Aspiring game developers and Java programmers!  If you'd like to learn game development with Java this summer, sign up for this educational game jam series!  

So how does this work?  For three months (June, July, and August), there will be a new jam.  For the first two weeks of the month, I will be posting resources and links to help you learn how to program in Java, and how to use your programming skills to make games.  We'll also be talking about how to design games, so that you will know how to take a game idea from a basic concept to a playable version.  All of this information will be posted in the forum for each jam.   

The second half of the month will be the actual game jam, where I'll give you a theme and a set of criteria, and you can use what you've learned in the first half (and the previous months) to make a short game.  You can then submit for others to play!  

If you've never developed a game before, but always wanted to, or if you're looking to learn Java as a new skill, this jam series is for you!

Be sure to check the forum throughout the month for new topics and resources, including how to set up Java on your computer!

Why Java?
As a tutor and developer, one of the most common questions I get from students is what language should they learn.  There's lots of options out there, and I could go over the pros and cons of each, but I want to make it really simple for you and make the decision.  So now that that's out of the way, you can focus on learning and having fun! 

It would also be really difficult for me to give you all of the specific information you'd need if I was trying to cater to several different languages at once.  I do most of my tutoring and teaching in Java, so that's what we're going with for this first series.  We can look at other languages for future jams.

Java is also a great market skill to have, even if you decide you don't want to make games for a living.  You can read more about the demand for Java here.  If you're interested in Android development as a career, you'll be pleased to learn that Android apps are written in Java!

For students who want to participate over the summer, Java is also the language taught in AP Computer Science, and in many college-level programming classes.  This jam will get you to a good start if you want to take classes in the fall!

If you're ready to start, check the forum for how to get Java set up on your computer!