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Week 8 -- Demo Day: Ship It!

Date: June 5, 2026 Guest: Brian Lowe (extended session -- up to 2 hours) Parents and siblings invited!

Quick montage of every featured game from the course -- 720deg, Gunstar Heroes, Sonic & Knuckles, Rock Band 3, FNAF Security Breach, Ace Patrol, Rampage 2 -- as a reminder of the journey from arcade to 3D.

Schedule​

Final Build & Export (30 min)​

  • Last bug fixes and polish on 2D game, 3D game, or both.
  • Final web exports for the Grass Valley Arcade.
  • Desktop exports for students pursuing Steam.
  • Write/finalize game descriptions for the arcade page.
  • Instructor verifies all games are exported and playable.

Arcade Mode (30 min)​

  • The Grass Valley Arcade goes live.
  • All games open on screens around the room.
  • Students, parents, and siblings rotate and play everything.
  • Each station has the student's name, game title, and description.

Lightning Talks (15 min)​

Each student: 1--2 minutes in front of the room.

  • "What's your game about?"
  • "What was the hardest problem you solved?"
  • "What are you proudest of?"

Brian Lowe -- Closing Session (20 min)​

  • Plays 2--3 student games live on the projector, reacting as a real producer.
  • Gives genuine feedback: what works, what's clever, what a studio would build on.
  • "Here's what I see in your work that's exactly like the real industry."
  • Career Q&A from students AND parents.
  • Closing message: "You built and shipped two real games in eight weeks. That's not a school project -- that's game development."

Awards (10 min)​

Voted on by the whole room -- students, parents, siblings, everyone:

  • Best Story / World
  • Best Game Feel
  • Best 3D Environment
  • Most Creative Mechanic
  • Best Bug (celebrate the glitches!)
  • People's Choice

After the Session​

  • Grass Valley Arcade link shared with all families.
  • Students who want to pursue Steam publishing get a follow-up guide.
  • Club info shared for anyone interested in a second session (fall 2026?).

Lightning Talk Template​

Use this template to prepare your 1--2 minute presentation:

Hi, I'm [name] and my game is called [title].

It's a [2D/3D] game where you [one sentence about what the player does].

The hardest problem I solved was [one specific challenge].

I'm proudest of [one thing you're most happy with].

Play it at the Arcade!

Resources​