Mindstorm Studios in collaboration with the Population Services International Pakistan (PSI) is excited to announce the success of their event ‘Out of Thin Air’. We, at Mindstom Studios, aim to revolutionize the gaming industry by making it intellectually diverse and internationally competitive. Mindstorm Studios intend to make the path of game development barrier-free for the youth and those with a vision. Keeping in consideration the agenda of VIYA, PSI’s first global sexual wellness lifestyle brand and chatbot, OOTA Lahore experimented with the social theme of family planning and sexual wellness. The event was a part of Mindstorm Studios and PSI’s mission to normalize and optimize women’s reproductive healthcare and make the provision of relevant information accessible.
Mindstorm Studios in collaboration with PSI successfully executed a 2-day game fest, from 18 to 19th March, that focused on pooling in fresh gaming ideas from the youth and gamifying these ideas for an improved understanding. Creating games out of concepts, especially social agendas are known to enhance learning, increase sensitivity, create a solid impact and leave a long-lasting imprint on the minds of the youth. Taking this under consideration, in Out of Thin Air participants created mindboggling games which required no code or art but were an absolute treat to play.
Out of Thin Air Lahore successfully drew over 78 brilliantly talented students from all over Lahore who then worked in 24 teams to produce 14 different insightful games. The activities were designed in such a way that the students were first educated about Pakistan’s healthcare and its challenges, and then were asked to implement their knowledge in creating the games that would maximize the solutions. The participants went through the five parts of the event namely ideation, creation, playtesting and pitches to learn, create, test and refine games in order to produce brilliantly articulated games.
The event culminated by crowning the three winning teams; Tech Geeks, Creative Tinkers and Logic Nerds, who crafted noteworthy games that captured the attention and interest of the judges and players alike. Tech Geeks got the first position with their game Ehsaas, a board game that involved thorough strategizing of phases and finances of a family to ensure a well-managed and healthy family. The second place went to Creative Tinkers for their game Quizception, a role-playing game that would hold the players responsible for determining the future of a child according to the decisions they take. The third place was given to Logic Nerds for their game Zindagi Gulzar Hai, a board game that challenged the player to act as a time traveler exploring various historical eras and completing tasks based on family planning and healthcare, while avoiding paradoxes.
Out of Thin Air Lahore was not only a success for the collaborators but also a great learning opportunity for the students. This event provided an avenue for the students to interact with people from different backgrounds and expertise. This provided them with the exposure and knowledge of various fields ranging from healthcare to academics. The games created by the students were refined and perfected after steady feedback from the mentors who were constantly supervising them. The games that were created as a result were insightful enough to hold future development potential. This hands-on experience helped the students be a part of a healthy learning environment, internalize and normalize the ideas propagated by PSI and take home remarkable game-building skills.
Mindstorm is excited to announce that this does not mark the end of the legacy for Out of Thin Air. Out of Thin Air is coming back to the students with an improved and banging 2nd version no later than 20th-21st May. Mark your calendars now to create, collaborate and win.
