored by MFG Medien- und Filmgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg, the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, and the Bayreuth University Association. The joint booth brings together students from 18 colleges and universities in Germany and other European countries, as well as Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland. In total, over 90 games will be presented. “gamescom is a great opportunity for our students to present their games to an international audience outside the university and receive direct feedback. There, they experience how their ideas are received by the gaming community and the industry. The fact that we are represented by four projects this year also demonstrates the wide range and high quality of game development taking place at THA,” says Prof. Jens Müller, Professor of Game Design and 3D Animation at the Technical University of Applied Sciences Augsburg.

The games were created as part of the Interactive Media degree program, with a focus on game development. 

Odonata Augmenta: Rogue Dragonfly: A Dragonfly Against the Alien Intelligence
In “Odonata Augmenta: Rogue Dragonfly,” a dragonfly becomes the last line of defense for its habitat: Aliens are stealing water from the pond to power their “Alien Intelligence.” In this 3D bullet hell game, the dragonfly uses captured alien technology to enhance its abilities and face ever-larger waves of enemies. The concept originated in the Game Development track of the master program in Interactive Media Systems at THA. The project is led by BENOBE Games, featuring Jake Best, Jan Nothacker, and Ben Berendes. The game is being developed using the open-source Godot engine; its release on Steam is currently scheduled for 2027.

"Inkorus" is an action-adventure game that takes players into a surreal world full of puzzles and unusual encounters. On their journey, players must solve tricky challenges, explore the environment, and help a mysterious new companion return to her true self. Inspired by the classic 3D Zelda titles, “Inkorus” was developed by Glass Sponge Studio—comprising Arthur Pautler, Vik Tisch, and Johanna Josephine Tobin—using the open-source Godot engine. The project builds on a semester-long project with Stefanie Brandes, Jason Hotchkiss, Rene Lukarski, Viktor Root, and Alina Tremer. The project was already on display in July at the student exhibition “Sichtraum 2026” at THA and is now taking the next step onto the international stage at Gamescom.

In “They Sent Us Both,” two players find themselves stranded together on an alien planet. Their mission: to save the planet from drying up and protect its inhabitants. This cooperative third-person game combines building and strategy elements with a central decision: should they work together to solve challenges, or pursue their own goals? The project is being developed by Crunchy Bunch Studios, a student team from THA. Crunchy Bunch Studios consists of Maximilian Fischer, Marita Mannert, Aday Rhawi, Janice Rosenthal, Saskia Wawatschek, and Corinna Wörle. The multiplayer game is being developed using Unreal and can be tried out as a demo at RAW TALENT.

Game development is an interdisciplinary field at THA, anchored between the Faculties of Design and Computer Science. In the bachelor program in Interactive Media, students can specialize in areas such as game art, level design, and game programming. In the master program in Interactive Media Systems, game development is a distinct field of study. Working in small interdisciplinary teams, students tackle both artistic and design-related as well as software-technical challenges—ranging from game design and virtual worlds to multiplayer systems and artificial intelligence, all the way to engine programming.