New York, NY, June 15—Totally new games to play, dedicated gamers in supportive community, plus industry pros leaning *IN*—#ARCADE 2024 marks another smash success. Over 100 students jammed the Urban Arts Learning Lab to 🍕🍪🍿, to play, to celebrate their work, and to cheer the Studio Teams on as they pitched their year-long efforts to big-time pros from the gaming industry.

Studio is Urban Arts’ most advanced cohort within this multi-level #freegamedesignprogram. Teams mimic real indie studios with established Lead Roles and they spend a full year crafting an original game from pixel to production. They’ve got to learn to ideate, create, collaborate, pivot, and lead on deadline. At Arcade, each student presents their portion of the #gamedesigndocument to #industrypros who give advice and direction as well as access and exposure to the gaming industry.

Our VIPS—the brains behind games like #streetfighter #Borderlands #Bioshock #NBA2K #Civilization #MarvelsMidnightSuns #WitcherGame #RADARjAM #BigBoss #VillainSimulator #dragonball—offered deep 🔊 insider #intel. Students could ask them anything, like:

• Working styles—’What’s it like working for a larger company versus an indie studio?’
• Next-up tech—’How has artificial intelligence technology impacted the gaming industry?
• How to handle creative dry spells—’Have you ever questioned the path you were going down? Or felt like you couldn’t make a game?’
• Navigating career—’You’ve all held multiple positions within your companies. What do you want to do next?’

The 2024 Teams

Studio S.T.I.C.K.M.A.N.
Game Design / Narrative, Mahnoor
Project Manager, Art Lead, Mohammed
Game Design / Narrative, Samiat
Programmer, Programming Lead, Tarin
Artist, Amelie
Programmer, Elyjah
Creative Director, GD/Narra. Lead, Irene
Programmer, Daniel
Music , Darlyn
Artist, David

JUST A MIND TRAILER

GAME LINK https://stickman-studios.itch.io/jam

Studio AristoRats (not a typo! 🐀)
Artist, Raven
Programmer, Aidan
Project Manager, Game Design Lead, Amanda
Game Design / Narrative, Anna
Music, Chris
Creative Director, Programming Lead, Djuensie
Artist, Art Lead, Dylan
Programmer, Eason
Game Design / Narra., Narrative Lead, Jenny
Artist, Karen

THE VANISHING ENIGMA TRAILER

GAME LINK https://aidain21.itch.io/aristorats-game

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For more information: Jen Walter, Director of Marketing and Communications, Urban Arts, jen@urbanarts.org