Davenport University students signed up for a course, got an unexpected assignment and wound up with a video game.

Long before David Krogmann became a programming professor at Davenport University, he was a video game-loving teenager with a lofty ambition: to create and release his own video games. For Krogmann, that dream has advanced one step closer to reality.

Krogmann and his student interns unveiled Ashlight: Undercroft to the public at a Beta Bash event, held on the W.A. Lettinga Grand Rapids Campus, in conjunction with the College of Technology and Tech Week Grand Rapids. The unique event invited members of the public to test out the game in exchange for their feedback.

Krogmann said the inspiration for his game came while he was playing the hugely popular Dungeons & Dragons game as a teenager. He began to develop his own game in 2018 and reached the Alpha stage within 12 weeks. However, after encountering a graphical issue, he set the project aside.

In January, Krogmann revisited the idea of bringing his mobile game to life while looking for a project for his game development course. It was the perfect way to expose his students and interns to meaningful and relevant work that would surpass the boundaries of a traditional homework assignment.

In January, he resolved the problem with the game and resumed development this past summer with the help of a former student. Within 12 weeks, the pair advanced the game from the Alpha stage to the Beta stage. He also established an independent game studio, Norfic Games, to provide Davenport students with an opportunity to gain real-world game development experience outside of the classroom.

“While the core mechanics were inspired by the academic assignment, the concept and story drew from a game world I created as a teenager while playing Dungeons & Dragons,” he said. “Over the years, I’ve continued to expand and refine that world, and it now serves as the setting for this project.”

According to Krogmann, the game is patterned after the Roguelike genre, known for procedurally generated content and challenging gameplay. In this type of game, players take on the role of a teenager forced into the Undercroft—a dangerous dungeon they must navigate and attempt to escape. Each playthrough is unique because the dungeon, items and encounters are all randomly generated.

Approximately 75 people, including members of the public and DU faculty and staff, turned out to test the game at the Beta Bash. Of those in attendance, 57 completed a beta test questionnaire, which will help guide the next phase. “The turnout exceeded my expectations, and overall the response was very positive,” said Krogmann. “The input we received from the beta testers will provide valuable insight into what the players enjoyed, areas that can be improved, and it even uncovered some bugs we weren’t aware of.”

Krogmann said the beta testing event provided a fun, hands-on experience while also generating valuable feedback for the project and showcasing the contributions of his student interns.

Recent Davenport computer science grad and intern Michael Willshire played a big role in the game’s creation. He took over where another intern left off and was in charge of handling documentation, bug fixes and adding desirable features.

“The game structure was there when I came on board,” he said. “I added new features and made sure everything was polished. It was a real challenge to work through some of the bugs and get the lighting just right, but that’s also what made the project so much fun.”

Eddie Oudbier, a senior from Wayland High School, was the first person to beat level one at the Beta Bash and won a custom game pad for his efforts. “I got lucky,” he said.

Beta testers Tate Temrowski enjoyed playing the game and liked the art style.

Beta tester Isaac Sietsema said the game was pretty fun and looks forward to playing it again when it launches.

So, what is next for Ashlight: Undercroft? Krogmann said he and his student interns will work to move the project from Beta to Gold, which will involve addressing bugs and refining the game in preparation for its release.

“I would love the game to be ready for release next year at this time so we can hold another event in conjunction with Tech Week,” said Krogmann. “It would be great to have participants play the updated version, compare it to the Beta version and even receive a copy of the game.”

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