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Justin Kellogg dreamed of riding in his spaceship in a galaxy far, far away while warding off enemies.

Now people can take part in Kellogg's virtual world, through a video game he created.

Kellogg, 25, a nondegree student at the University of New Mexico, is one of 23 students who developed video games for the popular Microsoft Xbox 360 console or on a regular PC and are letting the public play them Thursday.

Students in the Introduction to Computer Graphics course will showcase their games at an open house from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the lobby of the Electrical and Computer Engineering building, located on the southwest corner of campus on Redondo Road.

The projects took about a month to complete, said Pradeep Sen, assistant professor in electrical and computer engineering.

"The project is a way for students to test their abilities in programming and computer graphics," he said.

Students worked in groups of three or by themselves.

The department had a class last year where students developed their own video games, but this is the first time the department is organizing a game competition, Sen said.

Students will be judged on whether the game is fun and professional, he said. All of the games must be in 3-D, he added.

The top prize is a $100 gift certificate to Best Buy.

Sen said game ideas range from space odysseys to driving excursions. Some students incorporated their own music into their games.

The project is aimed at preparing students for the video game industry and helping them incorporate two necessary skills.

"There is a tremendous demand for someone who is technical and understands the artistic constraints of game development," Sen said.

Chaouki Abdallah, associate chairman of the department, said the computer graphics course came from a digital media initiative by Gov. Bill Richardson.

Funding the project wasn't particularly expensive, Sen said. He bought one Xbox 360. Students developed games through a free online development kit.

Kellogg, who had some experience developing video games, said the course gave him an outlet for his creativity and helped hone his programming skills.

Now that his game is complete, he has just one more level to attain: public approval.

"I hope they have fun," he said.