Our biased image of students shows them as lazy creatures who waste their time – and their parents’ money – on loud and late night pursuits.

But the 10 students gathered in one of the meeting rooms at the St Martin’s Institute of Information Technology give a very different impression. All the students are participating in the Gamedev Challenge, not because it is part of their coursework, but rather, during their own free time.

First organised by St Martin’s in 2010, the Gamedev Challenge gives students the opportunity to develop their own video game. The students are supported and mentored by staff from St Martin’s as well as by highly experienced people from the industry, such as Dr Gareth Lewis, former production manager of Lionhead Studios. Winners eventually get the chance to participate in the national Gamezing competition.

Students participate in Gamedev for the fun of it. But not only.

“It’s good to meet new people and learn about new technology,” says Ryan Sammut. “Gamedev is also a good way of expanding your portfolio.”

“Personally, I prefer programming,” says Boba Hailemariam. “However, I also recognise the importance of the gaming industry, so it’s good to have the Gamedev challenge on my CV.”

For fellow student Jonathan Aquilina, Gamedev is also about learning how to work as a team.

Jeremy Grech agrees: “We all like to play video games, so it’s good to share experiences with fellow gamers.”

Charles Theuma, principal of St Martin’s, confirms that the Gamedev teams are not based on the members’ friendship status.

“Rather,” Mr Theuma says, “teams are organised according to the members’ individual skills. That way, students can test team dynamics and appreciate the importance of working collectively, something they will need to do once they start working.”

All teams are led by a team leader.

“The team leader is responsible for allowing the teams to work in a democratic way,” says team leader Noel Abdilla. “It’s important to discuss ideas together.”

Of course, this being a competition, every team aims to win the Gamedev challenge. But what are the elements that make a game successful?

“A game needs to be fun, addicting, visually appealing and have a good storyline,” says Sammut.

For Sean Savona, uniqueness enhances a game’s appeal, while for Jeremy Grech, a game needs to have the balance of great graphics and gameplay. For Eman Cauchi, some genres do not require a good storyline.

“The game we developed, for instance, has no storyline. It’s a Tetris-style game where the element of repetition is very attractive.”

All these factors combine to make a game successful and, most importantly, addictive.

“It is very important for a game to be addictive,” says Jonathan Sant. “The more addictive a game is, naturally, the more a player spends time playing it.”

“Addictive elements change from one genre to another,” says Darren Zammit. “Repetition, for instance, is good for one genre but not for another.”

Gerald Vassallo mentions the importance of achievements in a game.

“If you can achieve something in a game, then that game has a good chance of becoming addictive,” he says.

Having developed a good game, the next step would be to find a publisher for it.

“You also need a good marketing strategy,” say Grech and Hailemariam.

“Developing a game is every gamer’s dream,” says Vassallo. “And Gamedev gives us this opportunity.”

“Moreover, Gamedev allows students to fail and learn,” says Mr Theuma. “In the industry, you won’t be given that chance.”