On Campus
Calling all Teen Programmers! Games By Teens Competition to be Held at Muskingum University
Muskingum University will host the popular game-programming competition, Games By Teens, on Saturdays from Sept. 21 to Oct. 12. Learning sessions will run from 9 a.m. to noon each Saturday, and the awards ceremony is from 10 a.m. to noon on October 19.
Contestants can range from ages 10 to 18 years old and no computer programming experience is needed to participate. During the competition, each contestant will be given four weeks to complete a video game based on a theme to be announced at the first session.
Jay Shaffstall, assistant professor of computer science at Muskingum University, says anyone interested is welcome to participate, even those with little, no or general knowledge of programming.
“Games By Teens is not just a competition. More than anything, it’s a learning opportunity for anyone who wants to explore computer programming or game development,” said Assistant Professor of Computer Science Shaffstall . “Computer related jobs, and STEM jobs in general, are in demand. The design and analysis skills learned in Games By Teens are the same ones used in any computing job."
Shaffstall went on to say past participants of the competition have gone on to study computer science in college and enter careers in a variety of technical fields.
Judges will use a variety of criteria to rate each game, including artistic impression, fun factor, technical achievement, uniqueness, and storyline. Various prizes are given to contestants. This year’s judges will be professionals in video game design.
For more information and to register, visit gamesbyteens.org.
