Skills Canada Saskatchewan Showcases Student Talent in Game Development

On March 26 and 27, 2026, the Skills Canada Saskatchewan Provincial Competition brought together 300 secondary and post-secondary students to compete in more than 40 skilled trades and technology categories. The event continues to create opportunities for students to demonstrate their skills in real, hands on competition settings. The provincial competition brings together students from across Saskatchewan to solve problems and demonstrate their abilities in a wide range of skilled trade and technology areas.

The Game Development competition followed a Game Jam model, where students worked under tight time constraints to create a functional game from concept to completion. The competition scope challenged students to create a 2D or 3D game over two days, using any game engine of their choice, with a final product that could run on a Windows PC or on the web. There were three Secondary-level student teams from various high schools. They were given the competition theme, “Wrong Tool for The Job,” at the beginning of the event.

Each team of three to four people organized itself the way a real studio would, with a programmer, an artist, and dedicated sound and music leads. Students were writing code, building worlds, composing original music, developing narratives, and making intentional design decisions in real time. Visitors could not help but stop and watch.

“Building a game is not just about knowing how to code,” said Shaun Nanan, Provincial Technical Committee Chair for Game Development and Academic Director of Nanan Academy. “It takes communication, problem solving, creativity, and the ability to collaborate under pressure. Watching these students create a functioning game within 30 hours with a theme they had never seen before, shows exactly the kind of technical and soft skills that employers and industries are looking for.”

The gold medal-winning team will be invited to represent Saskatchewan at the Skills Canada National Competition, taking place in Toronto on May 28 and 29. Congratulations to all three teams who competed.

Provincial Technical Committee for Game Development, Skills Canada Saskatchewan: Shaun Nanan, Laura Smart, Gerry Turcotte, and Thayne Winder.

Gold Winner

Andy Hu, Anakin Aymont-Parker, Kiedis Elliot, and Raphael Ajiboye

Silver Winner

Abir Raiyan, Josh Ferguson, Molly Blenkinsop, and Russell Pallasigui

Bronze Winner

Harper Sweet, Raine Kothlow, Zahara Mathieu