Learn how to make text-based games through the Twine game engine! Use your storytelling skills to create an adventure with words, learning tools that will enable you to participate in our Twine game making challenge on Saturday.
For more information about the Stumpquest Games Fest, visit the main event page.
OMSI Mini Maker Faire is this weekend, and Good Day Oregon has a highlight of the games we’ll be showing.
This year, we’ll be hosting youth games by Oregon Game Project Challenge teams for the first time. Visit the exhibit in the PEPCO building and explore these locally made games:
Learning Step; E-Lemon-Ators, Sunset High School
The Professional’s Choice Award of the 2013 Oregon Game Project Challenge (OGPC) and a Girl Scout Gold Award project, Learning Step is an educational video game for preschool & kindergarten aged children. The game reinforces concepts preschoolers learn in school through short educational mini-games including critical thinking, the alphabet, spelling one’s name, counting, and more. Presented through an engaging a story of cooperation, the game is accessible to both reading and non-reading children.
Developed by Michelle Nellis (art and voice-overs), Jeanie Pearson (team leader, programmer, designer)
Building Spree- Mars edition; Glitchbusters, Glencoe High school & School of Science & Technology
Building Spree won the ‘Best in Show’ at the 2012 Oregon Game Project Challenge’. It also won the Gold Medal and the ‘AMD game changer’ awards at 2013 National Scholastics arts and writing awards in the video game category.
In Building Spree, the year is 2030 and the United State of America has sponsored you for the hardest task yet. In this intricate tycoon game, you are the urban planner and on the barren flats of Mars, you need to build and manage a boisterous colony.
Developers: Andrei Blebea, Ashwin Datta, Kyle Hiebel, Justin Mellott
Modern Health Care-Call for Aid; Glitchbusters, Glencoe High school & School of Science & Technology
Modern Health Care –Call for Aid won the Best in show at the 2013 Oregon Game Project Challenge.
Manage a global non-profit organization devoted to the betterment of global health care. In real-time strategy, players guide regions to self-sufficient medical systems.
Developers: Andrei Blebea, Ashwin Datta, Kyle Hiebel, Justin Mellott
AfterMath, Robo-Programmers, Sunset High School
2055: all known sources of fuel are depleting and renewable resources can’t meet the world’s demands. In an act of desperation, scientists create //2, a plasma ball of pure energy, causing devastation across every continent. One of a few survivors, you must stop further damage even as //2 brings you closer and closer to a world without any technology.
PewPewPewPewPewPewPewPewPew, Josh Schonstal & Incredible Ape
A game where two people use two microphones to control one jet-pack equipped, shape-shooting spaceman!
Zero Zen, Michael Romero
Zero Zen is a fast paced action game about patience and timing. Fly a zero fighter and shoot at your enemies to push them into the red zone. Bullets don’t do damage, they just push. Be careful of the kickback!
Clobbr, Clifton B
Line up the blocks to create a path, take out the cat and save the day! Help your mouse friends escape in this series of short, adorable puzzles.
Canvasser, Jackson Lango
Your forest is in danger, and the only way you can save it is by raising money on the streets! Canvasser tells the tale of a street-bound fundraiser through a unique persuasion style of gameplay.
Besides OMSI’s Mini Maker Faire on Sept 14 & 15th, we have another opportunity for youth to play, make and design games together.
Saturday Sept 27 and Sunday 28th 2013, we are co-hosting the worldwide Indie Speed Run with the Portland Indie Game Squad and the University of Portland.
What is the Indie Speed Run?
Indie Speed Run can be summed up easily. It’s an opportunity. Sure, there’s the maelstrom of fame, money, and prizes that are going to magically tornado around your body once you slam-dunk your competition into submission with the greatest game ever programmed, but there’s a deeper, and (arguably) far more important concept at the heart of what we’re trying to accomplish: creation.
Youth are invited to jam from 1pm-7pm each day. We are happy to say, mentors from our community will be on hand to facilitate and offer guidance on programming, design, and art and animation. We have room for 20 youth jammers, so register now here for a space.
The event is FREE, but participants who pay the Speed Run entry fee can win prizes. Games will be judged by game industry professionals including such luminaries as:
Besides jamming to create new games, we have opportunities for volunteer to get involved and level up their skills. New volunteers need to attend one of our orientations, either September 23rd and 24th, at Woodstock Library. Interested by mentoring? Let us know here.
Meet other volunteer game changers and level up your skills to help youth participate in the Portland Indie Speed Run! Please register for Indie Speed Run volunteering here. The orientation and training is required for anyone who wishes to mentor youth during Pixel Arts events.
Meet other volunteer game changers and level up your skills to help youth participate in the Portland Indie Speed Run! Please register for Indie Speed Run volunteering here. The orientation and training is required for anyone who wishes to mentor youth during Pixel Arts events.
From the successes of our first Youth Game Camp, we are assessing the camp with feedback by youth, parents and volunteers. Please join us to learn more and celebrate with a Pixel Portraits and Game Party, Sunday, August 18th 7-9pm!
Hosted at Cafe au Play (5633 SE Division St, Portland, OR), a non-profit, kid-friendly venue with inside and outside play areas and a full menu including gluten free and vegan options. Light party snacks will be provided.
Come to:
In other exciting news, great community partners are helping develop new programs and support services including paid internships and job training.
We are working with Portland YouthBuilders’ Youth Media program, which focuses on giving students of under-served demographics the opportunity to create professional video and audio PSAs, print design campaigns, and logos at discounted rates for nonprofits. They will be collaborating to create a mini-documentary based on our September game jam; we’re thrilled to be working with their youth for future events!
We’re also solidifying plans for a “training the trainer” program with Self Enhancement, Inc., a nonprofit organization supporting at-risk urban youth in NE Portland at 8 schools. By developing an open program together, we will be able to offer volunteers training for mentoring and work opportunities in game education.
We’ll be sharing more news about the partnership programs soon! Please contact us for more information or to get your learning community involved.
Join us at the Mini Maker Faire – a family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity and resourcefulness, and a celebration of the Maker movement. It’s a place where people share what they are making and learning. Pixel Arts will be present with interactive youth- and adult-created game projects and their makers at the Portland Indie Game Squad booth!
September 14-15, 2013, 10am-5pm each day.
$12 for adults; $8 for youth (3-17) and seniors.
To showcase your game or game-related project, fill out our Game Expo Registration form!
“My favorite part was making a demon bunny for a video game. I thought it was really fun making him from good and adorable to evil and scary. The challenge for me was to draw the back and front of him. I still can’t really get the arms right but it will work out. Throughout the day I had so much fun and I can’t wait to learn more tomorrow!!!”
–Eliza, a Youth Participant
Youth working together to develop shared ideas and solutions in art and animation.
On July 27 and 28th, 38 youth between the ages of 9-17 jumped into Pixel Arts’ Youth Game Camp and explored games from multiple perspectives. As Eliza’s enthusiastic response shows, youth found their own confidence to try, fail and try again. Discovery and success through failure is an important opportunity that, when supported, can encourage newfound drive and enthusiasm.
Our volunteer community and Portland YouthBuilders acted as a tremendous support in the form of 30 volunteer mentors and program aides. We were able to provide 12 unique learning activities over the course of our two-day weekend. Learners were able to transition between the topics of art and animation, design, and computer programming and logic. We also set up creative activities in the hallway and in the clay room in case they needed a break.
“I always wanted him to try coding, but he had never had a chance. He finally got to try it at the camp, and now he is hooked. That’s what he wants to do.” A Parent’s Thanks.
Based on our early assessment, the camp was a huge success! We created a safe, intergenerational learning environment where youth could try their hand at many different roles. These roles supported key 21st century skills in creative problem solving through collaboration and communication. The success of the camp was reflected in the many thanks from youth and parents, and early assessment shows they want to see more opportunities for youth. To get an outside perspective on what took place during the camp, check out the articles covering our story in the Hillsboro Tribune, PSU Vanguard, and Oregon Ask.
So what comes next? Over the upcoming weeks, we are assessing the camp to understand what worked and what to improve. By using pre- and post-camp surveys, we are gaining clear feedback about the learning needs of youth. We are excited to share the results at our upcoming kid-friendly celebration, the Pixel Portrait Party at Cafe au Play. Please join us in August to hear about future camps, play games and make art together!
If you can’t join us, please sign up for our newsletter to stay informed.
Meet other volunteer game changers and level up your skills to help with our Youth Game Camp. The orientation and training is required for anyone who wishes to participate in the camp.
