Kings in the Making: Architects of the Arcade

Join us for Kings in the Making: Architects of the Arcade, an intergenerational game-design hackathon celebrating Black youth digital agency as part of Oakland Tech Week.

Young creators (ages 5–18) will team up with community mentors to design, build, and publish retro 8-bit video games from scratch—all in a single morning.

What to Expect:

• Analogue-to-AI Pipeline: Youth turn physical paper drawings and story blueprints into playable digital games using generative AI (Gemini, Suno) and no-code tools (Microsoft MakeCode Arcade).
• Intergenerational Tribes: K–12 youth, high school leads, and Opportunity Age mentors work side-by-side on collaborative build squads.
• Interactive Arcade Showcase: Test-play student creations during our live gallery exhibition and judging ceremony from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM.
• Food & Community: Grab-and-go lunch provided for participants and attendees.

Schedule:

• 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM: Arrival, Breakfast & Hackathon Kickoff
• 10:00 AM – 10:55 AM: Intergenerational Game Build Sprints
• 10:55 AM – 11:30 AM: Testing, Code Polish & Station Setup
• 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM: Lunch, Live Arcade Showcase & Awards Ceremony

Free and open to the community.

Event venue & nearby stays

MetWest High School - Dolores Huerta Campus, 314 East 10th Street, Oakland, United States

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.

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