More than a Game: LEGO Game Jam Challenges Students to Rebuild

At NYU Shanghai’s LEGO Game Jam, held on April 14-16 in the IMA studio, students answered the challenge to create a digital game in just 48 hours. More than 60 students from six universities competed in the event. Students from Tongji University, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai Conservatory of Music, and Shanghai Normal University teamed up with NYU Shanghai students to design games. 

This was the third NYU Game Jam, and the first after a long break due to pandemic restrictions. Sponsored by the Danish toy manufacturer the LEGO Group, the competition asked students to create games on the theme of “rebuild.” The games were made using a LEGO template on Unity, a platform used by game designers to create video games. 

_{A student uses LEGO bricks to make a duck as part of a challenge at the Game Jam launch.}

The Game Jam opened with a demonstration of a well-known exercise that all LEGO employees take part in when they join the company. Two students were given six LEGO bricks and asked to use them to build a duck in just one minute. The exercise demonstrates that there are more than one way to create and play. 

VP China Digital Technology at the LEGO Group Judy Zhu, spoke to the participants about the importance of playing games. She recalled her own memories of playing computer games as a college student. “It helped us to de-stress, and most importantly we made friends,” she recalled. “When we return for our reunion, we might not remember our thesis, but we always remember the time we spent playing games together.”

Zhu noted that while children have been building and playing with LEGO bricks for nearly 100 years, now the LEGO Group wants to jump into the digital generation. The LEGO Group’s digital team has grown to 80 people in just three years. Her team at the LEGO Group is focused specifically on the China market, and she said she was particularly excited to encourage the students at the Game Jam to think creatively and perhaps collaborate in the future. “We want to inspire you, and we want to be inspired by you,” she said. 

 
_{Students working on designing games at the Game Jam.}

Clinical Instructor of IMA Zhang Xingchen (Ian), who organized the Game Jam, said such competitions offer important skills that students can’t learn in the classroom. “Not only do they offer them a chance to hone technical skills and work collaboratively, but they also foster creativity and innovation in a high-pressure environment,” he said. “Students are encouraged to take risks, experiment with new ideas, and learn from their mistakes.” 

Students took on different roles and formed teams of up to five students. IMA student Mingway Lee '25, joined a team in the artist role. “Everyone knew what they were doing,” she said of her team. “Everyone had ideas, and it was a really good cooperation. I was lucky.”

Her team created a game with a strong narrative story-line that created an alternative ending to Franz Kafka’s novel Metamorphosis. “It’s a cool idea to combine literature, art, and computer games,” she said. 

_{Screengrabs of Re-Metamorphasis, a game designed by NYU Shanghai students as part of the Game Jam.} 

First-year computer science student Gankhulug Bayaraa joined a team as a designer. While he’d had experience working on 3D modeling and augmented reality, he’d never used the Unity platform before. “I wanted to challenge myself,” he said, and do something close to his interests. Language turned out to be an unexpected challenge—he was the only non-native Chinese speaker on the team—Bayaraa said he really appreciated how welcoming his Chinese teammates were. They taught him how to use the platform and helped him through tough spots in the design process. While 48 hours may seem like a long time to create a game, he said the time flew by.

_{A screengrab of After Havoc, one of the student-designed games created during the Game Jam.}

One of the goals of game jams like the one at NYU Shanghai is to get students excited about game design. Bayaraa said while he’s looking forward to finding out who won, “it’s more about the experience and meeting new people and working as a team.” He added he now is inspired to use his summer break to gain more experience creating computer games. Lee said after participating in the Game Jam, she now hopes to take a class on video game design and learn more about the field of game design.  

Zhang said that’s exactly what he was hoping for. “Game jams provide an opportunity to network with peers, students from other universities, industry professionals and potential employers,” he said. “They can be an important catalyst for personal and professional growth and are highly recommended for anyone pursuing a career in the gaming industry or related fields.” Zhu also encouraged the participants to seek out more such opportunities. 

The LEGO Group announced three winners at an awards ceremony at their Shanghai office. 

Winners:

First Place: After Havoc

Second Place: Re Metamorphosis

Third Place: Christmas Day