NFTS Students Win Game Jam For Third Consecutive Year!

Congratulations to our Games Design and Development MA students who have been crowned champions of Ukie Green Game Jam for the third year in a row! 308 students and 80 teams from across the country participated in Ukie Green Game Jam 2019 with ‘Team Sickly’ of the NFTS winning for their game, Extinction Crabellion. 

Green Game Jam tasked students with creating compelling games to raise awareness of key climate issues. Extinction Crabellion is a four player, physics based, co-operative game where crabs have been forced to take matters into their own claws when it comes to pollution. Players must clean the beach of as much washed up rubbish, save stranded creatures to boost their scores and keep the sea as clean as they can for as long as they can!

The judges praised Extinction Crabellion for its; “stand out beautiful visuals and multiplayer co-op aspect which allows team members to work together.” The game also scored highly for; “taking into consideration the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, whilst also finishing with a well rounded game.”

Alan Thorne, NFTS Games Design and Development course leader commented; “I am truly delighted that our excellent students have once again, for the third year running won the prestigious Ukie Game Jam, while also connecting with important environmental issues. The Ukie Game Jam draws many incredibly talented people from across the UK and this year our students have again demonstrated their skills and talent and produced some great work that I’m really proud of. Our Games MA at the National Film and Television School encourages students to innovate and make creative changes in the industry to find their niche.”

The Green Game Jam 2019 judging panel comprised of industry professionals including Gorm Lai, President and Co-founder, The Global Game Jam; Colin Hughes, Senior Principal Engineer, Sony Interactive Entertainment Europe; Nic Walker and Deborah Mensah-Bonsu, Space Ape Games and Dee Patel and Jake Pegram from Playmob.

Introducing The 2019 Winners - Team Sickly:

Paul Mariotti
Alexander Naumovich
Raphael Pimlott
Guy Sargent
Kamal Shaddad

The well deserving students won an incredible prize bundle:

• A week-long internship at Playmob
• Tickets to Games First 2020 and a chance to showcase Extinction Crabellion 
• A free game of Fire Hazards Operation Survival game
• An eco-friendly award created by All Brandz
• A £2,000 scholarship fund split between the team which was kindly awarded by the Rabin Ezra Scholarship Fund. 

The NFTS Games Design and Development MA course aims to give students everything they need to make high-quality games across a range of style, formats and platforms and by getting involved in this kind of opportunity it allows them both to practice and prove themselves.

The course covers practical knowledge of games software development and provides the ability to experiment with evolving technologies and techniques. Every student gets access to high-spec gaming systems and related tools. They work on both solo and group projects, with plenty of opportunities like the Ukie Games Jam, to experiment, innovate and excel – with all production costs for development met by the School.

For more information on the course visit: nfts.co.uk/games-design-and-development

Check out the students’ game here: team-sickly.itch.io/extinction-crabellion