๐ฎ Game Mechanics & Playtesting: Kids Game On! + iCode Game Design! ๐น๏ธ๐ป
Event: Kids: Game On!
When: Thursday, May 28, 2026, 4:00 PM โ 5:00 PM (Registration opens May 21)
Where: Princeton Public Library โ Myra & Van Williams Spark Lab (65 Witherspoon St, Princeton, NJ)
Event link: Princeton Library Events
Who itโs for: Kids in Grades 3โ5
Why we love it ๐ To make a great video game, you have to play great video games! The Princeton Public Library is opening up their Spark Lab for an awesome after-school gaming session where upper-elementary students can hang out and play the highly anticipated new Nintendo Switch 2. We absolutely love gaming events because they allow kids to socialize while interacting with top-tier digital environments, character physics, and level designs.
How this event aligns with iCode Princeton ๐โ๏ธ Playing games critically is the first step of software playtesting!
-
Analyzing Game Mechanics: When kids play a new Switch game, they are interacting with collision logic, gravity physics, and user interfaces. In our Game Design and Unreal Engine Tracks, we teach kids how to look under the hood of their favorite games, dissecting how these mechanics are actually programmed so they can replicate them.
-
Playtesting & UX: A game is only successful if it is fun to play! We teach our students the importance of “User Experience” (UX). After our students code a game, they host playtesting sessions with their peers, observing how other people interact with their software and making adjustments based on real-time feedback.
Join the fun, then keep the momentum going at iCode ๐๐ Test out the newest console at the library, then bring that world-class curiosity to iCode Princeton where we teach you how to code the games yourself!
๐ Explore iCode Princeton: https://icodeschool.com/princeton-nj
๐ฃ Progression-based Belts (Kโ12): https://icodeschool.com/princeton-nj/belts/
๐ See whatโs running now: https://icodeschool.com/princeton-nj/activity-finder/
๐๏ธ Ready to build the future? Book a Free Trial Class: https://icodeschool.com/princeton-nj/book-a-free-trial-class/
