Power Up: Game Design Lab
The 10-month intensive workshop, Power Up!, offers participants the opportunity to take their game from prototype to gold. Participants work as a team of designers, programmers, and producers to create a complete video game that explores a social, community, or global issue. The collaborative environment fosters a sense of connection and community while encouraging critical thinking about games, their production, representation, and underlying messages. Utilizing industry-standard software, Unity Game Engine, participants will create unique video games and publish their work for the world to enjoy.
The workshop culminates in Pixel Gallery, a launch party where participants’ games will be green-lighted for release.
Play the video game created by the 2023/2024 Power Up team:
DIG! SHOVEL! GO!
Dig! Shovel! Go! is a free arcade style game available on desktop computers. Grab your mouse and keyboard and get ready to dig through the environment and gather as much “happy money” as you can before the time runs out! Enjoy pixel-art storytelling cutscenes between each level.
This game lightheartedly explores the consequences of exploiting the planet for monetary gain. Keep an eye out for fun easter eggs as you play!
Join Power Up
Want to design or develop a video game? Power Up is for you! Every fall, we open applications to young aspiring designers, programmers, and artists to make a video game with a message that makes a positive impact on the world. As a team, you’ll learn about how games are made, representation in games, and the messages they can hold, plus you’ll use industry-standard software (Unity Game Engine) to publish your work for the world to play.
Looking to build your design skills?
Take one of our foundational design classes! Foundational design classes are available to ages 12 – 19. Explore foundational design classes »