2024 AMES Video Game Design Super Showcase

For the ninth annual Advanced Media Entertainment Society (AMES) Game Design Competition and Showcase students were required to make a game that used elements studied this year, from concept to design, and implementation. They competed at their local school level and three teams won the right to represent their school and compete at this state-level event in Everett, WA at Everett High School Little Theatre on June 1, 2024.

2024 Prompt

All classes were given the same prompt and eight weeks to complete a game based on the prompt:

“Artificial but not intelligent”

2024 AMES Games Reel

Itch.io Showcase Page

• amesshowcase.itch.io

Super Showcase Judges

Crystal Reid
Crystal started working in games in 2010 as a QA Tester at ArenaNet. She had an opportunity to transition to design where she specialized in combat encounters from scalable open-world creatures to Raid bosses. Currently, she’s at Bungie working at a studio level overseeing NAC (Narrative, Audio & Cinematics) in a strategic role. She’s probably on her 4th playthrough of Baldur’s Gate 3 by the time you read this.

Kevin Martens
Kevin started in games as a writer in 1998 on the Baldur’s Gate series at BioWare. While there he made Neverwinter Nights, Jade Empire, and Dragon Age Origins. He has also worked on Diablo III, and World of Warcraft at Blizzard Entertainment and currently leads the Design Department at Bungie Inc. His favorite part of game design is finding new combinations of elements in a game that make all of them feel fresh again.

Timothy Cobb
Tim started working in games in 2021 after finishing school at Full Sail University. He is currently an open-world content designer on the MMO Guild Wars 2. His most recent work was on Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure. Tim enjoys breaking apart game worlds and finding things that help keep players immersed.

Clayton Kisko
Clayton has 15 years of experience in the games industry spending most of his time on live service games both as a content creator and team lead. Some of the games Clayton has worked on include Madden, Tony Hawk, and Guild Wars 2. Currently, Clayton is working on creating activity content for Destiny 2’s seasonal release content where the focus is on encounters, boss fights, and engaging combat spaces for the players.

Competition Chairman & Event Hosts

Nellie Hughes
As a game design industry veteran of 20 years, Nellie Hughes has worked on games such as City of Heroes, Champions Online, Star Trek Online, and Guild Wars 2 in various ways. She now resides as a Design Director at Xbox Publishing, helping guide the team and department to be the best they can be.

Liz Bell
Utilizing a passion for games and teaching, Liz has been teaching kids from 5 to 18 how to make their own video games. They now work as a Franchise Business Consultant for Code Ninjas, helping over 60 locations across the West Coast that teach kids how to make games.

Super Showcase Program

Super Showcase Rubric

Awards Ceremony

Outstanding Achievement Awards in Video Game Design

Outstanding Achievement in UI/UX: How to Train an AI

Outstanding Achievement in Character Design: Lost Strings

Outstanding Achievement in Unique Perspective: Toaster Noir

Outstanding Achievement in Sound: Toaster Noir

Outstanding Achievement in Controls: Project Virtualize

Outstanding Achievement in Gameplay Mechanics: Hope to God

Outstanding Achievement in Worldbuilding: Firewall

Outstanding Achievement in Art: Dingledoff Takedown 302

High School Video Game Design Winners

1st Place: Toaster Noir

2nd Place: Public Wizard Transportation

3rd Place: Astral Outlaw

Skill Center Video Game Design Winners

1st Place: Project Virtualize

2nd Place: Hope to God

3rd Place: Lost Strings

YouTube Playlist of the Event

Comprehensive High School Competitors

Capital High School

Olympia, WA

Scott Le Duc
Video Game Design Instructor

Public Wizard Transportation

https://chsgamedesign.itch.io/chs-period-4-team-6

Art: Arlo McMillin-Hastings, Nate Donahue
Sound: Larry Yount
Programming: Bryce Roberts, Leo Martinelli

Toaster Noir

https://chsgamedesign.itch.io/chs-period-4-team-4

Art: Azure Holbein-Rizzieri, Jacob Cotey
Design: Colton Nabors
Producer: Ethan Cotey
Sound: Connor Pratt

URB

https://chsgamedesign.itch.io/chs-period-4-team-1

Design/Music: Nicky Evans
Design: Landen Guthrie, Spencer James, Cohen Apley

Everett High School

Everett, WA

Jim Flatmo
Video Game Design Instructor

Astral Outlaw

https://patater-man.itch.io/astral-outlaw

A For Effort
Art: Andrew Contraro
Programming: Wiley Greenway
Music: Demetrio Garcia

Robot Fixer

https://everetthsgames.itch.io/

Coding Cowboys
Art: Finnigan Davis, Tyler Gilbert
Programming: Jameson Rose, Joseph Swisher
Music: Rowan Davis

Roomba Craze

https://everetthsgames.itch.io/2024-roomba-craze

Team Ruby
Art: Aiden Geer, Markeese Lyons
Design: Anh Luong
Programming: Alex Muellenbach, Jessica Guerrero

Skill Center Competitors

Northwest Career & Technical Academy

Mount Vernon, WA

Jason Pasimio
Video Game Development Instructor

Dingledoff Takedown 302

https://norcat-games.itch.io/dingledoff-takedown-302

The Doffer Offers
Art: Raven Allen, Sophia Kuhnlein
Design: Javier Garcia
Producer: Danielito Robb-Bryan
Programming: Angel Zepeda

Hope To God

https://norcat-games.itch.io/hope-to-god

Garbage Code
Art: Keith Cox
Design: Lorenzo Ressa
Programming: Elijah Pasimio, Leif Wedin

How to Train an AI

https://norcat-games.itch.io/how-to-train-an-ai

Scrungo Inc.
Art: Connor Banks
Programming: Corbin Cuthbert, Gavin Poortinga

Sno-Isle Tech Skills Center

Everett, WA

Derek Sturm
Video Game Design Instructor

Lee Anne Lumsden
Animation Instructor

Project Virtualize

https://derekherrerasturm.itch.io/2023-24-q4-pm-11

Intranet Studios
Art: Finch Germaine, Sophia Bond
Programming: Dylan Cantu, Marcus Klammt

Firewall

https://derekherrerasturm.itch.io/24-q4-am-7

Seaspray Studios
Art: Cale Ha, Lizzy Tanner, Em Madsen
Design: William Stevenson
Programming: Benicio Burgos

Lost Strings

https://derekherrerasturm.itch.io/2023-24-q4-am-6

Snoozing Studios
Art: Satine Watts
Programming: Braden Nichols, Jackson Martin, Lapis Krueger, Ruth-Anne Jones

Thank You!

We would like to thank our Advisory Committees for going above and beyond in their help with curriculum steering, helping students with their projects, and constant support for our programs.

We would also like to thank our industry representatives for attending this event and being part of our panel. We really appreciate everything you do!

A special thank you to itch.io for hosting our Showcase.

To all of our guests, thank you for sharing this day with us in support of our students.