Oxford Students took part in a nationwide challenge to create a new video game in just 48 hours.

The youngsters at SAE Institute in Littlemore joined in the Global Game Jam 2020 from January 31 to February 2.

Alongside fellow students in London the challengers created a total of 10 games, including one which they made with BAFTA award-winning Bossa Studios.

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The SAE Oxford students joined the jam by using video calling program Skype to stay in touch with their London partners.

They made a game where players control a Grim Reaper-type character and have to explore a surreal landscape and 'repair as many souls as possible'.

Oxford Mail:

The city team was made up of game art animation students Emma Watts, Carys Lacey, Chris Tsikas, Rebecca Martin, Aidan Whiting and Andrew Walsh, as well as their lecturer Aidan Coughlan.

Aidan Whiting said: ​“Game Jam was a great opportunity to see what it feels like to follow the whole pipeline and at the end of it, as a team, have produced an entire working game.

Oxford Mail:

“It felt very rewarding to be able to play a game that we had worked on and see what we were capable of.”

The teams' finished game had to revolve around the theme of 'repair'.

The Oxford team called their Grim Reaper-themed game Grim Repair.

In it, players can compete either against another human player or against the computer to 'harvest as many souls as possible'.

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SAE Oxford campus director Richard Peirson said:​ “I’m proud to see the finished game produced by the students and Oxford and London teaching teams. Despite the obvious time pressure they have created a slick and enjoyable game that is testament to their hard work and the skills they have been honing over the course of their studies under Aidan’s expert guidance.”

Oxford Mail:

Oxford’s game art animation students joined forces with a London-based games programming lecturer, Erik di Biase to create their game.

Mr di Biase said: ​“The game jam went well, and the Oxford team and myself grouped up at the end of the first day.

“The Skype collaboration was effective, as it allowed us to successfully communicate and figure out game mechanics and game designing features without too many problems. The Oxford team focused on making all of the asset-based content from 2D to 3D characters and the environment.

Oxford Mail:

“They also made the level design to their liking as I focused on the code side. Once the level had been finished, I implemented post-processing effects to make sure everything blends together.”

SAE Institute is a creative media college which offers degree courses in subjects such as game art animation, web development and audio production.