Cedarville Graduate Wins Best in Show at Cleveland Gaming Classic

In an business the place indie builders spend years constructing a single recreation, a Cedarville University graduate and his crew earned a serious payoff. Their recreation, “The Violets of Amicus,” received Best in Show at the 2025 Cleveland Gaming Classic. 

Dan Jewett Leads Award-Winning Indie Game Team 

Dan Jewett, a 2011 graduate, was lead developer of the profitable recreation by the six-member Creation Mode Studios crew. The Cleveland Gaming Classic was held Sept. 19-21 on the I-X Center. 

Presenting the free demo on the conference have been Jewett and story author Kennedy Jewett. 

The recreation attracts inspiration from the design of “The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past” and enemy mechanics of “Agar.io.” The recreation options a big, immersive world, difficult gameplay and a story centered on decisions and penalties. 

Best in Show Win: Years of Game Development Pay Off 

When “The Violets of Amicus” received Best in Show, it was greater than a reward for years of improvement; it was a success of a childhood dream. 

“The first time I played a video game as a kid, I knew I wanted to make them, not just play them,” mentioned Jewett. “I used to draw Mario levels on old, perforated computer paper and then ‘play’ through them with a pencil.” 

Building an Indie Game: Programming Challenges, Limited Tools and Funding Constraints 

Jewett’s journey into recreation improvement has not been with out challenges. He navigated new programming languages, restricted software program instruments and monetary constraints whereas constructing the mission. He mentioned his pc science schooling at Cedarville sharpened each his technical self-discipline and inventive considering. 

“I came into Cedarville thinking I knew it all when it came to programming — I was self-taught. I quickly learned I had a lot of bad habits that needed retraining,” mentioned Jewett. “Understanding fundamentals made me a much better programmer, and taking creative courses like computer animation helped improve my game designs.” 

The mission grew from a nights-and-weekends concept into a bigger manufacturing, with Jewett including collaborators as improvement progressed. 

“We started in 2018 and hired an artist to help in 2021 with a composer around the same time,” Jewett mentioned, “and I’ve now started working on it mostly full time.” 

“The Violets of Amicus” Demo: Four- to Six-Hour Gameplay Experience 

Now, after years of improvement, “The Violets of Amicus” is gaining traction with gamers. 

“’The Violets of Amicus’ stands out for its sense of scale and polish,” mentioned Jewett. “Our demo alone is a four- to six-hour experience — longer than some full-length games. The people who played it at the Cleveland Gaming Classic could see the direction and vision for what this game could become.” 

Play the Demo on Steam: Early Look at “The Violets of Amicus” 

A playable demo of “The Violets of Amicus” is out there on the gaming platform Steam, providing gamers an early take a look at the sport’s expansive world. 

For Jewett, the award was not an endpoint however a starting. “The Violets of Amicus” crew continues refining and selling the sport, working towards full funding and eventual launch. 

For a developer who as soon as sketched imaginary recreation ranges on pc paper, the long run now features a recreation acknowledged for its ambition and depth — and a rising viewers desperate to see what comes subsequent.  

About Cedarville University 

Cedarville University, an evangelical Christian establishment in southwest Ohio, provides undergraduate and graduate residential and on-line applications throughout arts, sciences {and professional} fields. With 7,265 college students, it’s amongst Ohio’s largest non-public universities and is ranked among the many nation’s high 5 evangelical universities within the Wall Street Journal’s 2026 Best Colleges within the U.S. Cedarville can also be recognized for its vibrant Christian group, difficult lecturers and excessive commencement and retention charges. Learn extra at cedarville.edu.