Webster University Game Design Program Participates in Global Game Jam 2023

ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Webster University’s Game Design program participated in the Global Game Jam this past weekend along with 13 other teams in the St. Louis area.  

A game jam is an event where participants make a video game from scratch during a limited time frame. A central theme is announced at the start of the event. Then, participants have between 24 to 72 hours (depending on the event) to create a game based on the theme.  

The Global Game Jam is the world's largest game creation event. Thousands of game designers participate at physical and virtual sites worldwide. The Global Game Jam stirs a global creative buzz in games, while at the same time exploring the process of development - be it programming, iterative design, narrative exploration or artistic expression, condensed into a shortened development cycle. This event encourages people with all kinds of backgrounds to participate and contribute to the field of game development. 

The theme for this year’s Global Game Jam was “Roots,” and teams had 48 hours to build their game. Webster University’s team created a fun, first-person shooter adventure titled “Root of Your Nightmare.” The game is set in the 1950s and focuses on a child left home alone when suddenly, the root vegetables in her mother’s garden come to life as giant monsters. Playing as the child, the player must use a trusty potato cannon to defeat the root monsters, like carrots, radishes, beets and turnips – all root vegetables that grow under the soil, before mom and dad get home.  

For some members of the Webster team, like Ashley Ulbricht, this year’s Game Jam was a first-time experience. 

“I went into it not knowing what to expect. Needless to say, it was an incredible experience, and I would readily do it again next year. I cannot express how valuable an experience like this is as it was my first real taste of what working with a team in the industry might feel like,” Ulbricht said. 

Others who are more seasoned with game jams used the Global Game Jam as a good outlet to exercise current skills and work with their peers.  

"As someone with a bit more experience in game jams and development, it was fun seeing people grow and get excited to create," said Brian Pham, who worked on the sound design and world design for Root of Your Nightmare. “I hope others will want to join more events like this and better themselves in their work as well. You could watch a million tutorials but actually collaborating with your peers to make such projects will always be the best learning experience you could ask for." 
 
The trailer for the Webster University Game Design team’s creation is available online. The game also can be played online. 

For more information about Webster University’s Game Design program, visit the School of Communications.