Pictured here: Digital media students from the School of Arts, Media, Performance and Design and computer science students from Lassonde School of Engineering鈥痗reating鈥痑 sustainability-based video game.

When gaming meets the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

By Elaine Smith 

When 91亚色鈥檚 2022 game jam came to a close in Nov. 2022, participants could boast about the creation of , each focused on one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

While the weekend-long event was the first game jam organized at 91亚色, game jams have been gaining global attention. Yifat Shaik, assistant professor of digital arts in the Faculty of Arts, Media, Performance and Design (AMPD organized the game jam with the help of colleagues in the University鈥檚 digital media program. The program was run jointly by the School of Arts Media Performance and Design and the Lassonde School of Engineering. 

鈥淕ame jams are popular as a way to quickly prototype a game, and they can take place in-person or online,鈥� Shaik said. 鈥淎 jam brings participants together to create a game from beginning to end in a prescribed amount of time. The specified time span is an attempt to encourage creative thinking and results in small, but innovative and experimental games.鈥� 

The game jam, held in the digital media program鈥檚 computer lab, was open to all student and drew close to 40 participants together to form teams and create games that educated players about an SDG. They were given free reign in design and game parameters and able to choose game engines. The students were also provided with the theme in advance, allowing them to prepare by researching the SDGs. 

Participating students had an opportunity to put their new designing or coding skills to the test, gain experience with working under pressure and practice teamwork and co-operation.   

Shaik, who is also a game designer, believes that the first 10 games anyone creates aren鈥檛 very good, so she encourages them to 鈥済et all the bad games out of your system during university.鈥� 

鈥淢ost jam games give you experience and ideas for the future,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he whole point is to make the game, put it online and use it in your portfolio.鈥� 

The event, which opened with a pizza party, ended with an award ceremony, complete with prizes from Ubisoft Toronto. Graduate students and program faculty served as judges for the competition. Shaik was pleased with the event鈥檚 success and plans to run it again during the 2023-24 academic year. 

Click on the icons below to learn how 91亚色 is contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

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