Is Game Dev still alive?
By Jasper Simionato
Yes. Yes it is. Let it go Jasper.
- editor’s note
Short answer: Yes, it is.
Long answer:
Also yes, but would you like to know what is going on in the Game Dev Club?
Currently in the Game Dev Club, lots of exciting things are happening so let’s jump right into it.
Currently the unihigh game exhibition itch.io page is still publicly available for anyone to see, and if anyone has a submission, just come to the club and we’ll add it! Currently we have a multitude of games on show, including the winners and contenders of the two UHS game jams so far. These are *entirely* free for all, of varying size and includes many online games that you can play in your browser without needing to download (but not in class)! We are watching you
^the start screen of game-jam winning ‘just roll with it’ by Honey. Would recommend it.
Also happening in game dev club is the end period of our latest, third and (maybe greatest?) UHS game jam, ‘just one more’. Our latest submissions are coming in, and by golly they are the biggest ones yet, including a star nomination by Ben and Harry, who have had their own AMA article, linked separately for this edition of Ubique. Look out on compass announcements for the winning games and the party that may come with.
^The logo for Ben and Harry’s game.
Furthermore the games submitted to the UHS game jam, if they also fit the theme of ‘out of this world’ are being submitted into the STEM Australia game jam, with them being marked now.
Finally, the time for the Game Dev Cub has been temporarily moved, so that everyone can come to Game Dev Club. It has now been moved to Thursday snack instead of Wednesday lunch, but may be moved back next term. This is so key members of the club won’t miss it. As a closing note, we’d like to say that anyone is welcome, coding knowledge or not, as we wish to keep a chill community based around learning and fun. Have a nice week!
What do the greatest minds of the Game Dev Club have to say?
By Jasper Simionato
The future. Humanity is starting to colonize other planets and Mars is the next horizon for human eyes to look over from their hab-cots and their sleeping pods, working at the solar refineries for fuel and having, maybe, even children on the red sister to our world.
This is the world of Mars Settlement project by Harry and Ben, two Game dev club members who sent this game into both the UHS ‘just one more’ game jam, and the Australian STEM game jam, under the premise ‘out of this world’. The game is free to download and play on itch.io right now, linked here. It is a 2D city builder, with society management aspects. We at Ubique have had the exclusive chance to interview the UHS geniuses behind it with some questions, here they are:
What inspired your game idea?
1. Our idea was inspired by the combination of the theme space and just one more. We thought of Just one more being to survive just one more day and the space being on Mars. We were inspired by space agencies revolutionary technology being developed to make a game set in the future where one day humans can live on Mars.
What would you say was your biggest challenge?
2.Our biggest challenge was definitely making the saving system. It was something we had never done before and we actually had to redo the code about 3 times before we got it right.
If you could do something different, what would you do?
3. make the game 3d. We didn’t realize how much time we actually had and made it 2d because it would be faster
What advice can you give to students of UHS?
4. Keep going with your passions even if you think they are going to fail. The biggest thing for me is trying.
What is your favorite part of your game? What took the most time?
5. My favorite part of the game is the challenge of having to micro-manage different things to keep the citizens happy and the thing that took the most time was the saving system.
Do you think you’ll win?
6. Yes I think we will win.
Their game is currently in the top ~400 out of ~550 games submitted to the STEM competition as they are currently on the second round of grading. We wish them luck!