UIC Theatre and Music Hosts Inaugural Unreal Fest Game Jam

From June 12–14, 2026, students from across Chicago gathered at the University of Illinois Chicago for the first-ever UIC Unreal Fest Game Jam. Students from UIC, DePaul University, and Humber College teamed up to design and develop original video games over the course of a single weekend using Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN).

The weekend began with workshops and software demonstrations led by Cleverlike Studios, an organization recognized for combining video game development with education. Cleverlike’s team played a vital role throughout the event, providing hands-on guidance and technical support as students brought their ideas to life. Participants also received a special demonstration of the LEGO® Brick Editor for Unreal Editor for Fortnite, showcasing how creators can build environments, vehicles, and gameplay experiences featuring LEGO minifigures within Fortnite.

Armed with the skills introduced during the workshops and their own creative experience, student teams had approximately 10 hours to develop a playable game inspired by the event theme, “City in a Garden.” On the final day, each team presented its project to a panel of industry professionals, who evaluated the games based on their use of the theme, gameplay, world building, and the elusive “Fun Factor.” Every team received recognition for excellence in at least one of these categories.

Participants and judges also voted for the Community Choice Award, recognizing the overall favorite project of the weekend. Congratulations to Avery Chang, Justine Arizbal, and Mit Patel for earning this honor and showcasing their outstanding creativity and collaboration.

Thanks to the support of Epic Games, Cleverlike Studios, Lenovo, and Unreal Fest Chicago, students gained valuable hands-on experience creating games with Unreal Editor for Fortnite while working on high-performance Lenovo laptops. Participants also received access to Unreal Fest Chicago 2026, where the top Game Jam teams had the opportunity to present their projects to industry professionals.

The UIC School of Theatre and Music was proud to host this inaugural event and looks forward to creating more opportunities that connect students with experiences like this in the future.

Written by Sam Selimi, Communications and Marketing Intern
June 2026