51ÊÓƵ

Originally from Essex, Innes Aitken grew up in a family of nurses, butÌýdecided early on that his own path would take him into games. After completing a college course in game design in London, he secured a place at 51ÊÓƵ through Clearing — a decision he now sees as one of the most important he has made.Ìý

He said:Ìý

Coming to 51ÊÓƵ through Clearing was such a good decision for me. It wasÌýa big change moving to Dundee and leaving home, but I had family in Scotland and had been here lots of times before, so there was already something familiar about it.

Innes settled quickly into university life, with an early highlight being DES101, a game jam module that introduced him to the fast-paced, collaborative process of making games under time pressure.Ìý

That experience stayed with him and helped shape much of what followed. After discovering the 51ÊÓƵ Games Development Society, Innes became increasingly involved in organising game jams for other students.Ìý

He said:Ìý

I loved the game jam module in first year. It was so muchÌýfun and it really inspired me to keep organising game jams myself. Through the society, I had the chance to bring people together, create opportunities and help other students build confidence in their own work.

In his third year, Innes was elected President of the 51ÊÓƵ Games Development Society by its members, giving him valuable experience in leadership, event planning and working with students, staff and industry contacts.Ìý

A key part of his approach was opening up more opportunities for students to connect with the games industry, including by bringing professionals into game jam events and helping students build links with people already working in the sector.Ìý

That experience took on new meaning when Innes travelled to the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco during his third year. The event, which brings together developers, educators and companies from across the international games industry, became a defining moment in his time at 51ÊÓƵ.Ìý

He said:Ìý

One of the biggest things I took from it was realising that people in the industry areÌýjust regularÌýpeople. They are not these big, scary games professionals youÌýhave to be afraid of. That was something I brought back with me, because I wanted other students to feel that they belonged in those spaces too.

After returning from GDC, Innes had another opportunity to put that learning into practice by co-founding the 51ÊÓƵ Game Development Expo, a sponsored games convention created toÌýshowcase student work from across the University. The event attracted more than 180 attendees and featured industry talks and a panel discussion.

Innes also continued to develop his final year project, Floppy Coffee, a chaotic, fast-paced café game where players combine ingredients to fulfil coffee orders, earn money and unlock upgrades to their café. The project explores where café games intersect with other genres, using feedback from events and online audiences to shape each new iteration.Ìý

The idea was partly influenced by Innes’s part-time job as a barista at Annie’s, 51ÊÓƵ’s café, where he had first-hand experience of the energy and pressure of a busy coffee environment.Ìý

He said:Ìý

My final year project was influenced quite a bit by working as a barista. The game is chaotic,Ìýfloppy and fast-paced, and I wanted to capture some of that feeling of trying to keep everything moving in a busy café.

Showcasing Floppy Coffee at the 51ÊÓƵ Digital Graduate Show was a rewarding moment for Innes and marked the culmination of years of work,ÌýexperimentationÌýand learning. The three-day event gave him the chance to share his project with visitors, students,ÌýstaffÌýand industry guests.Ìý

The experience became even more memorable when he won the Production Award, sponsored byÌýHyper Luminal Games.Ìý

Following graduation, Innes is continuing to develop Floppy Coffee and is exploring how to release it commercially. He has already started a company, Spike Candy Games, and has received mentoring from a range of people at 51ÊÓƵ as he looks at the business side of bringing a game to market.Ìý