South Staffordshire College wins Games Jam competition
February 2026
South Staffordshire College was delighted to host the West Midlands Colleges, Game Jam competition today, at our Lichfield College.
The competition brought together Games production learners from South Staffordshire College, Dudley College, Solihull College, and North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College.
The WorldSkills UK endorsed competition challenged learners to prototype a playable game experience within a six‑hour time limit, using Unreal Engine 5.6. Working to the theme “Sustain”, learners were encouraged to interpret the brief creatively, to develop a short, fun and engaging experience that demonstrated strong teamwork, technical ability and original thinking.
Learners were able to make use of Unreal Engine starter templates and starter content, with the emphasis firmly placed on collaboration, problem‑solving and delivering a playable experience within the limited timeframe, rather than producing a fully polished final product. The brief encouraged sustainability to be explored in a way that reflected their own ideas, values, and gameplay concepts.
Learners were assessed by an industry‑experienced judging panel against a range of criteria, including creativity and interpretation of the theme, technical execution and effective use of Unreal Engine, visual and audio presentation, teamwork and communication, and overall player experience.
Following a competitive judging process, South Staffordshire College were crowned the winners of the competition. Huge congratulations to Sonny Bolton, Weronika Patrzykat, Brandon Coyne and Clara Alexander who made up Team SSC and impressed the judges with their innovative interpretation of the ‘Sustain’ brief and engaging game.
Competitions such as Game Jam closely mirror real‑world games development environments, requiring learners to manage time effectively, work collaboratively under pressure and prioritise creating a functional, engaging player experience.
Katie Small, Teaching and Learning Coach at South Staffordshire College, said
“Skills competitions such as Game Jam support the development of confidence, resilience and employability skills, while allowing students to apply their learning in a realistic, industry‑focused setting.”
South Staffordshire College would like to say congratulations to all learners who took part and represented their colleges so positively.
Special thanks also go to the staff who supported and prepared students for the competition, helping them to succeed in a fast‑paced, high‑pressure creative environment.
