DATE & HOUR

Why Join?

Are you finishing high school and preparing to apply for the Game Design program?

This online session is designed for high school graduates who want to understand what makes a strong game design portfolio, how to present your ideas clearly, and how to receive practical feedback before submission.

Your portfolio will be reviewed by Gabriel Stancu, Lecturer at ECHO School and Head of Studio at Amber, who will offer guidance on how to improve your selection of work, structure your presentation, and highlight your design thinking.

Whether your portfolio includes game concepts, prototypes, level design work, mechanics, documentation, board games, narrative design, systems, or personal game projects, this is your opportunity to receive direct feedback and better understand what the Game Design program looks for in applicants.

Your Reviewer

Gabriel Stancu

Lecturer at ECHO School
Head of Studio at Amber

Gabriel is a lecturer at ECHO School and Head of Studio at Amber, with nearly 20 years of experience in game development.

He has worked across multiple genres and platforms, including roles at Electronic Arts on titles such as FIFA, Worms, and Command & Conquer. He was also involved in early free-to-play development and later led teams at Gameloft and Amber, where he built product teams and delivered original games.

His focus is on understanding why people play and turning that insight into engaging game experiences. Through this session, he will help applicants better communicate their ideas, design process, and potential as future game designers.

 What’s Inside the Session?

The session will take place online and will begin with a short group introduction, where students can share their interests, creative direction, and goals as future game designers.

After that, each applicant’s portfolio will be reviewed individually, while the rest of the group can observe and learn from the feedback. This format allows students to better understand common portfolio strengths, mistakes, and improvement opportunities.

During the review, Gabriel will give practical feedback on how to refine your portfolio, select your strongest work, and present your game design thinking more clearly.

 What You’ll Take Home:

• Personal Portfolio Feedback – Direct comments on your own work from an experienced game development professional
• Clear Improvement Steps – Practical suggestions on what to refine before submission
• Portfolio Structure Advice – How to choose, order, and present your strongest projects
• Game Design Guidance – Help with communicating mechanics, systems, player experience, and design decisions
• Program-Specific Insight – Understand what matters when applying to the Game Design program
• Peer Learning – Learn from the feedback given to other applicants and see how different portfolios are approached

Free Admission • Limited Seats

Reserve your spot and get direct feedback before applying to Game Design and Development.

This is your chance to better understand how to present your ideas, projects, and design process, and turn your portfolio into a stronger introduction to your skills, creativity, and potential.