One of DigiPen’s most famous student creations, Narbacular Drop is a 3D puzzler starring Princess “No-Knees.” Using two interconnected portals she can place on walls, ceilings and the floor, she must navigate her way through a sentient dungeon named Wally.
During DigiPen’s career day, some representatives from Valve came to DigiPen to see what the students had to show. When they saw Narbacular Drop, they invited the team to present the game at Valve’s headquarters, where, unbeknownst to the students, Valve co-founder Gabe Newell would be sitting in the audience. After their presentation, Newell offered to hire the entire development team on the spot to recreate the game using Valve’s own engine, which would go on to become the incredibly popular Portal.