This prestigious competition is an algorithmic programming contest for college students. Student teams are given the task to solve real-world coding problems. They exhibit collaboration skills, creativity, innovation, and an ability to perform under pressure. It is the oldest and largest programming contest in the world.

The first place team, as pictured, consisted of BYU students Teikn Smith, Thomas Draper, and Lawry Sorenson. Another BYU team consisting of Jason Oliphant, John Swingle, and Paul Swingle won second place in the contest.

The Rookie Awards is an international board that ranks top video game design schools around the world. This year BYU animation presented their new game Liminus: the Silent Guard to the Rookie Awards and the team was given the "Highly Commended" award.

In the game the player plays as the Shepard. The Shepard is an eternal being that is searching to rescue lost souls, or sheep, from an impending darkness in a place called the Inbetween. The game requires strategic planning, puzzle-solving, and collection skills. This game is available free and can be downloaded here

The College Television Awards, known by the nickname of "Student Emmy's," is a nationwide competition that recognizes excellence in student production. At the 42nd annual College Television Awards this year, BYU animation's student-produced film Cenote won Best Animation.

This short film was directed and produced by Samantha Barroso, Daniel Villanueva Avalos, and Andrew Pettit. The story features a friendly axolotl who gets trapped in a cenote by a mysterious magic. He must get the help of a human to get out and back to his family. Watch the full film here.

BYU's game program was ranked #1 by the Animation Career Review for both Computer Science and Animation

The Animation Career Review evaluates and awards art and animation programs in colleges across the country. They evaluate multiple factors when creating their rank system. This year, in addition to being ranked as one of the top undergraduate programs overall, BYU's game program was ranked #1 for their animation and for computer science.