FOUNDER OF INTUITION GAMES VIDEO GAME COMPANY
Major and graduation year: Computer Engineering, BS ’07
Location: Ames, Iowa
An unlikely opportunity: Alumnus Mike Boxleiter never imagined he would meet his future business partner, graphic designer Greg Wohlwend, in an experimental game development course at college. The two also crossed paths when they worked at the Virtual Reality Applications Center, where they realized they had similar interests and career aspirations. After graduating, they founded Intuition Games, a video game company located at the ISU Research Park in Ames.
Big debut: Boxleiter’s first video game, Dinowaurs, was launched in 2009. “The game is a one-on-one strategy/action game. Each player controls a dinosaur that they choose and equip from a host of options,” Boxleiter says. “The game world is presented as a flat side-scrolling environment with caveman villages dotting the landscape. The goal of the game is to capture those villages from your opponent and use the resources the villagers provide to equip your dino with more explosive and insane weaponry until you have defeated the opponent’s dino in combat.”
Fun and games: More recently, Boxleiter’s company released a new game, Solipskier, which is available for purchase in the iTunes App Store. “Solipskier is an unconventional skiing game which allows the player to control the slopes they are skiing down,” Boxleiter says. “You also have to try to direct the skier through various slalom-style gates to keep your score and speed increasing. Players can compete for high scores online, and many of our players have already far outpaced our own scores.”
The entrepreneurial life: Although Boxleiter acknowledges that despite a few downsides to owning his own business, such as the lack of a mentor to provide guidance, he truly enjoys the advantages, such as having the freedom and challenges of finding his own path. “Owning your work and knowing every choice you make determines your future is pretty incredible,” says Boxleiter.