Mothlight Studios: Stepping out of the shadows and into the spotlight of national game development competition

An emerging indie game development studio – made up of students at the University of Northampton – has progressed to the next level of competitive UK flagship graduate game development competition, Tranzfuser.

Now in its tenth year, Tranzfuser supports emerging talent from across the UK to develop original game IP and build sustainable studios. This year’s competition saw a record number of applications, with only 21 teams selected nationwide.

Northampton’s representation through Mothlight Studios highlights the University’s continued commitment to nurturing entrepreneurial talent in the creative and digital sectors.

The full team taking on the challenge under Mothlight Studios is Director and Lead Character Artist Ben Green, Lead Programmer Kieran Goodall, Gameplay Programmer Rasmus Skeppstam, Lead Concept Artist Renwar Othman, and Lead Designer Elisa Pojaga.

They’ve conceptualised ‘Show Runners’, a fast-paced, rogue-lite competition game that combines skating, speedrunning, and trick-based gameplay in a dynamic, single-player experience. Players control Sasha, a skilled skater, who must navigate procedurally generated levels while performing tricks, defeating enemies, and racing against the clock to earn skill points.

Third-year Games Art student – as well as Director and Lead Character Artist – Ben Green explains: “We’re really pleased to progress to the next level of Tranzfuser – though this is where the real work begins!

“Visually, our game takes inspiration from titles like Jet Set Radio and Hi-Fi Rush, featuring a comic-book-inspired art style with vibrant, exaggerated animations, so fans of indie games and action-packed titles will find appeal in this game.

“Our team gravitated towards each other to establish Mothlight Studios through shared experiences working on placements, attending the same university and collaborating on team-based projects. Over time, our friendships have developed into a strong working relationship, supplemented by a balance of personalities and shared passions for learning and creating.

“The team dynamic has been built on trust in each other and our passions. The desire to build something meaningful as a group is important. Each brings different strengths and insights, allowing our creative process to thrive.”

Deborah Farley, Head of Foundership Development at UKGTF said: “These exciting graduate teams have already done so well to achieve a highly sought after place on Tranzfuser and should be incredibly proud of that, but the real hard work starts now!

“The next 14 weeks will see the teams work closely with their handpicked industry mentor, oftentimes these are game dev veterans from the UKGF portfolio of funded companies. The 21 teams will have the opportunity to work individually as teams in liaison with their local hub, but there will be lots of coming together around cohort-led activities. We cannot wait to get going with this year’s teams and to see where the weeks’ ahead take us!”

As the team prepares to take on the challenge, Ben reflects on the road ahead for him and has team: “We’re not just here to make a game, but rather to create with purpose, and to take the first step toward shaping our own careers. We’re passionate about creating something impactful and memorable – so expect the extraordinary.”

As a designated Tranzfuser Local Hub, University of Northampton’s Launchpad will provide the team with access to workspace, mentoring, and business development support throughout the summer.

The team will work independently to develop a playable snapshot of their game, which will be showcased to the public later this year.

Mothlight Studios displayed their design work alongside other students from a variety of courses from the Faculty of Arts, Science and Technology at this year’s Degree Show. This was open to the public from Thursday 19 to Tuesday 24 June at the University’s Waterside Campus.

Keep updated with the latest progress and development visuals from Mothlight Studios via their social media channels including LinkedIn, Discord and Itch.io.

Find out more about studying Games Programming, Games Design or Games Art at the University of Northampton.