Manchester Student Wins National Video Game Creator Challenge

MANCHESTER, NJ — A Manchester Township High School student has won a national competition with a video game she created, the school district announced.

Jurissa DeOcampo of Manchester Township High School's advanced multimedia class won Best Overall Game for the Individual High School Competition Group for her game "Forest Fetch" in the 2023 GameSalad Video Game Creator Challenge.

Manchester's advanced multimedia students created 2D games for the GameSalad contest, spending two months on their submissions, the district said.

"During this process, students developed the knowledge and skills to creatively design and implement elements of an original gaming product," the district said. The students used various multimedia editing tools and GameSalad's interactive multimedia online development software for the artistic and construction elements of each game environment — objects, textures, characters, animations, gameplay effects, environmental effects, music, and sound effects, "all have been painstakingly designed and programmed," district officials said.

The advanced multimedia class allows students to gain an in-depth understanding of content along with developing skills in research, problem-solving, collaborative learning and investigation, with applying technology.

The students chose their own project topics "so they were motivated and engaged in their own learning, pursuing interests, questions and ideas associated with the project," the district officials said.

"Jurissa even incorporated her pet skunk Buckwheat into her game," officials said.

Her prizes for winning the GameSalad contest include $400 cash, a GameSalad “I Make Games” T-shirt and a one-year GameSalad Pro membership.