This course is part of the UBC Future Global Leaders On-Campus program for high school students ages 15–18, and is offered at the Centre for Digital Media campus in Vancouver.
The Centre for Digital Media (CDM) Game Design Bootcamp is a fun, hands-on – but intensive – course in which you develop a working video game from scratch.
In the CDM Game Design Bootcamp, you work on a team to build a unique playable game. You’ll discover how a video game is developed, from ideation to prototype, and learn skills like:
- game design and critique
- storytelling
- choosing team partners and working in groups
- improvisation and role play
- rapid iteration, prototyping and design essentials.
Each day starts out with fun, active exercises focused on effective communication, collaboration, listening and building trust.
These are followed by lessons on brainstorming, problem solving and project management that will help you explore and develop ideas, collaborate as a team, and understand how to scope a project.
In the afternoons, you’ll have a chance to try different software applications to develop your skills to create digital art, iterate designs and code game prototypes.
Meet your instructors:
JASON ELLIOTT is a digital media expert with more than 20 years’ development experience. He began his career in the mid-90s at Konami, then later, as a designer at Radical Entertainment, he shipped titles such as Hulk, Hulk Ultimate Destruction and Simpson’s Hit & Run. Jason helped develop one of the top 10 undergraduate game design programs in North America (according to the Princeton Review). He’s deeply engaged in the local digital community, and has volunteered with organizations including the Artery, IGDA, Full Indie and GameMakerVancouver User Group. He’s the president of the Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH chapter, and a consultant for industry groups including Cultural Human Resources Canada, Nordicity and New Media BC (now DigiBC).
MARS BALISACAN is a development director, senior game designer, and producer with twenty years of experience in the games industry. He has worked on games from mobile, casual, online multiplayer to AAA titles. He has managed teams in remote environments for various international studios, worked as a lead in technical, design, creative, and management roles for various game development start-ups, and co-founded three game development studio start-ups.
Course Format
This bootcamp takes place at the Centre for Digital Media (CDM) campus, Monday to Friday, 9am–3pm. CDM is a state-of-the-art building located approximately 30 minutes from UBC Vancouver.
If you choose to stay on the UBC Vancouver campus, we will help you get to and from CDM by public transit, a ride of approximately 45 minutes.
Note: CDM Bootcamp students follow a different weekday schedule than UBC Vancouver students. Instead of attending afternoon workshops at the UBC Vancouver campus, Bootcamp students have access to workshop materials online. Bootcamp students also can meet other Future Global Leaders through the Virtual Student Lounge. If you choose to stay on campus, you’ll participate in evening and weekend Future Global Leaders activities.
To Register
After you add the course to your cart, you’re asked to complete your registration by creating a new account or logging in. If you are a parent, guardian or other adult registering for the first time on behalf of your student, please create the account in the name of the high school student attending UBC Future Global Leaders, not in your name.
To register, click “Open all” under Available Sessions, select the applicable Type under Fees / Tuition. You can pay a CAD$500 now or pay in full. Select “Scheduled Payment” if you wish to pay a CAD$500 deposit now and the balance later. We will automatically process the balance owing on June 2 2023 for the Residence option and July 17, 2023 for the Commuter option. Do not select Scheduled Payment if you wish to pay in full now.
Click ADD TO CART. Once you have successfully added the items to your shopcart, click COMPLETE REGISTRATION to be directed to our online payment portal.