Nanan Academy students cap week-long camp with original video games

August 5, 2026 - 03:10

A week of coding, design, and late-night debugging came to a close on Friday as students at Nanan Academy presented the video games they built from scratch. The camp, which ran for five days, pushed participants through the full game development process, from initial concept sketches to playable prototypes.

Shaun Nanan, the academy's founder, used the final presentations to deliver a broader message to parents in attendance. "When your child is in high school, push them to take all the math and science courses," he said. "It will be a prerequisite for any science and engineering-related program at university." His remarks were aimed at families who might see game design as a hobby rather than a serious academic path.

The student projects ranged from simple puzzle games to more ambitious platformers with original soundtracks. Each team had to document their work, present their code, and explain the design choices behind their game mechanics. Several students noted that the hardest part was not writing the code, but testing and fixing bugs under a deadline.

The camp also covered the business side of game development, including how to pitch an idea and estimate production costs. Nanan said he hopes the experience gives students a realistic view of the industry, which he described as both creative and highly technical. He added that the academy plans to run a more advanced session next summer, focusing on multiplayer games and server management.