May Game Design Challenge – “Spring”

Design Theme: “Spring”

Your challenge is to create a game about what the word “Spring” means to you. It may be about dodging May showers, collecting Spring flowers, traveling for Spring Break, bouncing on coiled metal springs, leaping and springing, or however you interpret the theme. Camera angle, movement, 2-D or 3-D and game type are up to you as the designer. Think about fun ways to challenge your players and reward them for exploring your game. A panel of GAME-U instructors will judge the entries on creativity, aesthetics, technical achievement, and (of course) the fun factor!!

Game Design Requirements:

• Each game needs a clear goal for the player to achieve and win the game. This may be a location the player navigates to, a number of items to collect, a point total needed, or similar goal. Inform players of the goal from the start and notify them when the goal is reached. This may be a simple on-screen text message stating, “You Win!”!
• The player must face some challenge in order to achieve their goal. There may be an obstacle course to navigate, a time limit, a puzzle, an AI character trying to achieve the same goal, or other factor to challenge the player’s abilities!
• Each game must interpret the theme of “Spring” in a creative way. Some example ideas:
  • A puzzle game about gathering different colors of Spring flowers!
  • A navigation game about staying dry while going home during a Spring rainstorm!
  • An adventure game where a mother kangaroo leaps and springs across the Outback in search of her lost joey!
  • A platformer game about bouncing off of springboards to reach a high platform.
  • A physics game about toy springs “walking” down stairs!

Rules:

• You may work in teams of up to 4 students per game
• All work must be completed by student team members
• All entries must be submitted by 10:00pm on May 31st, 2015
• Entries created in any editor EXCEPT for Project Spark must include a playable build of the game.  Project Spark games will be evaluated within Project Spark

Prizes:

• There are two tiers for this competition – one for Explorers and one for Apprentices. Each GAME-U Studio will award its own winners!
• First place wins the following:
  • $50 gift certificate to your choice of Amazon, iTunes, or GameStop
  • Your game and team photo showcased on GAME-U’s website, Facebook page & Studio monitors
• Second place wins the following:
  • $25 gift certificate to your choice of Amazon, iTunes, or GameStop
  • Your game and team photo showcased on GAME-U’s website, Facebook page & Studio monitors
• Third place wins the following:
  • $10 gift certificate to your choice of Amazon, iTunes or GameStop
  • Your game and team photo showcased on GAME-U’s website, Facebook page & Studio monitors

Delivery:

• If you design in class or open lab simply save the design to your studio computer for us to review.
• Email your design to info@game-u.com.
• Project Spark students who designed at home will need to “Save to Cloud” from the home computer. Then email us your design name so we can search for the game in the studio.
• Send us a link via Google Drive or Dropbox