Unity meets strategy at the Northern Game Design Challenge (NGDC)

It is crunch time at the largest game design event in the region, the Northern Game Design Challenge (NGDC). 

Contestants of all age groups have picked a theme, chosen their weapons and are now just putting some final touches on their games before its showtime. 

At 5 p.m. Sunday, 27 teams wrapped up what they describe as a ”fun, and creative event.” 

The teams will then give a five-minute presentation to either all their fellow contestants or only to the judges via recording. 

The winners will be announced in a month. This year the prize on many people's mind is two tickets to E3, a premier trade event for the video game industry in Los Angeles, where they will have the opportunity to glance at the future of gaming. 

Organizer Mike Daoust, an avid gamer himself, is “pretty stoked” to say the least to see how the event has grown in just two years. 

“Our first year we had 12 contestants, which we thought was pretty good and in just two years we have 27 teams with varying experience,” Daoust said.

Dynamic Earth was converted to a sort of makeshift campground. Crumpled sleeping bags, coffee mugs, energy bars are all telling a story - these contestants are here to have fun. 

“We do not come here to win, we are here to make the most ridiculously creative game that we can think of in 48 hours,” said Daryl Dominique a veteran game designer, and a familiar face at this event.

“There are very few opportunities where you get 48 hours to just focus on something creatively. It is also a lot of fun to see what other people come up with."

Forty-eight hours may seem like a short time to design a game from the ground up, but as Daoust points out, it is actually a really long time. Working in unity (also the platform for game design) is ultimately is the name of the game. 

“Artistic skills really start to fade when you do not get enough sleep. I make sure to get at least seven hours of sleep from 1 a.m. to 8 a.m. Our strategy is to work in shifts so that we can be most productive,” said Kaitlynn Anderson-Butcher, artistic talent at team Ecstatic. 

“I tried staying up two years ago, and the last six hours are kind of a blur of the event. Last year I tried staying up, and I got the flu for a 24-hour period. So this year I am taking my 8-to-10-hours nap and just trying to be there for my team,” said Kaelen Renault, who is wrapping up the code for a 2D shooter alien lawyer game.