2024 GMG-
San Mateo Parents Guide
Welcome!
I am delighted to welcome you to the 11th summer of Girls Make Games!
Eleven years ago, I launched an educational games studio with my husband and co-founder, Ish. He loved video games with a passion, and had successfully convinced me to leave my think tank job in Washington DC to create games that would educate and empower kids. We were young, and our minds were bursting with ideas. But when I started building my team, I noticed our jobs ads were flooded with resumes from young men. When I went out to games conventions and showcased our game demo, kids lined up to playtest – nearly all boys.
“Where are the girls?” I couldn’t shake this question off.
Girls Make Games came into existence almost by chance. I envisioned it as a space where I could meet girls and understand their perspectives on video games. I wanted to learn how we could develop a company and products that would genuinely appeal to all kids, including girls.
That first camp in 2014 changed everything. I watched girls come out of their shell - they were no longer “the only girl in their friend group who likes games”. They didn’t have to hide, or pretend to be someone they were not. Amidst tears, and hugs, and “see-you-next-years”, I realized we just couldn’t close the door on these kids. Girls Make Games had become their summer home.
So, I went back to my team of 6 young men and said, “I’m sorry, but I’ve got to do this. Can we put a pause on our game for a year or two?”
Fast forward to a decade later, my first game is still half finished, but every year at camp I remind our incoming class they’re going to eventually help me finish it when they grow up!
Eleven years sounds like a lot, but it has gone by in the blink of an eye. I am grateful for the opportunity to spend these memorable summers with you all and for the trust you place in Girls Make Games. I am incredibly proud of all the talented game developers who have graduated from our summer camps, as well as those who will be joining us this year!
A big Thank You for being a part of GMG’s summer and community; I hope your daughter/camper has the most amazing summer and I look forward to hearing how it goes.
Here’s to another #GirlPower summer of game making!
Laila Shabir
Founder and CEO, Girls Make Games
//Camp Overview
Live, guided instruction.
All camp participants will learn fundamentals of game development through group instruction led by a mentor (Camp Counselor)
Small groups of 4-5 participants per Counselor
Each participant will collaborate on a team game with their group to be entered to Demo Day, a chance to present their game and win prizes!
Community building (i.e. make new friends!) via online games, community contests and more!
Meet industry role models: Speaker sessions and special modules led by industry experts. A chance to learn about careers and pathways in the video games industry
//Guide Contents
8. Camp Lunch
10. Prep for Camp
11. Camper Services & COVID-19 Waiver Form [Action Item]
12. FAQs
13. Contact GMG
14. GMG World [Action Item]
//Camp Logistics, Dates & Hours
//Camp DELIVERY:
All camp instruction and interaction will be delivered at:
Crystal Dynamics, 2855 Campus Drive, San Mateo CA 94403
//CAMP Dates:
July 8-26, 2024 (Mon-Fri only)
//CAMP Hours & Schedule:
10AM - 4:00PM Daily Extended care available from 8:30am-5:30pm
See full breakdown in “Daily Agenda” below.
//CAMP Parking and Entry Instructions:
Plenty of parking is available around the building. There will be a Crystal Dynamics sign on top of the front door.
Please enter the building from the main entrance.
A GMG team member will meet you there on the first day and show you the elevators that take you to the 2nd floor where camp is being held.
//Daily Agenda
8:30 - 9:30 AM
// Early Drop off
9:30 - 10:00 AM
// Regular Drop off
10:00 - 10:30 AM
// Games & Research Time 🎮🕹️
10:30 - 11:00 AM
// Industry Speaker Session 🎤
11:00 AM - 12 PM
// Lab + Instruction Time 💻
12:00 - 1 PM
// Lunch and Activities (Get some relaxation in! :D)
1:00 - 3:00PM
// Lab + Instruction Time
Learn new concepts + work on your game
Spend the last 10-15 mins play testing + QAing!
3:00 - 3:30PM
// Break
Stretch + move or Let’s get some snacks! 🍊
3:30 - 4:00 PM
// Play games! 🎮🕹️
4:00 - 4:30PM
// Regular Pickup
4:30PM - 5:30PM
// Late Pickup
*The schedule does not apply to: Final Presentations Day [Last day of camp]
// Back to Contents
//Three Week Overview
Our camp curriculum is designed to encourage exploration of game making tools in a safe, collaborative setting. Campers will experience community building through team games as well as participate in fun games + activities and contests!
//Week 1
Introduction to fundamentals of Game Design and camp game engine: Construct 3. Each participant will receive group instruction led by a Camp Counselor. Later in the week, campers will form a team within their age cohort (Jrs. 8-12 or Teens 13-18) and brainstorm ideas for a game together that they will work on for the rest of camp. GMG will facilitate team formations.
For advanced Teens and repeat GMG Teen Participants, there will also be an option to choose Unity. GMG will assess if a Teen student is eligible to be in the Unity Track.
//Week 2
Campers continue to experiment and expand their knowledge of game engines, building their games and creating art. The goal of the second week is to have a playable demo demonstrating core game mechanics and game world.
//Week 3
Campers spend 2-3 days polishing their games to be complete and playable, then learn to ‘pitch’ their games to their group. Campers selected to present at Demo Day will be notified at the end of camp!
// Back to Contents
//Curriculum Topics
In a span of 3 weeks, participants cover topics including:
1. Game Design
2. FUNDAMENTALS OF Game Programming
—Game logic, building in Construct 3 or Unity (for Advanced Teens only)
3. Game Art –
—Creating, animating and importing art assets
4. Music and Audio Engineering –
—Creating, editing, and importing game audio
5. Pitching and Presentation Skills
6. Other Highlights:
Industry Guest Speakers
Games and Contests
Enter Demo Day for a chance to win Prizes sponsored by GMG’s Partners - Take Two Interactive, Nintendo of America, Crystal Dynamics, PlayStation and more!
// Back to Contents
//Demo Day & National Competition
Our favorite day of the year! This year, top 3 games from each category – Teen and Jr. — from around the country will present their game and vision to a panel of judges and live online audience.
Demo Day winners will receive exciting prizes sponsored by GMG’s Partners: Take Two Interactive, Crystal Dynamics, Nintendo of America, PlayStation and more!
Demo Day 2024 DATES TBA
Watch the 2023 Virtual Demo Day
2015 Demo Day held at Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California
Meet the 2023 Winners here, and check out the
published games for Winners from 2014-2019!
// Technical Requirements & Laptops
ALL TRACKS
Computer Mouse
One of the supported browsers:
Google Chrome 80+ Firefox 102+ Safari 14.1+ Microsoft Edge 80+
*Google Chrome preferred*
CONSTRUCT TRACK OS SPECS:
Windows: Windows 10, 11 or newer
Mac: OS X / macOS 10.13 or newer
Chrome OS: Any Chrome OS device updated to v80+
OR
UNITY TRACK (SELECT TEENS ONLY) OS SPECS:
Windows: Windows 7 (SP1+), Windows 10, and Windows 11, 64-bit versions only.
Graphics: DX10, DX11, and DX12-capable GPUs
Mac: 10.14+ (Intel editor), 11.0 (Apple silicon Editor)
Graphics: Metal-capable Intel and AMD GPUs
Please be sure to provide administrator access on your child’s device or we may have to call you during camp for login information!
Participants are required to bring their own computers. The upside is that the girls are then able to take their projects home and continue working on them without interruptions.
// In case a participant does not have a laptop, they can request for a loaner laptop from GMG at a minimal cost ahead of camp.
[Update] With camps really close, we're unable to provide rental laptops after June 21st. If you still have an extenuating circumstance and cannot bring a laptop to camp, please email us at support@girlsmakegames.com and we'll look into an alternative.
//Before/After care
We offer both early drop off and late pick up for our San Mateo location.
• EARLY DROP OFF HOURS: 8:30am – 9:30am
• LATE PICK UP HOURS: 4:30pm – 5:30pm
To sign up for these services, please see the Camper Services + COVID-19 Waiver Form section
*If you need earlier / later hours, please let us know and we’ll try our best to make accommodations.
//Camp Lunch
DAILY MENU *
Sammich Monday: Variety of Deli Sandwiches, Subs
Taco Tuesday: Tacos, Burritos, Quesadillas, Fajitas
Burger Wednesday: Cheeseburgers, Reg Burgers, Veggie Burgers! :)
Chow-Mein Thursday: Variety of Asian dishes
Pizza Friday: Variety of Pizza
Campers have the choice of bringing their own lunch everyday, or purchasing through GMG for $15/day.
GMG will provide lunch free of cost to scholarship recipients for all days requested on the Camper Services Form below.
Healthy snacks like fruit, veggie chips, and granola bars provided throughout the day at no cost. *Menu may vary based on location, all families will be notified in advance. We’ll provide a full refund if you choose to opt out due to changes.
Please try to pre-purchase lunch through the camp services form ahead of time as it helps us plan.
If your child comes to camp without lunch and you have not pre-paid for this service, our Camp Coordinator will reach out to you to get your permission to purchase lunch for your child. You will then be invoiced for any lunches the coordinator purchases that were not pre-paid for through the camper services form.
Should you decide not to opt-in for lunch at this time, you can email the coordinator a day at least a day in advance if you’d like to opt-in for any lunches in the week or coming weeks. Our team will send a bulk invoice for all the days you opt-in for at the end of camp.
To sign up, please see the Camper Services + COVID-19 Waiver Form section
//Who’s Teaching?
Our staff comprises of independent game developers as well as students from some of the top Computer Science and Game Dev programs in the country like USC, MIT, DigiPen, and UT Austin.
Industry Guest Speakers share their expertise and journey to inspire young game devs. Past speakers include industry veterans such as Tim Schafer (creator of Psychonauts), Kellee Santiago (Journey, Flow), Pavni Diwanji (VP Engineering, Google)
Each camp is headed by a Camp Coordinator – your main point of contact for the duration of the summer camp, and 3-4 Camp Counselors. Camp Coordinators communicate with GMG HQ and handle day-to-day logistics, while Counselors lead instruction and mentorship at camp.
>> You will hear directly from your Camp Coordinator the week before camp starts.
//Prep for Camp
Can’t wait for camp? We totally get it! :D
Here are a few things you can get started on before joining us:
• Brainstorm ideas and game genres:
One of the best parts about making games is researching and brainstorming what your game is going to be about. Make sure to take notes, draw sketches and bring them in at camp!
• Review Game Engines
Take a look at the game engine we’ll be working in: Construct 3. This is not a requirement and we’ll cover pretty much everything from scratch, so no worries if you don’t get to it!
• Play the 2023 Demo day Finalists games!
2023 Demo Day Finalists Games: https://www.girlsmakegames.com/2023-demo-day. This helps give an idea of what you can do in just 2-3 weeks! :)
// Back to Contents
// Camper Services + COVID-19 Waiver Form
The form below covers all sorts of important information that will help us run a smooth camp.
Please be sure to be as thorough as you need. Include dietary restrictions, and medical and emergency information.
This form also includes information on GMG’s COVID-19 Policy and guidelines: COVID-19 Guidelines. Please be sure to read this before filling out the form.
Form Link: >> Camper Services and COVID-19 Waiver
DEADLINE: FRIDAY, JULY 5
// Back to Contents
//Summer Camp FAQs
What’s the best way to reach GMG?
Email support@girlsmakegames.com or call our HQ (833) 464-7877 or (833) GMG-SUPP :). Please note this number is only active for the duration of the camp, Mon-Fri, 9:30am-7pm Eastern Time (EDT), July 8-26, 2024.
MY DAUGHTER HAS NEVER PROGRAMMED BEFORE, IS THIS CAMP RIGHT FOR HER?
That’s A-OK! Our curriculum is designed to be flexible for all age groups and coding levels. Campers work in teams of 3-5, supported by a dedicated team counselor. Nearly 2/3rds of our summer camp attendees have limited coding experience, so your daughter will have plenty company :)
MY DAUGHTER HAS EXTENSIVE PROGRAMMING EXPERIENCE AND HAS MADE SEVERAL APPS, IS THIS CAMP RIGHT FOR HER?
Fantastic! Making a team game is a great way for your daughter to flex her coding muscles, and help bring her team’s vision to life. There’s so much more to game development than programming alone - game design, art, animation, teamwork, even marketing and entrepreneurship!
CAN MY DAUGHTER BE ON THE SAME TEAM AS HER FRIEND?
Yes, of course! Camp staff conduct a survey before sorting teams so the campers have a chance to share who they’d like to be with.
Where can we see more pictures of what camp looks like?
Our Facebook page is a treasure trove :) https://www.facebook.com/girlsmakegames/photos_stream
Can we miss a day(s)?
Generally that’s OK. Since the campers are working on a team project, it would come down to how they want to share the workload. Team Counselors may assign homework to make up for the lost time.
WHAT IS YOUR COVID-19 POLICY AND WHAT IF MY CHILD IS SICK?
GMG is committed to ensuring our participants have a safe and enjoyable summer camp with us. Please review our COVID-19 policy for more details on our policy and guidance for parents.
Please note, participants that experience longer absences due to illness (COVID or otherwise) are welcome to return to camp pending proof of recovery.
What coding languages will my daughter learn?
We teach game design and development using powerful game engines like Construct 3, Unreal, and Unity. This year students will learn Construct 3. Advanced Teens will have an opportunity to make their game in Unity. GMG will determine eligibility for Advanced Track.
Do kids spend all day in front of a computer, coding?
Not at all. It’s summer! We take frequent breaks and make sure we get some play time away from the computers :)
Can camp guardians attend any activities or camp sessions?
In order to create a fun and safe space for our campers, we do not allow any guardians to attend sessions. However, most of our in person camps will feature Orientation on day 1, and Final Presentations on the last day of camp. Guardians are welcome to join us then! We will share more information closer to dates.
Who are the camp counselors/teachers/speakers?
Our staff comprises of independent game developers as well as students from some of the top Computer Science and Game Design programs in the country like USC, MIT, DigiPen, and UT Austin.
Industry Guest Speakers share their expertise and journey to inspire young game devs. Past speakers include industry veterans such as Tim Schafer (creator of Psychonauts), Kellee Santiago (Journey, Flow), and Phil Spencer (President, Xbox).
HOW BIG IS YOUR CLASS SIZE?
We cap our classes at 24, but our ideal class size is between 16-20.
Do you provide overnight accommodations?
Unfortunately not :(. We’re a day camp, but who knows, maybe one day? :)
How do we keep the spirit of GMG going after camp?
GMG’s Portal has a ton of awesome resources for anyone who wishes to continue growing their game dev skills. We also encourage our campers to return at other year-round GMG events! Please sign up on GMG’s mailing list on our home page to receive more GMG news.
What is your refund policy?
We offer 100% refund through June 23rd, none thereafter. Please see GMG Terms & Conditions for more info.
// Back to Contents
//Contact GMG
Email: support@girlsmakegames.com or fill out the contact form on the website.
Tel: (833) GMG-SUPP [(833) 464-7877]
Please note this number is only active for the duration of the camp, 9:30am-7pm Eastern Time EDT, July 8-26, 2024
Twitter: https://twitter.com/girlsmakegames
#GirlsMakeGames #GMG2024
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/girlsmakegames
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/girlsmakegames/
// Back to Contents
With camps both virtual and in person, we wanted to provide a sense of connection and community to all campers wherever they are in the world. To that end, we have built a small, closed (private) website, titled “GMG World” that will only be accessed by our summer camp community.
GMG World will feature campers, staff and speaker profiles, as well as game dev tutorials and camp-wide announcements.
To get started, please have your camper fill out this brief form:
https://bit.ly/2024-gmg-world-profileDeadline to submit form: Friday, June 28th
Note: Campers may choose to remain anonymous by using an alias/avatar. We would still love for them to create an entry and share a little bit about themselves (favorite games and so forth).