Eight days to make a video game, with complete freedom to decide what it should be. That was the challenge set for lecturer Damian Ashworth’s students at mboRijnland. GameLab was involved to inspire the students and connect their work with practical game development.
Making, getting stuck and carrying on
That freedom led to an intensive learning experience. Writing on LinkedIn, Damian described how some students ran into serious difficulties, then picked themselves up and kept going. His conclusion was that this is exactly how you learn.
He also expressed his appreciation for the whole class. The students gave it their all, and he felt that their commitment showed in what they delivered. The game jam was about developing a game and gaining experience through trying things out, making mistakes and continuing to build.
GameLab brought inspiration and practical experience
Jeroen Derwort was involved on behalf of GameLab to inspire the students and talk about game development. Student assistant Tom Peck represented GameLab at the final presentations.
The collaboration with Damian and mboRijnland took shape at different stages, from inspiring the creators to taking an interest in their finished work.
First place for Flip & Find
Ouidad, Safouane Elouach, Eman Zahra and Bassam Abbood won with Flip & Find. In this memory game, you turn over cards, find matching symbols and aim for a high score. There are several levels to play.
The game is available online. Play Flip & Find in your browser.
Looking for knowledge and internships
Damian also used his post to put out a call for the winning team: these students are keen to keep learning and are looking for internships. For organisations interested in supporting emerging game talent, it is a good opportunity to get to know them.
Congratulations to the Flip & Find team and to all the students who built their own game in eight days!