Abertay Game Development Society (AGDS) is one of the largest societies at Abertay University.
It’s entirely run by student volunteers who organize events and activities for all students sharing a passion for game development. This includes Art, Design, Production, Programming, Sound Design, and Narrative departments.
Activities include Game Jams, socials, workshops, pre-recorded presentations and live talks/discussions with industry professionals.
ABOVE IMAGE: AGDS promotional shout out “We want YOU! Come and share your expertise or insights with our community!”
Bringing People Together
I joined AGDS to improve my skills as a developer and make connections with other students who are passionate about creating and developing games, and learning through working together. Being on the committee has also enabled me to develop other skills with our active team efforts to create, promote and host fun and exciting events.
Sharing our Experiences
As a committee member I had the opportunity to organize a Q&A event with some of Abertay University’s DARE Academy finalists. Being one of the 2024 finalists I had first hand experience, which placed me in the best position to host the panel.
We invited other 2024 finalists to be part of the panel discussing their experience of participating in DARE, offering insights to other students looking to take on the challenge. We had an amazing turn out and I enjoyed hosting this enthusiastic discussion.
Supporting Community Events
The first time I stepped through the doors of Abertay University, I knew this is where I wanted to be. And it’s influence on the City of Dundee is unquestionable. It’s the heart of the industry in Scotland, so there are plenty of great opportunities to participate in community activities.
In March 2025, along with four of my fellow students, I got to represent Abertay University and AGDS at the Game Jam Hackathon organized by Lloyds Banking Group in March 2025.
Our game ‘Bear With Me’, is about the polar bears’ struggle to find food in the melting Arctic circle. In just under 36 hours we had created and pitched our concept to the panel of industry judges. We had a wonderful time developing it and I’m really proud of what we achieved in that time frame.
Creating Our Own Events
I took part in hosting many events while on the committee, and one of the most fun was a mini scratch jam where members took a simple ‘mini’ game I’d created given a random new feature to add to it, giving each final game it’s own unique spin.
And Our First Expo!
In 2025 our team organised and hosted the society’s first ever Games Expo! It was an incredible project, pulling together six industry sponsors and five industry speakers and showcasing over 30 games from our local community.
On top of that, I got to host the industry panel that kicked off the event, where our speakers shared their advice and knowledge of the industry while we fielded questions from the audience.
