From 27 February to 1 March, the 2026 Arcademia Global Game Jam brought together students and academics from several universities for a 48-hour sprint of creativity, collaboration, and technical innovation. Participating institutions were connected through a shared livestream and online collaboration platforms, transforming local venues into nodes of an international game development network.
Arcademia was founded by Michael Lowen and Matthew Freeman from the University of Lincoln, along with Dr Lance Bunt from the School of Computer Science and Information Systems (CSIS) at North-West University (NWU). Their vision is to create a global ecosystem where universities.
A total of 29 games were submitted across all participating institutions, which is 14 more than in 2025, highlighting the growing momentum behind the initiative.
NWU Participation
A total of 17 NWU Computer Science and Information Systems students took part in the marathon development event across the Vanderbijlpark and Potchefstroom campuses. Working individually and in teams, the students conceptualised, designed and built playable arcade-style games over the course of the weekend. Two completed games were submitted from NWU before the 18:15 PM deadline on Sunday, 1 March.
The theme this year was Pandora’s Box, inspired by “Myth, Folklore and Legends”. Participants were encouraged to reinterpret ancient stories, myths and legendary narratives as playable arcade experiences. The game jam involved a structured and creative process and teams gathered in dedicated venues to brainstorm ideas after the theme was announced. Within a strict time limit, participants were tasked with building prototype mechanics, designing visual assets, and implementing playable arcade games.
A Twitch and YouTube livestream was shared throughout the event. These livestreams served as a shared portal between the participating institutions, giving students an insight into operations at other campuses and fostering a sense of global collaboration.
Local winners, NWU
Uhone Teffo from the Potchefstroom Campus won first place in the NWU judging category with his thrilling action platform “Legend of Penglai,” which was built entirely using Python. The game impressed judges and jammers alike with its gameplay feel, technical execution and interpretation of the mythological theme.
Second place went to Bleeding Hearts Studios, a team from the Vanderbijlpark Campus consisting of Zana Nghondzweni, Mbali Mabombo, Kyle Rawbone, and Renier Pfaff. Their game, titled “Pandora's Heist,” showcased carefully crafted pixel art and creative level design. The team were all first-time game jammers, making their achievement especially noteworthy.
During the international closing showcase, the top game from each participating institution was presented to the wider Arcademia community on Discord. Uhone Teffo represented the NWU with pride as his winning entry was highlighted alongside the other institutional winners.
Celebrating participation and dedication
Beyond the competition, Arcademia celebrates commitment and collaboration. Two participants were awarded R1 000 Takealot vouchers for being present in the dedicated venues at the Vanderbijlpark and Potchefstroom campuses throughout the duration of the jam.
For many students, this event offered their first opportunity to develop a complete game within a strict timeframe, working alongside peers in a collaborative environment.
A growing global initiative
The Arcademia Global Game Jam continues to grow as a platform for game-based learning, technical creativity, cross-institutional collaboration and internationalisation. The initiative’s founders and participating universities have expressed great enthusiasm about its continued growth and the quality of projects produced during the 2026 event.
As the Arcademia network grows, the games produced during these jams will be archived and installed on arcade cabinets across participating campuses, enabling future students and visitors to experience the creativity of the developers.
Mr Heystek Grobler (CSIS Potchefstroom), who facilitated the event on the Potchefstroom Campus, pictured with the NWU winner Uhone Teffo.
Second place Bleeding Hearts Studios pictured with Dr Lance Bunt (CSIS) from the left are Zana Nghondzweni, Mbali Mabombo, Lyle Rawbone, and Renier Pfaff.
Dr Lance Bunt with NWU students who participated in the in-person jam session on Saturday, 28 February 2026.
