What would it be like if you could paint something into the world every time you wanted it? Just ask gamers on Clarkson University's campus, who have found the answer.

Splotch!, an exploration and adventure game created by two Clarkson students, challenges the minds of its players by allowing them to paint objects into the world and interact with it when they are done. Available at Paintsplotch.com, the game is gaining popularity across campus.

As co-creator of the game, Peter Jones, a senior, explains: "If you want to have a scooter, for example, you simply paint it in the game and ride it when you're finished."

Jones and his friend David Carrigg '07 (Computer Science), established the blueprint for the project during the game of golf two summers ago and began programming in September of 2006. With the exception of a two-month summer hiatus, they have worked diligently on the project - and the game has only reached half of its potential, Jones says.

Splitting the programming and digital graphics work, the two combined their strengths to establish the basic content for the game. Peter worked as the lead artist and game designer while Carrigg did all of the programming.

In March, they took the game to a game developer's conference in San Francisco, where it received positive feedback from different companies. Carrigg received a job offer from Cheyenne Mountain Entertainment largely because of his work on the game.

Now that Carrigg has graduated, however, they have donated it to the University as an ongoing project.

"The idea is that the game will never be finished and future generations of students will be able to go in and modify it and leave their mark on the game," he said.

That doesn't mean that Peter has abandoned upgrading the game.

"I would like to take it back to the Game Developers Conference in March."