The Ukie Student Game Jam was a creative challenge for our student members to create an original video game in 32 hours. In partnership with Playground Games, we set the theme of 'integrity’. Each team of up to six students was paired with an industry mentor to guide and support them through the Game Jam. Over 165 students took part across 40 teams, and we received 37 submissions! Check out and play all the game entries on itch.io.
We’re thrilled to announce the winners of the Ukie Student Game Jam 2024
WINNER: Taketh, Giveth by Reckless Ferrets
BEST MOMENT-TO-MOMENT GAMEPLAY: error404 by the lonesome cowboy 🤠
TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT: Trash Toppler by The Game Dev Wizard Alliance
Read on more to find out more about these brilliant games.
WINNER: Taketh, Giveth
Team: Reckless Ferrets
Members: Ilena, Carrie & Chester from National Film and Television School
Mentor: Robin Couwenberg from Playground Games
You are a spacecraft with the sole purpose to consume. Greed is your fuel, but a young small planet is eager for your scraps. Give and watch the planet grow, or thrive by taking relentlessly.
What the judges thought:
Taketh, Giveth explores both the physical and moral definition of the theme of ‘integrity’ in its concept, design and gameplay, showcasing the team's truly formidable aspiration and delivery. The need to take (to survive) in order to give (to score points) creates rich, interesting and challenging gameplay that keeps you coming back after game over. The visual design is gorgeous, and the excellent sound design adds to the atmospheric build-up of the spooky and mystical bizarreness.
Can you beat the team’s high score of 150? Play Taketh, Giveth here.
Fun fact: Reckless Ferrets team leader Ilena was on a transatlantic flight at the time of the Game Jam submission deadline. When their teammates faced technical issues with itch.io that threatened their submission, Ilena managed to connect to the plane’s WiFi and submit Taketh, Giveth mid-flight!
BEST MOMENT-TO-MOMENT GAMEPLAY: error404
Team: the lonesome cowboy 🤠
Members: Charlie from Norwich University of the Arts
Mentor: Eric Fabvre from Sharkmob
Dive inside your computer and perform an integrity check. Choose which stats to improve in order to destroy all the bugs.
What the judges thought:
error404 is fun to play, simple to pick up, and has a smooth and polished feel. The movement has the right amount of ‘bounce’ to it, the UI guides the player, and the power-ups add depth. The weapons feel distinct, offering replayability and an elegant way to personalise the experience. It has that 'd’oh! restart' secret sauce that makes a game hard to put down.
Can you beat all the levels? Play error404 here.
Fun fact: Charlie a.k.a. the lonesome cowboy 🤠 was one of a handful of students taking on the Ukie Student Game Jam solo! Charlie is a fan of game jams, this being the TENTH competition he’s taken part in. You can check out his other games here.
TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT: Trash Toppler
Team: The Game Dev Wizard Alliance
Members: Luc, Wen, Linus, Alexandra, Harpal & Tom from National Film and Television School
Mentor: Gene Rozenberg from Jagex
You and your sewer-dwelling friend must escape to the surface using the only resource you have: rubbish. 2 players have 2 minutes to build a structurally-sound tower, but there's a catch: each player has a cannon they can use to disrupt their opponent's construction.
What the judges thought:
Each element of Trash Toppler - gameplay, visuals, sound, music and UI - has been carefully considered and executed to a high level of quality. The gameplay is fun, making great use of precarious physics. The charming hand-drawn art style and washed-out colour palette are perfect for the cluttered, chaotic sewer setting. The UI is clean, with movement and sound in the menu showcasing the game’s high level of detail and completeness. The music is exceptional and a highlight of the game. It sounds funky and squelchy, with a pace that makes it ideal for a party game.
Will you sabotage your sewer-dwelling friend? Play Trash Toppler here.
Fun fact: Trash Toppler’s original music was composed and played by team member Harpal. We were sent a brilliant video of Harpal rehearsing those junky tones on his bass guitar, we'll try to share it in future!
Ukie Student Game Jam Awards
Thursday 25 April, 15:00-16:00, Careers Stage at WASD
Join us for an awards presentation and submission showcase at video games expo WASD in London next month. Reckless Ferrets are also getting the opportunity to demo Taketh, Giveth in the Curios section of the event!
Congratulations to all our participating students!
Judging the Ukie Student Game Jam 2024 was both a delight and a challenge. The level of talent and creativity was exceptionally high. The judges and the Ukie team had a brilliant time playing through the submitted games. The work that the students produced in 32 hours was very impressive, and we encourage you to check out their entries here.
Students from Abertay University, National Film and Television School, Norwich University of the Arts and Staffordshire University working on their games during the Jam.
We also want to extend a huge thank you to our Game Jam mentors who volunteered their time to guide and support the participating students. Their insight was invaluable and made this a rich learning experience for these aspiring developers.
The Ukie Student Game Jam 2024 is proud to be in partnership with Playground Games, WASD, Xbox, Scan Computers and Into Games, and Ukie Students partners Epic Games and Tranzfuser.