GAMES design students have been put through their paces in an Apprentice-style competition that gave them just four days to come up with a unique idea and turn it into reality.

The Game Jam challenge was organised by the University of Cumbria to give its students a taste of the kind of deadline pressures and competition they will face after graduating.

Those on the Games Design and Digital Arts degree course were split into teams and asked to devise a game from scratch, including creating a concept, characters, soundtrack and working model.

All this had to be completed in just four days - a tough call when it can take weeks just to create a character, transforming it from an outline sketch into a fully formed digital presence.

“The aim is to show how much you can achieve within four days,”’ said Hasson Iqbal-Butt, a final year digital arts student and member of the winning team, Captain New Years' Resolution. “We were able to create a fully functioning game in this time.”

Together with fellow team members Peter Achim, Libby Nixon and James Atkinson, the team said they were inspired by a visit to the university by Pixar animator Michal Makarewicz, who staged a two-day workshop specialising in characterisation.

Peter explained the concept of their finished game. “The aim is to guide a ships’ captain down a rolling deck, avoiding rolling cannons and shots of rum to reach the wheel and take control of the ship."

Katy Little, course tutor at the university’s Brampton Road campus in Carlisle, said the standard of the competition was high.

“Each year we’re delighted at the quality and ambition of the students’ work. This year we had a tough decision to make as the quality of the submissions was so high," she said.

"All the students who took part in Game Jam were incredibly ambitious. The range of skills required to produce a game is considerable. The fact that the students can produce work to such a professional standard is testament to their skill and dedication.”

The focus for the team now switches to their dissertation and a final showcase of their work, on June 5.

A selected number of graduates also attend the New Designers show in London in July to showcase the best of the degree show.

Once graduating, students will be looking for opportunities in the highly-competitive gaming industry and other digital arts careers.