College Students From Across The Country To Compete In Chillennium Game Jam
Chillennium, known as the world’s largest student-run game jam, returns Friday through Sunday at the Hildebrand Equine Center on the Texas A&M University campus.
Students from across the country will compete to create a fully functioning and playable video game based on a single prompt in just 48 hours.
Sponsored by the Texas A&M School of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts, the event earned “most participants in a collegiate in-person game jam” recognition in 2017 from Guinness World Records with 311 participants. The event has bounced back after a COVID hiatus in 2020 and 2021, and last year’s event drew 230 students from 24 schools.
More than 230 participants have registered this year from in state (University of Houston, University of Texas, University of Texas at San Antonio, Prairie View A&M, Tarleton State University, Trinity Valley Community College, Houston Community College) and out (Louisiana State University, University of Massachusetts, University of Tulsa, University of Central Missouri, Southern New Hampshire University, Full Sail University).
Andersen Wood, Chillennium director and junior Visualization student, noted the benefits of participants traveling from all over for the game jam.
“It blows me away every time to see the level of talent that comes through from every state,” Wood said. “The competing schools have really talented students, and they bring their professors who are great to talk to. It is a delight every year to have all of these schools come in.”
The goal is to make connections, Wood said, and for students to expand their skill sets.
“No one is going to make the best game of their life in 48 hours,” he said. “That kind of thing takes time. But if you want to try something new and experiment, and get your hands dirty on a new concept and a new part of the pipeline, and meet really cool industry people, this is a great place to make connections and try new things.”
Aaron Thibault is the newly hired director for games and esports for the School of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts, as well as an associate professor of practice. This is his first year leading as the faculty adviser for Chillennium, following in the footsteps of André Thomas.
Thibault is the former vice president of strategic operations at Gearbox Software. He previously worked as the deputy director for Guildhall at Southern Methodist University, where he and his team developed the world’s first graduate degree program for game development.
Thibault said to create a fun game in a short period of time, there must be an understanding of the player, while keeping things simple. Creators should focus on the important mechanics or elements of engagement first, he said.
“Don’t be afraid of change, even in a short period of time,” he said. “Forty-eight hours can be longer than you think. You have plenty of time with the right mindset and collaboration to find your fun, meet the requirements of the game jam’s theme, and learn from each other for a good final result. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to make some masterpiece. Just focus on what is important and prioritize.”
An additional benefit to the event is on-site networking, as students can meet with mentors and industry leaders in prospective fields. Among the companies that will be on hand: Bluepoint Games, Smartronix, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Spartacus Studios, Blizzard Entertainment and Equinox Games.
Students will compete in groups of four and will use their own computers and equipment. Awards will be given for first, second and third place, as well as best in game design, programming, sound, originality and visuals. Prizes include video games, gaming monitors, graphics cards, Nintendo Switch systems and a PlayStation 5.
Thibault said he hopes students leave the weekend feeling uplifted, and not afraid of failure or trying new things.
“I want these participants to feel enriched and connected,” Thibault said. “As they are working against the clock, I hope they see that they can come up with and accomplish something fun and meaningful in such a short amount of time — and have an incredibly rewarding experience as part of it.”
Registration closes on Feb. 29. Visit the Chillennium website for more information.
Top photo: Students participate in Chillennium at the Hildebrand Equine Complex on Feb. 24, 2023. Photo by Laura McKenzie/Texas A&M University Division of Marketing and Communications.
