Goldsmiths aims for hat-trick at Ukie Student Game Jam

The third annual Ukie Student Game Jam has begun, with 20 student teams around the UK working through the night to produce a winning computer game in 36 hours. Can Goldsmiths take the title for the third year in a row?

Sponsored by Games London and Square Enix Collective, more teams than ever have entered the competition this year to produce a game inspired by the theme ‘Utopia’.

Each student team will be allocated a games industry mentor to be on hand throughout the marathon, answering questions and giving advice to the teams.

Goldsmiths’ Department of Computing has entered one team this year, Victorious Secret, formed by students Richard Fox, Emanuel Francis, Ciaran Wilson, Sokol Murturi, Adam Joyce and Yuka Okabe.

The games produced will be judged by a top team of industry experts, including NextGen Skills Academy’s Managing Director, Gina Jackson, games accessibility specialist Ian Hamilton, and Ukie CEO Dr Jo Twist. The winners will be announced at an event on Wednesday 13 April.

In 2015 the game ‘Code Name Spy’, created by Aldo Curtis, Sam Hayhurst, Richard Fox, Sokol Murturi and Andrea Castegnaro took first prize. In 2014 Goldsmiths MSc Computer Games and Entertainment students were crowned the winners in the competition’s first year for the game ‘Wisp’ -  a 2D platform game where the player has to fight off enemies attacking a growing tree.

CEO of Ukie, Dr Jo Twist, said, “Supporting the next generation of games talent is hugely important to securing the sector’s future creative pipeline. The Ukie Student Game Jam allows students to come together to learn new skills, explore new creative thinking, meet industry professionals and ultimately have fun. We can’t wait to see the work they produce.”