love video games? want to learn how to make them?
These school holidays, learn the basics of making your video own video games in Level Up workshops at Capital E. From virtual reality to physical games, Level Up’s lineup of workshops for anyone aged 7-12+ has a little bit of everything. If you live in Wellington and are looking for something to do these school holidays, you can’t beat Level Up.
Let’s check out the awesome game dev workshops at Level Up this year.
create an ar/vr pinata game
Suitable for ages 10-12 and 12+.
Augmented and virtual reality are here to stay! In this two-hour workshop, you’ll learn how to make a virtual reality game for you and your friends to play. Using a program called Mixiply, you’ll code your own Javascript game and even import 3D models.
By the end of the session, you’ll have a complete game where you’ll throw rubber ducks at a pinata until it bursts!
Workshop dates:
Tuesday 23 April, 3:00-5:00 pm (Ages 10-12)
Friday 26 April, 12:30-2:30 pm (Ages 12+)
virtual reality gameplay level 101
Suitable for ages 10-12.
Use professional game development tool, Unity, to make your very own virtual reality space. In this workshop, you’ll work in pairs to design a 3D environment to explore and interact with using virtual reality technology.
Workshop dates:
Tuesday 23 April, 12:30-2:30 pm (Ages 10-12)
how to draw and design animals and monsters
Suitable for ages 10-12.
In this creature creation workshop, you’ll learn how to draw and develop unique monsters and animals to include in your own games. You could be making your own Pokemon, Minecraft monsters or Yo-Kai. The sky is the limit!
Workshop dates:
Tuesday 23 April, 12:30-2:30 pm (Ages 10-12)
Wednesday 24 April, 9:30-11:30 am (Ages 10-12)
sculpting with 3D pixels
Suitable for ages 12+.
Push your art skills into the world of 3D pixels! These 3-dimensional pixels are called voxels and they can be used to create all sorts of exciting game scenes. In this workshop, you’ll learn to build objects with voxels using a program called MagicaVoxel. Because the software is free, you can even continue making your voxel scenes at home!
Workshop dates:
Friday 26 April, 9:30-11:30 am (Ages 12+)
making games with gamefroot
Suitable for ages 9-10.
Make your very own Super Mario Brothers inspired video game with a New Zealand touch! In this workshop, a game developer from Gamefroot will teach you how to use this simple tool to create complete multi-level video games. You’ll walk away with your own published game and the ability to continue making games at home.
Workshop dates:
Tuesday 23 April, 9:30-11:30 am (Ages 9-10)
Wednesday 24 April, 9:30-11:30 am (Ages 9-10)
how to write characters for video games
Suitable for ages 10-12+.
Do you love crafting epic stories? Learn how to bring your character into an interactive game with an award-winning narrative designer. You’ll go through the steps to create a memorable video game character, develop backstories and write compelling personalities. At the end of the session, you’ll get to practice pitching your story – a must-have skill for a career in game development.
You’ll also take home a workbook to continue developing your character at home!
Workshop dates:
Wednesday 24 April, 12:30-2:30 pm (Ages 10-12+)
game on! content creators and esports athletes
Suitable for ages 10-12+.
Can’t get enough of Twitch? If you like watching League of Legends or Minecraft streams and want to start your own, this is the workshop for you! You’ll learn how to record and edit gameplay footage to get involved in eSports and content creation. In addition to industry tips and tricks, you’ll get to talk about what kind of content is right for you to create and how to be a great, respectful eSports professional.
Workshop dates:
Wednesday 24 April, 3:00-5:00 pm (Ages 10-12)
online/offline – making games in webpages
Suitable for ages 10-12+.
If you’re interested in programming, this workshop is an absolute must. You’ll get hands-on with Javascript code face challenges that will stretch your creative thinking. Learn to apply both critical and creative ideas to a video game code and produce a simple web-based game.
You don’t need any experience with Javascript – you’ll learn it all here!
Workshop dates:
Wednesday 24 April, 12:30-2:30 pm (Ages 10-12+)
Level Up workshops are a great way to have fun these school holidays while learning some valuable skills, both digital and creative! For more information about the Level Up workshops, you can message the NZ Games Festival Facebook page.
If you’d like to register for a workshop, just click the button below! Workshops are $10 per person, per workshop.
