Zero-to-game in two days – game on! #SheHacksGames is the first all-woman game jam in Australia – and our first hackathon specifically for the gaming industry!

 
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Match your skills to a team of Girl Geeks and you’ll have two days to create a game of any genre and any platform. 

Along the way, you’ll be fuelled  with delicious food, given access to amazing mentors and at the end finish with a party to celebrate and share your hard work!

You don’t need to have any specific skills to join us, or even have built a game before. Whether you’re a programmer, artist/designer or a producer you’ll be welcome to play with us!

Why did we decide to host a games hackathon? We’re glad you asked.

We’ve said it before – there is a lack of opportunities for women to develop their skills in the games industry. Our annual #SheMakesGames program became a roaring success, but the feedback was that our community craved more – more hands-on experience, more exposure to the industry, and more opportunities to show off what they can do. #SheHacksGames is perfect for those Girl Geeks who are new or early into their gaming careers and want to spend a weekend letting their creativity, skills and passion run wild to see what they can achieve in a short time. Throw in some great food & great people – and you’ve got yourself a hackathon, Girl Geek Academy style!

I’m new to game jams and hackathons – how does this work?

Traditional hackathons (like our #SheHacks program!) are about solving a problem in a very short timeframe – identifying a need, then creating a solution using technology.

Often they are held over a day, or over a weekend. Every team has a particular blend of skills that are necessary for success – we usually call them hackers (coding & tech legends), hipsters (design and user experience), and hustlers (team management & operational concerns like marketing, research, business plan etc).

#SheHacksGames is based around the same format except you’re creating a game! You’ll arrive with no idea what you’ll be creating or who your team members will be (unless you’ve bought a Team pass), and you’ll still have a mix of skills but this time it’ll be programmers, artists and producers. Details of each type are below if you’re unsure which one you fit into. We’ll keep you well fed with healthy brain food over the whole weekend, and they’ll be industry mentors popping in to answer questions and offer support. And when it’s all done there’s a party to celebrate your achievements… and of course play the games we’ve created! And on a final note – we love newbies! At every hackathon we host the most common questions come from nervous newbies who are worried about their skills. We promise that while the weekend will be challenging and fast paced, you’ll quickly realise that there is plenty you can offer your team regardless of your tech ability.

You’ll love the venue

Australia’s best coworking space for indie games developers! The Arcade is Australia’s first not-for-profit, collaborative workspace created specifically for game developers and creative companies using game methodologies and technologies. It’s the home of cool indie gaming companies like League of Geeks, Hipster Whale and Tin Man Games. You’ll literally be working in the same space as full time gaming industry legends… a snapshot into your future, perhaps?

You’ll love the support

Some of the best in the biz will be at your disposal There’s nothing worse than getting stuck when the clock is ticking… so we’ve invited our friends from the gaming industry to come along for mentoring and support throughout the weekend. These mentors have incredible experience in a variety of areas, and are all passionate about sharing their wisdom and helping you create the best game you possibly can.

You’ll love the food

We don’t build the internet with beer & pizza – we do it with tea & cupcakes If there’s one comment we hear the most from event attendees, it’s praise for our amazing catering!

Just because it’s a hackathon doesn’t mean the food has to be greasy and gross. The weekend is fully catered with healthy and delicious food… plus a few treats thrown in for good measure.

We’ll keep you hydrated with tea, coffee and herbal teas, and of course no Girl Geek Academy event would be complete without cupcakes to finish. And if our past events are anything to go by, you won’t go hungry!

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Want to run your own SheHacksGames?

Run your own #SheHacksGames? Apply to be a champion today!

Questions about signing up? Get in touch

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