When Kaeden Green, BFA Game Arts ’26, first began searching for a game design program, she knew she wanted a school where she could build a strong creative portfolio, live in a city connected to the entertainment industry, and continue competing in track and field.
Pratt Institute offered all three.
Now in her final year in Pratt’s Game Arts program, Green is developing a tabletop card game for her senior capstone project. She’s also exploring the art of visual storytelling in virtual games while preparing for a career in character design. Along the way, she has balanced studio work, athletic training, internships, and the excitement of being in New York City.
“The connections I have made with other people in the program probably changed me the most,” Green said. “I have to brag and say that game artists are some of the nicest, most understanding people I’ve surrounded myself with ever. They taught me a lot about being kind to myself and they also have a lot of work ethic. Seeing their work in class really pushes you to do better.”
Finding the Right Fit
Green grew up in Maine before starting college in New England. After a year, she began looking for a program that better fit her goals.
“I was looking to get into a game design program, specifically on the East Coast, and there aren’t a lot of options,” she said. “Pratt really stood out on the list. I felt like I needed to be at a slightly more established school. The overall vibe was very portfolio-based, and the school had a strong reputation.”
Pratt also offered something important to her outside the classroom: the opportunity to continue competing in track and field. “Having an indoor track and recreational space was really important,” she said.
Moving from Maine to Brooklyn required some adjustment.
“Going from Maine, which is just trees, to New York City was a lot,” Green said. “Having a campus here was a good bubble for me and making friends really helped me get outside of that. And working as a student ambassador for Admissions introduced me to people from all different majors who have invited me to theater productions, drag shows, film set-ups, and so much more.”
Building Games Through Art
In the Game Arts program, Green has gravitated toward the visual side of game design. While the curriculum includes both technical and programming elements, from 3D modeling to coding, she is particularly drawn to illustration, concept art, and character design.
She often integrates 3D modeling techniques into her illustration work, using them to develop character concepts and iterate on visual ideas. One class that left a lasting impact was a course in game theory, which examines how designers guide players through mechanics and environments.
“It’s about understanding how to guide players,” she said. “Instead of explicitly telling someone what to do, you can guide them through visuals.”
The approach is something she hopes to carry into her professional career.
“I aspire to be a character designer,” she said. “Games like Overwatch have really inspired me because they combine strong narrative and character design with fast-paced gameplay.”
In the recently renovated Game Arts facilities, Green appreciates the additional technology, equipment, and resources. “I love the new spaces in Myrtle Hall,” she said. “It’s so great to have a communal area for such a collaborative major.”
For her senior thesis, Green is working with Meg Donohoe, BFA Game Arts ’26, to develop DreamWalkers, a tabletop card game designed to spark collaborative storytelling. Inspired by tabletop RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons and narrative-driven games like Mafia and 12 Candles, the project encourages players to interpret the meaning of each card and build a shared narrative as they play.
“Every time we playtest, we ask players what the narrative could be,” Green said. “The cards are a way to prompt the player to create a story.”
The project has also given her insight into how designers teach players to interact with games.
“When we tutorialize players, when we teach them mechanics, we try to rely less on text and more on visual cues,” she said.
Learning Beyond the Classroom
Green has also explored how game design thinking can apply outside the entertainment industry. During an internship at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works near her hometown, she worked on a project using augmented reality to help workers visualize construction plans for navy ships.
“Instead of getting hand-drawn instructions, workers could hold up an iPad and see the design placed directly onto the space they were building,” she said.
Experiences like that reinforced how versatile game design skills can be.
“Coding and game design philosophy can apply to a lot of different jobs,” Green said.
At Pratt, she has also connected with the wider game development community through events like MAGfest and PlayNYC, where students from different schools share projects and critique each other’s work.
For part of her time at Pratt, Green also balanced her studio workload with athletics as a member of the Pratt track and field team.
“I’ve been doing track since I was eight years old,” she said. “So I didn’t want to let it go. And I would say that competing on the team gave me a lot of discipline.”
Although she stepped away from the team during her senior year to focus on her thesis project, she valued the chance to compete at the collegiate level and was chosen as the 2025 Atlantic East Conference Field Athlete of the Year.
“I always find people at track meets to be so kind,” she said. “Even though it’s an individual sport, you still feel like you’re part of a team.”
Green encourages incoming students, especially transfers, to focus on building connections.
“Make friends on campus,” she said. “They’ll introduce you to events and experiences you might not have known about.”
Sometimes those moments are simple ones. During the busiest weeks of the semester, Green and her friends often gather on Pratt’s main lawn between classes.
“Going out on the lawn and eating lunch or lying on your back and soaking up the sun is definitely a perk,” she said, noting the beauty of the cherry blossoms and how the rose garden hosts events like Spring Fest and Fall Fest. “It’s so amazing to have a green space in New York City.”