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The weekend of Jan. 24 through Jan. 26, marked the first game jam at the university open exclusively to students, offering them the chance to gain exposure to video game creation through a competition.

“I've always wanted to do Game Jams, but I don't really know them and haven't broken into them,” said Marc Nikirk, computer science senior and game programmer. “So this one was very good because it got rid of a lot of the obstacles to actually going because it's at school and it's going to be only college students, so there's not as much anxiety behind it.”

A game jam is a short event where developers create games, usually around a set theme, emphasizing learning, experimentation and teamwork over perfection. The theme must be incorporated into the game.

According to the event's website, the Global Game Jam is an annual event known as one of the “largest game creation event[s],” where participants compete in a game jam. This year's game theme was “bubble,” and participants could create any virtual or physical game.

One team made a game titled “Demon Punters,” a 2D arcade platformer about a fairytale bubble fairy that defends her town from demons using a bubble wand.

When brainstorming game concepts, Emily Chase, a senior studio arts major and game artist, said the game's idea started as a joke.    

“Our writer, Terry, mentioned a bubble wand, so that's what got us thinking about a fairy […],” Chase said. “And then I think I jokingly said as we were drawing on the whiteboard, ‘Well, what if she was going up against demons?’ And it just kind of stuck.”

The opposing team, who left after completing their game, created a 2D platformer titled “Foamies,” a game about an old man who battles an evil corporation to retrieve his soap or “foamies.” While student organizations, such as Scrappy Game Studios, have previously hosted game jams, this is the first event open to all university students.

Click for more at North Texas Daily.