Game Dev Summer School 2025
Our third summer school was a week of practical game design. Every morning, attendees worked through hands-on design sessions that built up to a playable prototype by Friday. Afternoons brought crash courses, industry talks and round tables.
Speakers
Researchers, industry developers and our own club members.
Joseph Brown
Thompson Rivers University
Procedural content generation, game design principles and crash courses
Aaron Gordon
Brace Yourself Games
Game design
Aryo Nazaradeh
Sound design
Justin McMichael
Industry speaker
Gavin Edwards
TRU IEEE Student Branch
Daily design sessions and round tables
Plus partner sessions from Diversion (version control) and Rive (deployment-ready UI).
Schedule
Design sessions every morning, building toward a playable prototype.
Monday, June 23
- DesignGame Feeling
- Design8 Kinds of Fun
- SessionVersion control with Diversion
- SessionDeployment-ready UI with Rive
- Round tableGDC
- Welcome dinner
Tuesday, June 24
- DesignGoals & Subgoals
- DesignGoal Evaluation
- SessionUnreal Crash Course
- Round tableXP Summit
Wednesday, June 25
- DesignProblem Solving
- DesignFlow & Core Gameplay
- SessionUnity Crash Course
- Round tableGame Engines
Thursday, June 26
- DesignResonance & Thematics
- DesignMechanics
- SessionProcedural Content Generation
- SessionGame Design Principles
- Round tableGame Engines / IEEE Pitch
Friday, June 27
- DesignDepth & Complexity
- DesignGame Premise & Mechanics Brainstorm
- DesignRules & Prototyping
- DesignPlaytest, Feedback & Final Play Test
- Round tableSummer School wrap-up
- Closing dinner
Organizers
TRU IEEE Student Branch · Gavin Edwards, Chair
TRUSU Game Dev Club · Geordie Stenner, President
Faculty · Joseph Brown
With TRUSU Gaming, the TRU CS Club and the TRU Faculty of Science. Supported by a TRUSU Educational Activity Grant.