Global Game Jam 2025 at LaSalle College Vancouver: A 72-Hour Creative Challenge
For 72 hours, across 795 sites in 97 countries, thousands of passionate game developers came together with one goal: to create a video game from scratch. The Global Game Jam (GGJ), the world’s largest annual game development event, provides a platform for individuals from diverse backgrounds to collaborate, innovate, and push their creative and technical limits in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment. This year, LaSalle College Vancouver was proud not only to participate but also to celebrate the incredible achievement of our students, whose game, Critical Core 2, was recognized as one of the best from the event by Game Hosting Website GX Games.
From January 25 to January 26, 2025, the LaSalle College Vancouver campus transformed into a creative hub, welcoming 62 participants, both in-person and remotely, including current Game Design and Game Programming students and industry professionals, who came together to develop original video games based on the year’s theme: Bubbles. Over three intense days, participants engaged the full game development cycle, from concept to execution. Teams brainstormed, sketched ideas, and assigned roles, ensuring a balance between creative vision and technical execution. Designers focused on world-building, character development, and UI/UX elements, while programmers coded gameplay mechanics, refined animations, and conducted testing. The final hours were a race against the clock as teams polished their projects and submitted them to the official Global Game Jam platform before the deadline.
The outcome? 17 games, developed by various teams from LaSalle College Vancouver, were uploaded to the Global Game Jam platform, each showcasing the ingenuity and talent of our students. Among them, Critical Core 2, created by LaSalle College Vancouver students Benjamin Halko, Haoxi Dong, and Jack Yau from the Bachelor of Science in Game Programming, stood out, earning recognition as the best Global Game Jam game of 2025 on the GX Games website. This achievement highlights the dedication and effort the team invested in bringing the game to life, alongside the invaluable mentorship and guidance of instructors Charles Cue and Lisa Smedman, who supported them through every stage of development, from ideation to execution, over the weekend. Click here to check out all the games: Games | Global Game Jam
In addition to our Vancouver campus, LaSalle College Jakarta also participated in this global event, further emphasizing the collaborative spirit within our international community. Check out the collaboration recap reel we created to capture the experience!
Beyond the competition, Global Game Jam is a testament to the growing influence of the gaming industry in Canada. With over 821 active studios nationwide, more than 140 of them in British Columbia alone, the gaming sector continues to be a hub of innovation, contributing $5.1 billion to the economy and employing over 30,000 professionals annually. As the industry expands, so do opportunities for aspiring game designers and programmers looking to make their mark.
At LaSalle College Vancouver, we are committed to fostering the next generation of game industry professionals by providing cutting-edge instruction, hands-on learning experiences, and direct access to industry leaders. Whether you are passionate about, Game Design or Game Programming, our programs offer the perfect foundation to turn your creativity into the career of your dreams.
Interested in becoming part of the fast-growing world of game development? Explore our programs and take the first step toward an exciting future in the industry.
