90 high school students excel in a game development competition producing 22 innovative games
School of Mathematics and Computer Science (SMCS), Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Karachi in collaboration with Mindstorm Studios, Raptr Games and IGN Pakistan, hosted the two-day ‘IBA Game Fest 2023’, at the IBA Main Campus.
The Game Fest was a resounding success, 90+ students created 22 games without using code, digital art or technology, literally ‘out of thin air’. With the theme ‘Out of Thin Air’, the event was part of IBA and Mindstorm Studios’ mission to emphasize hands-on learning experiences, real time feedback and mentorship from industry leaders. The winning games were ‘Karachi Tails’, ‘Fools Gambit’ and ‘Space Survival’, all three winning ideas were created by teams from Cedar College, Karachi.
With a focus on understanding the game building process and creating games, the event gathered talented students from across Karachi, studying in O levels, A levels, Matric or FSc, who worked in teams to deliver 22 games. The event aimed to provide students an exposure to design thinking principles, shipping and demonstrating products in less than 36 hours, incorporating real time feedback, and connecting with industry role models and mentors. The event produced an array of diverse games, ranging from educational games that utilised the periodic table to narrative-based fantasy strategy games.
Head of Marketing and Communications, Ms. Ayesha Javed delivered the opening remarks.
Dean SMCS, Dr. Shakeel Khoja welcomed students and said that it was heartening to see the young students from various reputable schools. He said, “After the success of previous game fests, we decided to engage school and college level students as their ideas are bound to be unique and innovative”. He urged the students to make the most of this opportunity and learn the essentials of game designing from the gurus of the game development industry.
Founder & CEO, Katalyst Labs, Ms. Jehan Ara, commended IBA and the event partners for organizing the platform. She encouraged the young gamers to utilize this platform and explore creative boundaries which will help improve their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Highlighting the IBA experience, Chairperson, Department of Computer Science, SMCS, Dr. Shahid Hussain shed light on IBA’s Computer Science and Mathematics programs which are some of the best programs offered in the country.
