AAMU Students Earn Recognition for Game Design, Innovation, and Storytelling
Alabama A&M Students Win Multiple Awards at 3rd Annual HBCU Game Jam
Alabama A&M University students earned top honors in the 3rd Annual HBCU Game Jam, hosted by the Spelman Innovation Lab at the Atlanta University Center. The national event brought together 85 student developers from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) across the country for a 24-hour hackathon focused on video game development.
Designed to introduce students to the gaming industry and inspire creativity through coding, the Game Jam included an AI in Gaming workshop where participants explored tools such as Suno and Microsoft Designer to quickly prototype games. The event also provided hands-on coding sessions and career exploration opportunities.
Remarkably, over 61 percent of participants were building video games for the first time – highlighting the beginner-friendly nature of the event and its focus on learning and experimentation.
Alabama A&M students stood out for both creativity and execution. The team behind “Campus Crossroads” earned second place overall and was also recognized for Best Game Execution in 2D and Most Market Ready. The winning team included Prithak Shrestha, a junior in computer science, along with freshmen Prashant Banjade, Elijah White, and Tyqueyious Houston.
Another team earned third place overall with their game “Climbing the Corporate Ladder.” The game also won awards for Best Narrative and Story and Best Social Impact. This team included sophomore Sydney Fleming, and freshmen Mia Jones and Chimdindu Okenyi.
A third team received the award for Best Sound Design with their game “Odyssey.” Team members included freshmen Adeyori Adekunle, Ehi Oko, and Sijan Mainali, along with Ogheneobukome Ejaife, a sophomore electrical engineering major.
Winning teams received a variety of tech prizes, including PlayStations, Apple iPads, JBL headphones, Visa gift cards, and more. The event not only highlighted the innovative potential of HBCU students but also provided a platform for networking with professionals in the tech and gaming industries.