Students Across The Country Will Head To Aggieland To Take Part In Chillennium Game Jam, Feb. 7-9
Chillennium, known as the world’s largest student-run collegiate game jam, returns Feb. 7-9 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.
The event is sponsored by the Texas A&M College of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts, which includes Game Design and Development in the Visualization program. The event earned “most participants in a collegiate in-person game jam” recognition in 2017 from Guinness World Records with 311 participants. Last year’s event drew 265 students from 23 schools.
Participants have registered this year from in state (University of North Texas, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Amarillo College, University of Houston Victoria) and out (Michigan State University, Louisiana State University, University of Central Missouri, Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design).
Mentors and industry leaders will be on hand — some to advise the students and some to judge the entries — including representatives from Bluepoint Games, EA Sports, Epic Games, Digital Dreams Entertainment, Digital Insight Games and Obsidian Entertainment.
Julius Perez, Chillennium director and senior Visualization student, said the goal of Chillennium is to have a space for students to become confident artists and programmers.
“I want everyone to grow from this experience and understand what it takes, and surprise themselves on what they can achieve in such a short amount of time,” he said.
A good game should be well-rounded in all aspects, Perez said. This includes being easy to understand, having a smooth playing experience and avoiding an excess of details or confusing elements.
“Plan early on and have your ideas set and locked down super early in the process,” he said. “Then you have that time to spend time fine-tuning the art, the mechanics and the gameplay. It’s ideal if the students focus on making a great game, not a complex one.”
Students compete in groups of four and use their own computers and equipment. Awards are given for first, second and third place, along with best in game design, programming, sound and visuals. Prizes include Steam gift cards, keyboards, monitors, Nintendo Switch systems and a PlayStation 5.
Texas A&M students earned first, second and third place honors in 2024 with the prompt “Hang in There.” “Plugged In,” created by Peter Schlenker, Casey Pei, Christin Park and Dallas Coggins, took the top prize.
Perez said he is looking forward to a new round of game-makers, and to watch Visualization students showcase their gaming experience.
“We also have a lot of rising talent in Viz,” he said. “I am excited to see that unfold over the weekend.”
Because students will be working around the clock to complete their games, Perez advised them to take care of themselves, especially during marathon nights. Having ample snacks and comfortable pillows and blankets will go a long way, he said.
Registration is $25 and ends on Feb. 6. Visit the Chillennium website for more information.
