The Business and Cultural Development Centre (KEPA), in collaboration with the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH) – Information Technologies Institute (ITI), organized a three-day Game Jam, the i-Game Jam Experience, as part of the European i-Game project. The event was hosted at the facilities of AKMI Higher Education Institute in Thessaloniki from 26 to 28 May 2026.
Participants of the i-Game Jam were welcomed by representatives of KEPA and AKMI, while CERTH representatives provided an overview of the project, followed by specialized presentations on the framework of the Game Jam and technical guidance. Concluding the opening session, the Communications Manager of the Games Developers Association of Greece (GDA Greece) delivered a welcome speech, encouraging students, aspiring developers and experienced game development professionals to embrace this creative journey through an initial sprint that could ultimately lead to meaningful long-term outcomes.
Game developers, Game Design & Development students, gamers, game creators, and creators of all skill levels collaborated, worked in teams, and experimented to develop games based on a common challenge introduced at the beginning of the event: the creation of an inclusive digital game promoting sustainable fashion.
Throughout the Game Jam, teams had the opportunity to interact with mentors specializing in game design and development, fashion design and sustainable fashion, audio-visual production, and art design. These included distinguished professionals such as Maria Zoumaki, Professor at the Department of Creative Design and Clothing at the International Hellenic University (IHU); Giannis Akritidis, Head of Academic Studies and the Department of Digital Technologies at AKMI; and Eleftheria Lagiokapa and Orestis Sarakatsanos, Electrical and Computer Engineers and researchers at CERTH/ITI.
After 48 hours of creative development, each team presented the prototype they had created, followed by game demonstrations and evaluation. The assessment was based on criteria including gameplay, art & audio performance, aesthetics, narrative, inclusivity, level of polish, and responsiveness to the Game Jam challenge.
The judging panel consisted of Venetia Koutsou, Fashion and Costume Designer and Professor at the Department of Creative Design and Clothing of IHU; Vassilis Tsitouras, Founder of Smartup – Mobile Apps & Services and Smartup Games; and Nefeli Georgakopoulou, Architect, PhD in Aesthetics, Science and Technology of the Arts, and Senior Researcher at CERTH/ITI, the lead partner of the project.
Among the five teams participating in the Game Jam, two were formed by students from the Department of Informatics and New Technologies of AKMI.
The 1st Prize was awarded to the team “UoWM”, whose members come from the Master’s Programme “Gaming and Multimedia Application Development” of the University of Western Macedonia. Their video game, titled “Saving My Skin,” focuses on the protection of minks, which are primarily bred in Western Macedonia (Kozani, Kastoria, and Prespa) for their fur, which is sold to clothing and fur manufacturers. Beyond its environmental message, the game also promotes inclusivity by enabling people with colour vision deficiencies and/or reduced hearing abilities to play it.
The 2nd Prize was awarded to the team “Ta Agoria”, whose members are game developers specializing in game art design. Their video game, “Enabled,” addresses the needs of people with disabilities and is based on one of the Game Design Documents (GDDs) generated through the i-Game project’s digital platform during previous co-design workshops involving board game designers, fashion designers, and educators from the Thessaloniki Vocational Training Centre for Persons with Disabilities (EKEK AmeA).
Finally, the team “We Like Games” won the 3rd Prize with their game “Small Steps.” The team consists of game developers and game artists, including graduates of the Department of Informatics at Ionian University. The game’s objective is to create “green” pathways through the small steps taken by its protagonists – ants – who carry sustainable fabrics such as silk and remove elements harmful to the soil in order to reduce their environmental footprint.
Overall, participants had the opportunity to:
✔️ Create their own game from scratch
✔️ Collaborate with people from diverse backgrounds
✔️ Acquire new skills and experiences
✔️ Become part of a dynamic creative community
The i-Game Jam was a unique experience of creative interaction, preparing participants for the next level of this journey through the playtesting of the above games at events scheduled to take place in the autumn.
In addition to AKMI, supporters of the event included the Games Developers Association of Greece (GDA Greece), the gaming community portal by PRWorld.gr, the legendary shop “eFantasy.gr Games n’ Comics”, the International Game Developers Association Greece (IGDA Greece), and ReHaB Pub.
