Abu Dhabi University launches Shift Game Jam with Unity and Abu Dhabi Gaming
Participants are challenged to create an original game within two days
Abu Dhabi University has launched Shift Game Jam, a two-day game development event organised with Abu Dhabi Gaming and Unity to help students and recent graduates across the UAE gain practical experience in making games.
The event is hosted by the Video Game Design Program at the university's College of Arts, Education, and Social Sciences. It brings together aspiring game developers, designers, artists, programmers and storytellers to work together and build playable game prototypes.
Building games in two days
Participants are challenged to create an original game within two days, starting with a theme revealed at the beginning of the event. Teams must turn their ideas into playable projects, giving them experience with the game development process from concept to completion.
The jam also gives participants the chance to receive guidance and feedback from Unity experts as they work on their projects. They can publish their prototypes on itch.io, helping them build portfolios they can share with potential employers and universities.
Supporting new game developers
Shift Game Jam also aims to help students meet potential collaborators and learn to work with people across different areas of game development, including programming, game design, digital art and storytelling.
By bringing students together for a short, hands-on development challenge, the event gives participants a chance to test their skills, solve problems as a team and learn more about making games in a time-limited setting.
The launch adds to efforts to support new game development talent in the UAE by connecting students with industry tools, expert guidance and practical experience.
