Wilmington University gaming students participated in the first Game Jam at Cecil-Con, a 24-hour competition in which teams vied to create and complete games by working around the clock.
In all, 17 WilmU students worked on teams, responding to the creative prompt “Peculiar Space,” to come up with such innovations as a maze game that flips and tumbles as players search for a way out of a room.
“We encouraged players to sleep in shifts and there were a few Monster energy drinks involved,” says Scott Shaw, who chairs the Game Design and Development Program.
Cecil-Con is a two-day sci-fi, fantasy, anime, and gaming convention held annually at Cecil College in North East, Maryland.
“It’s a celebration of all things nerdy, geeky and sci fi,” Shaw says. “There are kung fu demonstrations, food trucks and a room where you can go in and watch anime all day if you want to.”
At the end of the marathon challenge, WilmU teams took second, third and fourth place honors. First place went to the youngest participant, a gifted high school student.
“I spoke to him about our program at Wilmington University,” Shaw says. “I think it would be a great fit.”