Cégep Game Jam 2023 at Vanier College

Cégep students love playing games in their free time. But what if a cégep offered a chance for students to learn to make games?

Vanier is hosting its second annual cégep GameJam on Saturday and Sunday, January 14-15, 2023 where cégep students from around the province are invited to attend free of charge. Beginners are welcome and all participants can learn to make a board game, a video game or card game.

“Last year’s cégep GameJam was a big success with over 75 people in attendance,” says Avery Rueb, a Vanier teacher and a game designer at Affordance Studio. “I think our students want the chance to go from consumers to creators of games. Plus they learn 21st century skills like collaboration, creativity and problem solving.”

To help students learn different nuances about game design including art, programming, music and narration, there will be mentors from Quebec video game studios including Trébuchet, Lowbirth Games, Manavoid, Chasing Rats, Affordance and Lucid Dreams.

These same mentors will also be helping to host different activities before the cégep Game Jam between January 9-13, 2023 where students can learn about making pixel art, making video game sound effects as well as writing a choose-your-own-adventure story with the free software Twine.

“The video game industry is behind the cégep GameJam,” says Jean-Jacques Hermans, Executive Director of la Guilde du jeu vidéo du Québec, which brings together the 300 video game studios in Québec. “This is our chance to help cégep students develop important skills and have some fun in the world of making games.”

No need to pack a lunch, there will be free food for both days: breakfast, lunch and dinner!

Spots are limited so spread the word and encourage interested students to sign up quickly at this link: https://forms.gle/JTS6BwLwvoMyRWVw7

Here is the website for the event as well: https://www.gamejamdingo.ca/

See this video for more details: https://youtu.be/aPpxW5hEddw