Code, Commands, and Creativity: How Games Are Made in Oeiras
From February to May, the 7th edition of the ‘Experimenta-te’ project took place. This initiative, promoted by the Oeiras City Council, encourages young people to explore various artistic and scientific-technological activities, ranging from Game Design and Development, 2D Animation, Theater, Sewing, Music, Guitar Making, Cooking, Photography, to Kickboxing.
The Game Design and Development activity was held at the Instituto Superior Técnico – Oeiras Campus, in partnership with the “Engineering for All” program. Over the course of four months, participants aged 13 to 18 dedicated their Saturdays to science and creativity.
Led by the Game Lab, the activity guided students through the process of designing an original game concept, developed in teams across several sessions. The structure followed a methodology similar to that used in Técnico’s Master’s in Computer Science and Engineering, including ideation, prototyping, Unity development, and final testing. The activity also fostered synergy with other ‘Experimenta-te’ areas like Kickboxing and 2D Animation, enriching games with visual storytelling and citizenship themes.
According to João Vitor, a Computer Engineering student and mentor, the participants showed great motivation and interest:
“It’s amazing for us, as students, to teach and be able to simplify complex concepts for younger learners.”
For students like Diogo Batista (7th grade), the project was a gateway to programming and game creation. He helped build characters for a multiplayer battle game and learned how to use development tools and understand code better. Rodrigo Pires (8th grade) highlighted how different it was to learn with the support of mentors rather than just online. His team developed a Street Fighter-inspired game using the C# language, in collaboration with the Kickboxing activity.
The 2025 edition concluded with a public presentation on May 17, at Largo 5 de Outubro in Oeiras. In a festive and collaborative atmosphere, Técnico Oeiras was represented with two stands dedicated to Game Design, where students showcased their game prototypes to the public.
This was another successful edition marked by the creativity, collaboration, and innovation of its young participants.