Students from Ealing’s University of West London (UWL) recently came together in a week-long burst of creativity for the annual Games Jam and end-of-year showcase and awards, held in the state-of-the-art Digital Futures Lab.
Participants from the London School of Film, Media and Design (LSFMD), the School of Computing and Engineering (SCE), and the London College of Music (LCM) collaborated on the challenge of building a brand-new game around the theme of “time”.
Dr Malte Ressin, course lead for the BSc Computer Games Technology, said: “Time is a good theme because it allows you to do something with the game mechanic if you so choose, but it also allows you to do something about the setting and the mood.”
The event wasn’t just about creative exploration – it also brought industry involvement. Prizes included a glass trophy, a monitor from gaming brand MSI, and a coveted Staff Key from SEGA, unlocking the company’s full game catalogue.
Ryan Callard, a lecturer on UWL’s Games, Design and Animation course, said: “A Games Jam is a chance to work with different people, prove their mettle and win cool prizes. The Digital Futures Lab is incredibly well outfitted. It has some amazing machines and good spaces for working in.”
Cedric Van Dorpe, senior security analyst at Sega Europe and UWL alumnus, said: “We’re big fans of this university. It was an amazing opportunity… to see how I can help and prepare the next generation of game developers. Maybe they will join us at SEGA one day.”
Top honours went to ‘Team Olympus’ for Eris the Time Thief, a platformer featuring a time-stopping goddess. Runners-up included ‘Spicy Meatballs’ with Hey Boss, and ‘Timeless Suffering’ with the looping action title Grimloop.
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