RETROSPECTIVE: THE BLOB
De Blob is a student game, but not just any student game. Made by a group of talented students, the game was released in 2005 and came out at a pivotal moment in (Dutch) gaming history. In 2025, the game was acquired by the Netherlands Institute of Sound & Vision as part of their games collection. In this panel, the creators of The Blob will share their insights and lessons, unwrapping what made this game so special.
Being able to study games in 2026 was a novelty. De Blob is one of the earlier student projects made at the HKU. Digital distribution was still something relatively new, just as easy accessible tools for game developers. A burgeoning indie scene was forming and this game is one of its prime examples. Developed as a serious game for the City of Utrecht, its entertaining design was of such potential that it got picked up by THQ for release and got a sequel in 2011.
The team of students that made De Blob went on to have careers of their own. Among others, they formed the Dutch studio Ronimo Games, known for Swords & Soldiers and Awesomenauts.
JP van Seventer, tutor for De Blob-project at HKU, is also known for being the director of the Dutch Game Garden, incubator and home for many Dutch game talent and studios.
Farhang Namdar is a world building director at Larian Studios.
The panel is moderated by Wytze Koppelman, who’s a curator for games at the Netherlands Institute for Sound & Vision.