From Pitch to Prototype: Concepting with Noroff Students
By John Hauge on 06/12/2025
The students were presented with briefs from various "clients," giving them the freedom to select a project to develop as if it were a real commercial assignment. I was thrilled when five separate groups chose to tackle my concept, giving me the opportunity to meet with each team multiple times. It was incredibly rewarding to witness their progress, creativity, and the unique directions in which they took the core idea.
The Pitch
The concept I presented was a survival-management game, structurally similar to titles like Frostpunk, but grounded in a realistic historical setting.
The Scenario: Players act as a harbormaster in a Norwegian coastal town during the 19th century. The core challenge revolves around managing the technological and social transition from wind-driven sails to motorized fishing boats.
In this post, I'll highlight some of the developed concepts.
Team 1: North Shore
The team produced a trailer that effectively introduces the setting, atmosphere, and core mechanics.
I was particularly impressed by the clarity of the presentation, which made it easy to grasp the game's premise and objectives immediately.
Credits:
Team 2: Minnehavnen
The team made a gritty and atmospheric trailer that effectively captures the essence of the game concept. They also maintained a high focus on art direction, combining animalistic character designs with a Norwegian-inspired coastal village setting.
"Tomorrow is a hope, never a promise..."
An impressive amount of work went into creating the environment, characters, and UI elements to bring the concept to life. The result was brilliantly presented in a well-paced trailer that effectively sparks interest in the game’s potential.
Credits:
- Adrian Jackobsen
- Ruben Førland Tveit
- Aaron
- Håvard
Team 3 : Death At Sea
Drawing inspiration from the perilous and unforgiving sea, the team created a stunning cinematic trailer. It effectively teases potential gameplay mechanics without revealing too much. This is a brilliant strategy to establish a cohesive visual direction for the game.
Credits:
Team 4 : Harbor
The team combined the 'Harbor' concept with mythical beings from Norwegian folklore. These creatures serve a dual purpose: they create immediate conflict, but also ground the narrative in the true origins of folklore, where monsters were often invented to explain real-world tragedies like sailors lost at sea. The team delivered a compelling concept, with thoughtful game design that clearly influenced the quality of the trailer
Credits:
- Natalie Johannesen
- Nicolas Johansen
- Andreas Steinum
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Team 5 : Norvegr
Staying true to the original vision, the team expanded on the pitch with innovative concepts and a stunning gameplay trailer.
Their work perfectly establishes the game's mood and visual target, specifically through the authentic design of a Norwegian fishing village and a new hero character.
Credits:
- Patryk_M
- Elieke Winterswijk
- Kjartan
- Alice
This experience was a blast, and I'm grateful for the students' hard work and fresh perspectives on the genre.