Here’s an updated version of the prompt – the prompt remains “unchanged”, this version just has more supporting text/clarifications on intent/etc. “The Masks We Wear…” remains the ‘formal’ prompt title. Itch.io jam pages have been updated accordingly.
From the literal masks we’ve worn in recent years to the metaphorical ones we put on every day, the idea of masks is deeply woven into our lives. We wear masks to protect, to conceal, to transform, and to express. Whether it’s navigating social expectations, hiding secrets, embracing a new identity, or even stepping into the role of a hero (or villain), masks shape how we interact with the world and how the world sees us. Your prompt for this showcase is “The Masks We Wear…” There are countless ways to explore this theme—be creative, take risks, and most importantly, have fun! We can’t wait to see what you create!
Hey nerds! We are in week 2 of Showcase production! By now teams should have finished their ideation/planning phases and moved on to their next steps. Recommended goals for this week are prototyping for game, and getting through preproduction steps for other media (Decide genre, pick exemplar films or scenes to mimic, build a plot diagram, start script writing, create a mood board, storyboard on paper with camera position and movement notes, audio notes, and blocking detailed, sound design and music style decided)
The 2025 Showcase Competitions are about to start!
Showcase Competition officially starts on March 10 at 7pm with our online Prompt Launch event! Event is open to everyone and will be held on Zoom at https://everettsd.zoom.us/j/9167070608
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:
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.
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.
For the fifth annual Advanced Media Entertainment Society (AMES) Film and Animation Design Competition and Showcase students were required to make a film or animation that used elements studied this year, from concept to design, and implementation. They competed at their local school level and five 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 May 18, 2024.
All classes were given the following prompt and eight weeks to complete a film or animation based on the prompt:
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 our guests, thank you for sharing this day with us to support our students.
Both events will take place on the Everett HS Campus in the “Little Theatre” building.
The school address is:
2416 Colby Ave
Everett WA 98201
The campus is huge and this isn’t where you want to be dropped off.
Here are some modified directions:
The red “not” sign is at 2416 Colby, which puts you in between the front lawn of our main building and the civic auditorium (neither of which you want to be in – and your bus driver might say something like “OH I know where to take you!” and they’re probably wrong – most guests are headed to the auditorium and that’s not where we are). The Little Theatre is in the back of the campus where the purple X is.
Modified directions:
Get into Everett however your map says to.
Once you’re off the freeway find 25th Street (most GPS’s will take you down Broadway, 25th will show up eventually).
Take 25th West (away from the freeway).
You’ll pass Colby – Skip it and make the next right onto Hoyt.
Start looking for a spot to park as soon as you start seeing 24th, sometimes it can be touchy.
There’s a small parking lot JUST past the little theatre – *DO NOT PARK THERE*.That lot belongs to the church next door and they’re super aggressive with the towing and stuff.
If you’re in a school bus, after unloading the bus, you should be able to find a spot either in front of the school (about where the red ‘not’ sign is on my map), OR on 24th and Rockefeller the student parking lot which should have some room.
Times:
Ani/Film (5/18): Doors open around 11:30 or so, tech check is 12pm-1pm, and competition will start at 1:00 PM.
Game (6/1): Doors open around 10:30 or so, tech check is 11am-12pm, and competition starts at 12:00 PM.
TARGET is to have both competitions end around 4 and be leaving by 4:30.
Times *MAY* get altered slightly as we get more data about who is coming/not coming.
Projector
The projector should work with HD resolutions so plan on building with that.
I am not certain if I will be able to access itch.io, which will prevent me from downloading things. Please plan on each team bringing their project on a flash drive just in case I am unable to download and/or connect to it. Unfortunately with our setup we will not be able to connect to the projector with a non-ESD device which considerably limits my options here.
For the eighth 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 Burien, WA at Puget Sound Skill Center on June 3, 2023.
All classes were given the same prompt and eight weeks to complete a film or animation based on the prompt:
Outstanding Achievement Awards in Video Game Design
Outstanding Achievement in Gameplay Mechanics Pasty Boys – “Day In, Day Out” Outstanding Achievement in Worldbuilding Asylum Seekers – “Seeking Asylum” Outstanding Achievement in Game Art Double Edge Studios – “7th Samurai” Outstanding Achievement in Character Performance The Ren Men – “Cityscape Sprint” Outstanding Achievement in Unique Perspective Team Namye – “Burnout” Outstanding Achievement in Sound Pasty Boys – “Day In, Day Out”
High School Video Game Design Winners
1st Place Blue Streak – “S.O.S” 2nd Place CHS Team 1 – “Pixel Tower Defense” 3rd Place CHS Team 3 – “Zombified”
Skill Center Video Game Design Winners
1st Place Pasty Boys – “Day In, Day Out” 2nd Place Double Edge Studios – “7th Samurai” 3rd Place Asylum Seekers – “Seeking Asylum”
Rubeus Quest Design: Izzy Quintanilla and Robbie Allen Programming: Katie Tillson
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.
AMES - Advanced Media Entertainment Society 