Spelman College continues its mission to increase diversity in the video game industry with its third annual HBCU Game Jam, an event aimed at introducing Black students to game development and fostering industry connections.According to a recent survey by the International Game Developers Associatio n, Black professionals make up only 5% of the gaming workforce. To address this disparity, Spelman is hosting a weekend-long event from March 28-30, 2025, to provide students with hands-on game development experience and industry mentorship.This year marks a milestone for the event, as it is entirely student-led, by an eight-person student team. Amongst this team is Denae Troupe, a senior computer science major at Spelman who transferred from Sarah Lawrence College specifically to join Spelman’s Innovation Lab.Students gathered at a table for HBCU Game Jam on Friday, March 28, 2025. Photo by Noah Washington/The Atlanta Voice“I actually wrote my transfer application about the Innovation Lab because when I was looking at schools, I knew I wanted to get into game development,” Troupe said. “It was really important to me that they had a strong program.”Her participation has also yielded tangible results: upon graduation, Troupe will join Maxis Studio as a gameplay engineer, bringing her passion and expertise to the gaming industry.The event kicked off on March 28 with an inaugural day-long conference, this will be followed by a 24-hour hackathon where students will collaborate in teams of four to create video games. Jaycee Holmes (above), a professor of interactive media at Spelman College and co-founder of CodeHouse, during HBCU Game Jam on Friday, March 28, 2025. Photo by Noah Washington/The Atlanta VoiceNia Brunson, a senior computer science major and one of the co-chairs of the event who has witnessed the Innovation Lab’s growth firsthand, from participating in her early years at Spelman to now helping organize it. “The Innovation Lab started off so small, and it was an amazing space then,” Brunson said. “Now, with this new dedicated space, students have even more opportunities to learn and create. The school and the team deserve this, and I think they’ll do amazing things for Spelman and the entire HBCU community.”Having participated in the Game Jam during her sophomore and junior years, Brunson is excited to be on the organizational side.“I love that the Game Jam welcomes people with no prior game development experience. Over 50% of our applicants are new to gaming,”  Brunson said. “That’s why we’re holding workshops on asset creation, using Unity, and providing mentorship—so everyone feels supported.”“One challenge in previous years was that workshops and networking events happened during the actual Game Jam, taking time away from development,” Bronson explained. “So, this year, we separated those activities into a standalone conference day.”“Over half of the students have never made a video game before,” said Jaycee Holmes,  a professor of interactive media and co-director of the Spelman Innovation Lab. “We want them to realize what they’re capable of and understand there’s a welcoming gaming industry eager for their voices.”The Game Jam is expected to include participants from approximately nine HBCUs. Major companies like Zynga, Microsoft, Unity, Boeing, and CodeHouse are sponsoring the event and offering industry-sponsored prizes.The Game Jam weekend will take place at Spelman College’s Mary Schmidt Campbell Center for Innovation and the Arts and the AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library. Photo by Noah Washington/The Atlanta VoiceWith the official kickoff set for March 29 at 10 a.m., Bronson expressed a mix of excitement and nerves. “This is my first time organizing something like this, so I’m eager to see how everything comes together.”The Game Jam weekend will take place at Spelman College’s Mary Schmidt Campbell Center for Innovation and the Arts and the AUC Robert W. Woodruff Library.For Troupe, participating in past Game Jams has been a valuable experience, helping her sharpen her skills and work collaboratively under pressure. “I’m a big advocate for game jams and hackathons because they give you an opportunity to assess your skills and work on something you’re really proud of”.The post Spelman College hosts HBCU Game Jam to boost Black representation in gaming appeared first on The Atlanta Voice. ...read more read less