RCS Senior Deondre English

Video games are always fun, but creating and developing a video game is even better! Students in the Capital Region BOCES Career and Technical School - Game Design and Implementation program are currently preparing for a national competition by creating their own video game.

RCS Senior Deondre English (pictured above, left) is among several Capital Region BOCES students designing and creating video games for the 2022 Games for Change (G4C) Student Challenge. The Games for Change (G4C) Student Challenge is a national game design program and competition that invites students to create digital games about real-world issues impacting their communities. The challenge provides many opportunities for the students including in-school and after-school game-making courses, student game jams and workshops, mentorship from games industry professionals, and much more. 

The students’ game is only in the very early stages, but students who win the competition earn $10,000 scholarships and other prizes for their hard work.

During a recent class, English and his team were working on various stages of a “city builder” game.

“I like that we are gaining new skills and experience that will help us in a career, and I love that I get the opportunity to share what I have already learned,” said English.

English and 90 other students in the Game Design and Implementation program learn the “ins” and “outs” of video game design, 3-D modeling, and computer programming. They also learn the history of games and create a wide variety of games, including board games, card games, and dice games while exploring various art concepts during the first year. During their second year of the program, they take the next step and learn about 3-D modeling. 

For more information on career and technical school programs, go to https://www.capitalregionboces.org/career-technical-education/courses-programs/.