Over 200 future devs take part in Ukie’s biggest ever Game Jam

The 2025 Ukie Student Game Jam is well underway, with 203 students competing in 56 teams. All participants are part of Ukie Students, our year-round programme for students on video games courses at colleges and universities across the UK. Each team, made up of up to six students, has been paired with an industry mentor to guide them throughout the Jam.

As a fully remote event, students are collaborating from computer labs across the country. They’re staying connected via a dedicated Discord server, which has quickly become a supportive, feel-good community of over 270 students, faculty, and industry professionals. Teams and mentors are exchanging ideas, troubleshooting issues, and, importantly, sharing photos of their pets for some much-needed mid-Jam morale.

We’re thrilled to have mentors from top studios including Rare, Playground Games, Jagex, Lucid Games, Sports Interactive, Frontier Developments, Dlala Studios, and more. Their expertise has been invaluable, offering guidance on everything from project management and programming to sound production and concept art. With a third of this year’s 60 mentors returning from last year’s Jam, they’ve also been sharing tips and advice with each other.

The Discord server has become a treasure trove of industry insights, such as:

“For every feature, ask: ‘can we not?’. If you can get away without making it, do so. When something works, ask: ‘do I hate it?’. If you don’t, move on and polish it later.”

 

Creativity and collaboration on display
Students have embraced the creative spirit of the Jam, branding their teams with charming and unique names such as Blobby Bobby, Loot Goblins, Oddly Shaped, Ghosts on Toast, Cowboy Supermarket, and the modestly titled ‘SUPER MEGA AWESOME TEAM’.

In partnership with Playground Games, this year’s theme is contrast, inspiring a range of creative interpretations. Teams are exploring light and dark, colour contrasts, chemical reactions, predator-prey dynamics, and tonal juxtapositions. Early previews include a cute/horror mashup from Team I’m Hungry, offering a glimpse into the playful and imaginative concepts emerging from the Jam.

Returning talent and rising stars
We’re delighted to see many students returning from last year’s Jam. The first completed submission came from Yuvraj, a returning jammer, with his “goofy time manipulation puzzle platformer” Rewind Time! Also back is last year’s champion Charlie from Norwich University of the Arts, who won Best Moment-to-Moment Gameplay for his retro roguelike shooter error404. This year, he’s teaming up with Andy, aiming for a second trophy in 2025.

Finally, the Ukie Student Game Jam is an incredible opportunity for students to develop their skills, work to deadlines, and gain valuable industry insights. None of this would be possible without the generous support of our partners: Playground Games, Scan Computers, Barclays, Discord, and Epic Games. From all of us at Ukie, and on behalf of the jammers, thank you.