- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s CRUX Lab hosts Global Game Jam 2020

John Hill — Wed, 19 Feb 2020 14:45:23 +0000

Sixteen local game enthusiasts took part in from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2 at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. In just 48 hours, they created seven new games for the world to enjoy. “This was our third year hosting the Global Game Jam at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s CRUX Lab, and it was the biggest and best one yet,” said graduate student Olivia Dunlap, a co-founder of Little Rock Game Designers who co-led the event with alumnus and co-founder Robbie Hunt. Global Game Jam is similar to a hackathon but is focused on game development. Over 48,700 people participated in Global Game Jam 2020 from 934 locations spanning 118 countries. Participants were given a “Repair” theme and then had 48 hours to create a game. Dunlap said she especially appreciates how the event not only brings together people of all different backgrounds and skill levels, but also helps to grow the local game development community. “Every year, the whole place is just buzzing with creative energy and lots of fun, smart people helping brainstorm, problem-solve, and playtest each other’s games,” graduate student Loren Snow said. “It’s exhausting, but well worth it to have a functional game to show off at the end. The inspiration stays with me long after the weekend has passed, and I also make a bunch of new friends every year.” Computer science major Kyle Hooks said Global Game Jam is one of his most favorite events of the year. “Getting a chance to work with old friends and new ones on games is good fun and great practice for my programming and design skills,” Hooks said. “The fact that it’s not a competition makes it much more relaxed, too, which I think helps people think outside the box without added pressure.”

Global Game Jam 2020 participants write their skills on a whiteboard to form teams. Pictured left to right are Robbie Hunt, Kyle Hooks, Olivia Dunlap, Dr. Joe Williams, Zach Bolt, Dr. Joyce Carter, and Emily Hillyard.

This year’s participants included ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students Mark Barnes, Zach Bolt, Dunlap, Snow, Venus Mitteer, Bushra Sajid, and Skylar Whitehurst, as well as Travis Bailey, Alex Barton, Sean Beasley, Erik Frederick, Emily Hillyard, Hooks, and Hunt. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock employees joined in on the fun, including Brad Sims, media and online instruction specialist for the College of Education and Health Professions, and Jason Zak, lead artist at the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Emerging Analytics Center. Tanner Marshal, a computer science graduate student, and Dr. Joe Williams, associate professor of rhetoric and writing, helped run the event, and Dr. Joyce Carter, chair of the Department of Rhetoric and Writing, cheered on the teams. “This was my first time participating in Global Game Jam,” said Bushra Sajid, a computer science major. “It was fun working with my team and felt amazing when we turned an idea into reality in just 48 hours. I will definitely participate next year.” Snow said she is primarily an artist, but is learning to program through osmosis. Snow worked on a team to make a game titled “Larry Fixes the World” while simultaneously working on a solo project called “Dr. Smesh’s Nightmare Emporium.” “Our jammers made a total of seven new games, all of which are really creative and did totally different and interesting things with this year’s ‘Repair’ theme,” Dunlap said. The games are available on the . They include: Dr. Smesh’s Nightmare Emporium by Loren Snow – Dr. Smesh helps his patients deal with their nightmares. His methods are questionable. Dream Theory by Robbie Hunt and Alex Barton – Dream Theory is a logic puzzle with a light narrative. What happens in your brain when you have a lot on your mind and you wake up with a new outlook and the perfect solution to your problems? In Need Of Repair by Sean Beasley – Ideally, this physics-based construct could walk smoothly and naturally. In practice, it is a bit wibbly-wobbly. Using left and right arrows, a center motor will drive the locomotion of legs and move the construct.

Kyle Hooks designs his game “Iterate.”

Iterate by Kyle Hooks and Mark Barns – “Give your life to repair the Great Machine.” Iterate is an atmospheric, replayable puzzle game about transcendence, about many parts contributing to the greater whole. Each Iterator you play as, uniquely and randomly generated, lives for only a brief moment in time. However, your combined efforts (be they multiple lives of your own, or others) will ultimately open the gates to become one with the Sparkmother, the Great Machine, that looms over you in the distance. The game is intended to be played in separate, repeated sessions, where progress made in each 20-second cycle is persistent. Larry Fixes the World by Zack Bolt, Travis Bailey, Bushra Sajid, Emily Hillyard, and Loren Snow – You play as the handyman, Larry. The object of the game is to repair the various broken things in your life. Choose your tools wisely. Medic Mech by Skylar Whitehurst, Venus Mitteer, Alex Barton, and Jason Zak – Repair them…it’s all you know. Endlessly you repair others like you, fueling the engine you reside within. Parts must be ordered and quality is key because the engine must continue to run. The sound of explosions rumble through the walls of the factory. You fear not for your safety. You fear for the survival of all you know. The Trash Garden by Olivia Dunlap and Brad Sims – Playing as one of many small creatures in a world of broken things, embark on a quest to make something beautiful from the trash all around you. Interact with other trash denizens to help them grow and to help your garden grow, too. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s event was sponsored by the Department of Rhetoric and Writing and . For more information about other game design events in central Arkansas, email Olivia Dunlap at ocdunlap@gmail.com.

The ��Vlog��ý Little Rock CRUX Lab team created seven new games for the world to enjoy during Global Game Jam 2020.
Pictured in the photo at top are Zach Bolt, Bushra Sajid, Emily Hillyard, Travis Bailey, and Loren Snow.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock gamers create app for Clinton Presidential Center exhibit

Ajani Oyindamola — Mon, 08 Oct 2018 16:02:24 +0000

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock professor, student, and alumnus have created at the Clinton Presidential Center. The app was built to accompany the exhibit, which is on display at the Clinton Presidential Center from Sept. 8, 2018, to March 24, 2019. This exhibit explores how the Clinton administration worked to improve the environment, the green building design elements incorporated into the Clinton Presidential Center, and ways to make sustainable living a part of everyday life. The exhibit uses videos, augmented reality games, hands-on interactives, photos, and text to teach about those themes. The creators of the app include Joseph Williams, associate professor in the Department of Rhetoric and Writing; Tanner Marshall, a graduate student in the Department of Computer Science; and Robbie Hunt, a ��Vlog��ý Little Rock alumnus. All three are members of the Little Rock Game Designers and a company called Little Rock Games. “The app has three components,” Marshall said. “One part is a sustainable homebuilding game, another is an informational component where you can read virtual placards throughout the exhibit, and there is a scavenger hunt where you find hidden markers throughout the exhibit.” The app uses augmented and virtual reality and took more than 100 hours to create. Williams’ favorite part of the app is the homebuilding game, which allows users to virtually build a home to see the environmental outcomes of their choices. “There are pieces that represent how big the house is, flooring and roofing options, and other choices that can make the house energy efficient,” Williams said. “You encourage people to be cognizant of how these choices change the overall impact that their house has on the environment. The interface gives users a green rating for how well they are doing, and it tells them how much the house will cost. If they make green choices, when they are finished the house will show plants and happy animals. If they choose poorly, you may see acid rain at the end. It gives them a visual representation of the outcomes of their choices.”

A screenshot from the app developed for the “White House, Green Building” exhibit at the Clinton Presidential Library.

Museum Curator Christine Mouw said the app has been a positive addition for the exhibit, and she is hoping to incorporate more apps into future exhibits. “They were so great to work with and customized the games to fit our exhibit and our ideas, and they taught us so much about what could be done,” Mouw said. “The end product is fabulous. We’ve gotten so much positive feedback. People are spending a lot more time in the exhibit than they otherwise would, playing the game! I hope we can put games into more of our exhibits in the future.” In choosing projects for their company to complete, Williams said they look for “games that make a difference in people’s lives.” “Our unofficial company mission is to design and work with games that have some sort of social impact,” Williams said. “That matters to us. This project ties to an interest in sustaining world climate and livability.” “The kinds of things we are interested in as a group go beyond games and technology,” Marshall added. “When we can work on a project that has a broader impact, that is meaningful.” In the upper right photo, members of Little Rock Games include (L to R) Tanner Marshall, Brad Sims, Olivia Dunlap, Joseph Williams, and Robbie Hunt. Photo by Ben Krain/��Vlog��ý Little Rock Communications and Marketing.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock game creators raise more than $27K to manufacture game

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 14 Aug 2018 19:38:52 +0000

A group of University of Arkansas at Little Rock employees, students, and alumni who created a space-western storytelling card game – dubbed Galactic Scoundrels – have reached their online fundraising goal to raise enough money to have the game manufactured, breaking their fundraising goal by more than $10,000. The creators of Galactic Scoundrels include Joseph Williams, associate professor in the Department of Rhetoric and Writing, Tanner Marshall and Olivia Dunlap, graduate students in the Department of Computer Science; Brad Sims, instructional designer and media specialist for the College of Education and Health Professions; and Robbie Hunt, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock alumnus. Kevin Cates, associate professor of graphic design, joined the team and created all of the art for the game. Williams and crew, who co-founded the Little Rock Game Designers group in 2014 and last year formed a company called Little Rock Games, started a to raise enough money to have the game manufactured. The game creators set a goal of $17,000. By the end of the campaign on July 25, a total of 666 backers donated $27,430 to turn the game into a reality. “The campaign went really well, and we were blown away. In the last 48 hours of the campaign, we raised almost $4,000, and everyone was feeling a lot of joy,” Williams said. “We were so thrilled. At the beginning of the process, I was worried we wouldn’t even get funded. This is the first time any of us have tried anything like this. To have it this successful the first time around is really amazing for all of us.” Galactic Scoundrels is inspired by beloved fictional scoundrels like Han Solo from “Star Wars” and Malcolm Reynolds from “Firefly.” Players gamble and bluff each other to win a job and then tell the shared story of that job by playing cards. Each job is a mini-adventure lasting 15-20 minutes with spaceships, crew, cargo, strange and wonderful characters, and exciting twists. The game has simple rules, which can be learned in about 10 minutes. This allows players to emphasize storytelling, negotiation, and social interaction.

Galactic Scoundrels

Their Kickstarter backers reached two stretch goals – a funding target set by the project creator beyond the original Kickstarter goal – meaning that gamers will receive a thank-you gift from the Galactic Scoundrels creators in the form of 10 additional game cards that will create extra twists and turns in the game. Williams said they are planning an initial run of about 800 games that should be delivered to their Kickstarter backers in January 2019. Meanwhile, the developers are already working on their next game. Dunlap and Marshall came up with the idea for a video game called To The Rescue, where players learn how to run an animal shelter and help real-world shelters by supporting the game. “People can make it a charity experience for themselves,” Williams said. “We believe that games can be more than entertainment, that they can used to do something meaningful in the world. This is a game that definitely fits that category.” In the upper right photo, the creators of Galactic Scoundrels include: (L to R) Tanner Marshall, Brad Sims, Olivia Dunlap, Joe Williams, and Robbie Hunt. Photo by Ben Krain/��Vlog��ý Little Rock Communications and Marketing.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock game designers start Kickstarter campaign to manufacture new space-western game

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 28 Jun 2018 20:37:18 +0000

A group of University of Arkansas at Little Rock employees, students, and alumni have joined forces to create a game to bring out the space scoundrels in all of us.

The space-western storytelling card game – dubbed Galactic Scoundrels – is inspired by beloved fictional scoundrels like Han Solo from “Star Wars” and Malcolm Reynolds from “Firefly.” The game is designed for 3-5 players to play for 90-120 minutes.

“It started out with an idea of telling space scoundrel stories. When I was a kid, I wanted to be Han Solo,” said Joe Williams, associate professor in the Department of Rhetoric and Writing and lead designer of Galactic Scoundrels.

Williams started designing the game with Tanner Marshall and Olivia Dunlap, graduate students in the Department of Computer Science; Brad Sims, instructional designer and media specialist for the College of Education and Health Professions; and Robbie Hunt, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock alumnus. Kevin Cates, associate professor of graphic design, joined the team and created all of the art for the game.

“I’m older now, but my friends and I still want to tell great stories when we get together for game night, but we don’t have time to generate those stories over weeks, or months, or years. Usually, all we have is an hour or two. It lets us tell the crazy, quirky, sideways tales we love.”

Players gamble and bluff each other to win a job and then tell the shared story of that job by playing cards. Each job is a mini-adventure lasting 15-20 minutes with spaceships, crew, cargo, strange and wonderful characters, and exciting twists.

The game has simple rules, which can be learned in about 10 minutes. This allows players to emphasize storytelling, negotiation, and social interaction. A full game lasts 90 minutes or so, but players often just play as many stories as they feel inspired to tell.

Galactic Scoundrels

Williams and crew, who co-founded the Little Rock Game Designers group in 2014 and last year formed a company called Little Rock Games, have started a to raise money to have the game manufactured. They have already raised nearly $11,500 from 271 backers by June 28, so odds seem favorable that they will reach their $17,000 goal by July 25.

Backers can pledge $5 to get a print and play PDF version of the game, $25 for one copy of Galactic Scoundrels, and $40 for the game plus an expanded universe card pack. Those who pledge $75 or more get the extra honor of designing a card for the expanded universe card pack.

If the Kickstarter campaign is successful, Little Rock Games plans to produce an initial launch of 500 games that they will sell to online and brick and mortar retailers. Williams said two local game stores have already ordered advance copies of the game.

Williams will be interviewed on the radio show “,” which broadcasts on 101.1 FM at 1 p.m. Saturday, June 30. The show will be, and listeners can call in during the show at 501-823-0965 or tweet @ShanePlays.

“I think we are just really excited,” Williams said. “None of this would have been possible without us connecting at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. We love that the university provides a creative place to generate ideas like this and let them grow.”

In the upper right photo, the creators of Galactic Scoundrels (L to R) include Brad Sims, Robbie Hunt, Joe Williams, Tanner Marshall, and Olivia Dunlap.

Game design enthusiasts develop 5 games in 48 hours at Global Game Jam

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 09 Feb 2018 14:17:50 +0000

Ten game lovers got down and dirty during the 48-hour Global Game Jam event held Jan. 26-28 at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

Those two days were marked by tears, anger, frustration, and little sleep, but the end result was a moment of triumph as the participants, some who had no previous game development experience, banded together to complete five creative games in a short time period.

“It was exhausting, but incredibly rewarding,” said Olivia Dunlap, a ��Vlog��ý Little Rock senior and co-founder of Little Rock Game Designers who led the event. “I was able to stay up for 36 hours straight without dying. Everyone was very energetic and positive, but there were a few tense moments as the clock started to run out.”

This is the first time ��Vlog��ý Little Rock has participated in Global Game Jam, which is similar to a hackathon but is focused on game development. Nearly 43,000 people participated in Global Game Jam 2018, resulting in 8,597 games developed at 803 sites in 108 countries. Participants were given a theme and then had 48 hours to create a game.

The participants included ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students Zach Bolt, Olivia Dunlap, Kyle Hooks, Tanner Marshall, co-founder of Little Rock Game Designers, Geoffrey Townsley, and Loren Snow, as well as Alex Barton, local artist, Robbie Hunt, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock alumnus and co-founder of Little Rock Game Designers, Joe Williams, associate professor of rhetoric and writing, and Jason Zak, lead artist at the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Emerging Analytics Center.

“This year’s theme was transmission,” Dunlap said. “I feel like it was a good theme because it allowed for some good interpretations and some very interesting stuff came out of it. Across the world, people made car-driving games; some interpreted it as a transmission of information or the transmission of disease. There was a lot of variety.”

You can check out the games on the. They include:

“A��ܲ�” by Zack Bolt, Geoffrey Townsley, Loren Snow, and Jason Zak

A small, fast-paced strategy game where players have to simultaneously bring peace and balance to four planets by transmitting heat, cold, life, and technology among them while managing breakouts of war and disease.

“Chaotic Good” by Joe Williams

A narrative game where players converse with people to determine if they have contracted a mysterious disease while trying not to be infected. Players must choose the fate of the people, and the disease in question isn’t quite what it seems.

“��ǳ��پ��ٲ�” by Olivia Dunlap

A short narrative cyberpunk game with many beginnings and one ending. Color is indicative of your android’s archetype. Players choose a palette, and see how their choices can affect it while following a mysterious call toward the center of a sprawling city.

“Got a Moment?” by Kyle Hooks and Alex Barton

An old man is tasked with imparting his wisdom to a young girl struggling with life. Players give her advice to influence her choices in a balancing act of managing logic, empathy, selfishness, and compromise in a volatile relationship.

��ٲ��” by Robbie Hunt and Tanner Marshall

A card-matching puzzle game with a twist; players must answer the mysterious Salgreb’s questions, and the cards seem to move. Players must figure out the patterns to succeed.

While many people assume that art, design, and coding skills are needed for game development, Dunlap hopes to show people that anyone can help create a game.

“The cool thing about game design is that there are some really accessible tools,” she said. “For example, there is a tool called Twine that is a text editor that allows writers to easily create branching stories. It’s a robust tool, but is also easy to pick up for first timers or anyone who isn’t programming-minded. There are a lot of options for people who can’t do art or code. Anyone who is interested in game design can come to an event like this and learn a lot.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s event was sponsored by the Department of Rhetoric and Writing, Little Rock Game Designers, and Little Rock Games. For more information about other game design events in central Arkansas, email Olivia Dunlap at playlittlerockgames@gmail.com.

In the upper right photo, participants in the 2018 Global Game Jam brainstorm ideas for new video games. Back row (L to R): Zack Bolt, Tanner Marshall, Geoffrey Townsley, Alex Barton, Joe Williams, and Kyle Hooks. Front row: Olivia Dunlap, Robbie Hunt, and Loren Snow.

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

����Vlog��ý Little Rock’s CRUX Lab hosts Global Game Jam 2020

����Vlog��ý Little Rock gamers create app for Clinton Presidential Center exhibit