Maxi Boch

Maxi Boch is an Associate Arts Professor in game design at the NYU Game Center, teaching courses such as Visual Lab, Capstone I, and Game Studio. A graduate of Harvard University (Visual and Environmental Studies), they transitioned from hardware design at Harmonix Music Systems to leading game design projects like Dance Central and Fantasia: Music Evolved. Their work integrates music, dance, and technology, with notable collaborations with Disney and contributions to Beat Sports for Apple TV.

Education:
Harvard University, B.A. in Visual and Environmental Studies (Thesis: custom-built arcade cabinets for art-oriented video games).

Research Interests: Focus on interdisciplinary game design, blending music/dance mechanics with narrative-driven experiences. Advocates for inclusive game development practices, reflected in presentations at the Queerness and Games Conference and Nordic Game Conference. Active in independent game exhibitions (MOMA, Indiecade).

Grants & Projects: Contributed to Sloan Grant-winning projects Bloomsome (2024) and Audionaut (2025). Directed over 100 developers for Fantasia: Music Evolved. Maintains creative projects like anigif, producing video game remixes.

Labs/Teams: Central to NYU Game Center's academic programs, fostering experimental game design through courses and playtest events.