Game Design for Older Kids

Our Video Game Designer camp is built for beginners and budding creators alike. Over four mornings, campers won’t just “learn about” games—they’ll build them. Using GDevelop’s visual event system, students create multiple playable projects while picking up real design habits: planning a feature, testing it, fixing what breaks, and polishing the result so it feels great to play. Every session ends with quick play-testing circles, where kids try each other’s games and swap friendly feedback.

Arcade Foundations with Asteroids
We launch with a classic: a top-down Asteroids style game. Campers learn the basics of GDevelop’s interface, then wire up player controls (turning, thrust, and shooting), collisions, scoring, and lives. Once the core game works, we talk “game feel”—tuning speed, adding screenshake or a thruster trail, and sprinkling in sound effects so every button press feels satisfying. The last block is pure creativity: power-ups, tougher enemy waves, or even a boss asteroid. By the end of day one, everyone has a finished, replayable arcade game.

Touch Controls & Speed in Cyberpunk Mobile Racing
Next, we switch to a completely different genre: a fast, mobile-friendly racer. Students set up lane-change or tilt/tap controls, spawn traffic and obstacles, and adjust difficulty so the track always feels fresh. We add pick-ups (nitro, shields, coins), build a simple user interface for score and speed, and create a clean game-over/try-again loop. Then comes the look: neon tracks, HUD icons, and punchy sound effects. Kids leave with a game that runs smoothly on touch devices and feels like something they could share with friends.

Logic & Level Design in Sokoban
Midweek is puzzle day—great for problem-solving and patience. Campers build grid-based movement, pushing crates to targets, and a clear win condition. We introduce tilemaps so students can design their own levels, and add quality-of-life features like reset and undo. The room always gets quiet here—in a good way—because everyone’s deep in puzzle-maker mode, trying to make levels that are clever but fair. The final block is a quick “mini release”: kids bundle a small level pack, trade laptops, and watch friends try to solve their creations.

World-Building in a Mini Metroidvania
We close with an adventurous platformer that ties the week together: tight movement, clear goals, and a world worth exploring. Students set up run/jump physics, simple enemies, checkpoints, health, and camera follow. Then we introduce gated progression—keys and doors, switches that open paths, and a mini-map layout that loops back in smart ways. The last session is polish and presentation: ambient music, backgrounds, particle effects, and a quick peer showcase so everyone gets to show what they built and what they learned.

What kids take away
By the last day, each camper has four different games—arcade, racing, puzzle, and platform adventure—plus the confidence to keep going at home. Along the way they practice real design thinking: breaking problems into steps, testing quickly, and making choices that prioritize the player’s experience. No prior coding is required; we meet students where they are, celebrate every milestone, and make sure everyone goes home proud of what’s on their screen.

If your child loves games, loves art, or just loves making things that other people enjoy, this camp is a fantastic fit. They won’t just play games—they’ll leave as game designers.

All camps are conducted in English.