Girls’ Game Lab Launches to Teach Girls How to Make Their Own Games

Girls’ Game Lab, a camp for teaching girls how to code and make video games, is launching in the UK.

The operation is being organized by Caoimhe Roddy, a freelance producer currently at Wargroove studio Chucklefish; Rachael Gregg-Smythe, a producer at PlayStation’s Manchester studio; and Lucy Smith, an admin of Women Making Games and a designer about to start at Team Sonic Racing studio Sumo Digital. The three of them have several combined years’ worth of experience hosting coding workshops for girls. A workshop hosted by Roddy in Manchester is being used as a promotional video for the group. Girls’ Game Camp is an attempt to create a permanent environment for girls to learn the technical skills necessary to make their own video games.

Of the initiative, Roddy says the following:

When we were kids, we didn’t even know it was possible that making games could be our actual jobs. There were no workshops, or any guidance whatsoever at school for this sort of career, especially for young girls. With Girls’ Game Lab, we want to show this next generation of girls that they can be the next prominent game designer, and build a career out of something they’re truly passionate about.

The first official Girls’ Game Lab workshop will be held Aug. 3, 2019 in Leamington Spa and is open to girls age 8-12. The event will be hosted by Forza Horizon studio Playground Games and feature volunteers from Sumo Digital, Microsoft, and Sniper Elite studio Rebellion Developments. The workshop will focus on developing a platformer in Stencyl, a free development tool.