Every other Tuesday, Game Development Club allows students to expand their creativity as they have the opportunity to enhance their understanding of computers outside of school. Advisor Ryan Osterberg started the club three years ago, when a group of students wanted to spend more time outside of class experimenting with computers. It has evolved into a student-driven club where the options are seemingly endless.

Students use Game Development Club for anything from developing computer games to learning how to use new software. Once, a history class assignment involved describing a battle. As an alternative, a student actually created the battle using a simulation.

Osterberg says the purpose of the club is “about giving students time to explore different topics in computer science.”

Students can learn about new languages, such as Scratch, Gamemaker, Java, and C++; they can also use different kinds of 3D modeling to build visual representations of ideas. Development clubbers have the advantage of getting access to special softwares that are not typically offered in school classes.

“We allow our experiences in Game Development club to influence what we do in my classes. This creates opportunities for learning inside of my classes,” says Osterberg.

Central’s Game Development club also excels in competitions, winning programming competitions at both MSOE and Marquette University. They hope to compete again this year, as competitions allow students showcase their skills while enjoying the experience.

Rather than focusing only on competitions, Osterberg emphasizes Game Development Club’s open door policy. He explains that “anyone can come in, even if they’re not in the club, [to] just sit down and explore. [They] don’t need to have any previous knowledge in computer science.”