Universities with dedicated study programs (Game Art, Game Development, Game Design, etc.) were invited by the RGDA (Romanian Game Developers Association) to participate, promote their educational offer and get to know each other within Dev.Play 2023 Bucharest. Thus, the University Game Jam 2024 was born from the desire to create a solid collaboration between universities, between academia and industry, between young enthusiasts and specialists.
The Game Jam took place in an online format, and the students from Timișoara and Bucharest got to know the composition of the teams only a few days before the opening of the event. The teams were made up of students from each participating university to promote collaboration and mutual knowledge and to create visibility for young talent.
UVT-FAD students were part of the 15 teams made up of students of the programs offered by West University of Timișoara, National University of Theater and Cinematography "IL Caragiale" Bucharest, National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, Politehnica University Timișoara. The event was supported by the RGDA and specialists from the video game industry. The 100 enrolled students were distributed among positions that highlighted the educational direction followed in the study program of the faculty of origin. Thus, FAD students assumed the roles of concept artist and graphic content creators (polygonal modeling, digital sculpting, retopology, UV unwrap, texturing/digital painting).
Mentors:
Liviu Focșa, Mircea Constantinescu (AMC), Daniel Vîjoi (AMC), Marius Petre (AMC), Ioan Vrană-Vintan (Amber Studio), Daniel Negrea (Electronic Arts), Alex Iacob (Electronic Arts), Mihail Zaharia, Paul Ghiță ( Electronic Arts), Alexandru Radu (Electronic Arts), Bogdan Mușat (Electronic Arts), Mihai Bedo (Electronic Arts), Marius Suta (Electronic Arts), Andrei Portan (Electronic Arts), Alexandru Herea (Electronic Arts), Robert Popescu (Electronic Arts Arts), Cătălin Ioniță (Electronic Arts), Ioana Alexandra Bishop (Electronic Arts), Alexandru Bunii (UVT), Sergiu Zegrean (UVT), Stelian Nicola (UPT), Mihai Alexandru Grosu (UPT), Robert Cazacu (UPT), Raul Brumar (UPT), Maria Bucurenciu (UNATC), Maria Mandea (UNATC), Diana Dragomir (UNATC), Alin Moldoveanu (UPB), Irina Mocanu (UPB), Anca Băluțoiu (UPB), Anca Morar (UPB), Andrei Lăpușneanu ( UPB), Alex Dinu (UPB), Silviu Ivașcu (UPB).
The jury was formed by representatives of the four organizing universities and two gaming industry experts – Leonard Suciu and Alex Chica.
The prizes were awarded in the following categories:
Best Game – Brain Storming (team 3)
Best visuals – Baaaharap Baaalb (team 15)
Best Game Design – The NANCY Project (team 12)
Best Functionality – Return to Monk (team 9)
Jury Prize – Zenon's Dog (Team 7)
CLAIMS:
– The Monster (Team 6)
– Little Mayhem (Team 10)
– Homunculus (Team 13).
During the event - March 04-10, 2024 - lect. university Dr. Alexandru Bunii and associate professor Dr. Sergiu Zegrean, FAD - UVT teaching staff, offered mentorship and at the end judged the games by category Best visuals.
Games can be downloaded and played: https://itch.io/jam/game-jam-universitar-2024/entries
Lect. Univ. Dr. Alexandru Bunii
