Stamping-out stereotypes and shooting for the stars: Games Designer Elisa sets out her vision for the future

From the sunny streets of Milan to the cobbled streets of Northampton, one international student at the University of Northampton has been reflecting on her unique study experience.

After flying 1,000 miles from her hometown near Lake Maggiore in Italy to study Games Design at the University of Northampton, third-year student Elisa Pojaga is looking forward to showcasing her three years of hard work at this year’s Degree Show.

For her final major project, Elisa has crafted a narrative-based adventure demo game set in Medieval England – light on instruction and direction, but heavy on inviting players to explore and immerse themselves in the virtual world she has created.

“I have a real passion for detail within games, and I spent so much time producing and modelling everything from the narrative story and art to the visuals, audio and user interface,” Elisa said. “Everything I wanted to achieve, I managed to achieve, so I’m very proud of myself.

“I will have my full demo game on display at the Degree Show, and I can’t wait to see people having a go, being curious and enjoying the final game.”

Since studying at the University of Northampton, Elisa has grabbed every opportunity available to her to level-up her industry experience and ensure she hits the ground running after graduation.

Throughout the last year, Elisa has taken part in each of the University’s bi-annual Game Jams, securing an award for ‘Most Intuitive Game’ for a top-down fishing game she developed using innovative controller, ‘Rexy Wheels’.

Most recently, Elisa has taken on the role of Lead Game Designer for a recent partnership between Goblin Games and West Northamptonshire Council (WNC), which commissioned the talented team to deliver a purpose-built arcade machine – accompanied by four mini games designed specifically for the event – as part of their build-up to the Women’s Rugby World Cup in August 2025.

As well as facing challenges and conquering her fears as an international student, Elisa credits her determination and fearlessness with not allowing her genetic visual impairment – tubular vision which leaves her with only 4% of her sight – to get in the way of her ambitions for a career within the industry.

“I started losing my vision at age 12, and my peripheral vision has continued to slowly fade away since then,” explains Elisa. “Since I was young, I’ve always been told what I can and can’t achieve – but I refuse to listen, and am committed to not proving others wrong, but proving myself right.

“I will succeed with gaming as a profession, and I see the positives where others may see negatives. I have a unique ability to understand the importance of accessibility when designing games, which translates to a better gaming experience for everyone.

“Many industry companies often think of accessibility as an afterthought, adding in a necessary setting or two, however I think of the bigger picture and settings otherwise ignored. It’s important to me, so it’s important to others, and important for the whole gaming community.”

As the Degree Show approaches and Elisa looks to the future, her advice for fellow aspiring game designers would be: “Follow your passion, be creative, and be kind to yourself.

“I took a leap of faith and moved to a new country, surrounded myself with a new culture and language, and learnt to study on an entirely unfamiliar campus – and I loved it so much, I would start my first year of study all over again.

“I feel I’ve been ‘myself’ more at UON than I ever realised I could be – all because I saw an opportunity and took it. To anyone considering something similar, don’t hold yourself back. Jump right in!”

Elisa’s work will be featured alongside other students from a variety of courses from the Faculty of Arts, Science and Technology at this year’s Degree Show. This will be running from Thursday 19 to Tuesday 24 June at the University’s Waterside Campus.

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