Game Gremlins Program
High school students in grades 9-12 can begin the program
The program has 3 levels, all students no matter the grade start at Level 1
Level 1: Game Development immersion program
Level 2: Self-directed game dev project
Level 3: Advisors and engagement w/game industry
Each level begins in Mid-October and continues through the Summer
Accepted students continue through the levels of the program until graduation
Program is free for students through donations and sponsors
For any questions see FAQ or send an email to info@gamegremlins.org
Applications for the 2023-2024 Level 1 program will open September 1st. Sign up for the mailing list to be notified and receive Game Gremlins updates.
Level 1
Level 1 covers the basics of analysis, design, art, programming, and project management, culminating in a public showcase at the end of the summer.
-
Broaden Gaming Experiences
We play a curated variety of games to increase each students breadth of video game knowledge to apply new perspectives to their games.
Develop Developer’s Perspective
As game developers we practice breaking down a game’s makeup and applying an analytical lens to all games we play and make
Communication
Analysis in a collaborative development process is only as good as your ability to communicate your observations and perspective. We practice relaying personal experience, describing findings, and brainstorming new ideas.
-
Develop a Universal Skill
Skilled designers are able to distill complicated ideas into tangible goals. It is the premier skill in every career. Using game design we can rapidly improve our design skills and create awesome games in the process.
Design Variety
Good design knows no genre. We don’t stick to any game genre or design trope and will use techniques that apply to all types of games and the world beyond.
Prototype
With an brilliant idea and early design in place we can begin the prototyping process, turning our design ideas into something we can visualize and improve before moving on to the next step.
-
Learn Industry Skills
All game developers are designers, but beyond design we must have the right skills to make games a reality. Everyone will learn a little bit of every core skillset (programming, art, writing, sound etc.), but can choose to specialize in whatever they wish.
Project Manage
The toughest part of any project is to manage your time and resources. Before our building games we develop detailed project plans and practice setting and hitting deadlines.
Collaborate
Collaboration is the soul of game development and allows us to make the best games possible. We’ll work in teams of diverse skillsets, with everybody contributing to the final games.
-
Learn to Incorporate Feedback
Improve through Iteration
Showcase Your Games
Level 1 Program Timeline 2023-2024
Level 2
Level 2 students develop a full game from scratch, and publish their game at the end of the summer.
-
Students form small dev teams and prepare a pitch and project plan for their desired game. This is reviewed and edited by their advisor before approval.
-
Time is taken to experiment with mechanics and design implementation, while also learning new tools and techniques both through instruction and self directed learning.
-
The majority of time in Level 2 is spent taking the information from the initial exploration period to develop a prototype. The team spends time testing and iterating this prototype every week until the next phase.
-
Near the end of the program the team must cease iteration and the final game must be debugged, enhanced with game feel, and all temporary visuals must be replaced.
-
All students conclude the summer session by publishing their game online. After this stage they are officially published game developers!
