Junior Nabeha Barkatullah started the first ever Girls Make Games club at SCHS to combine people’s love of video games with promoting female involvement in a male-dominant industry.

The Girls Make Games organization encourages girls to pursue their interests in the fields of engineering and computer science, specifically gaming. They began by hosting summer camps but recently expanded their resources by creating school clubs. According to Barkatullah, the SCHS-hosted club collaborates with the organization’s purpose to inspire the next generation of female game designers, programmers and engineers.

“There is a large difference in the number of women interested in stem fields versus those who end up pursuing their interests,” Barkatullah said.

This year, the club’s main goal is to create a video game and publish on app stores by the end of the year, according to Barkatullah. Each club member will have a part in making the game. They all will contribute to coming up with the story, art, music and programming. Roles will rotate to ensure everyone gets to experience a different aspect of game design.

“We plan to teach members how they can make a game and expose them to the creative process,” Barkatullah said. “Hopefully everyone learns something new and has fun while making the game.”

The club is currently brainstorming ideas for their video game this year. So far, they have come up with their team name: BlueGold Gamers. During their weekly meetings, they plan to continue brainstorming ideas and begin programming and designing the game.

According to Barkatullah, the club will make another video game next year. Once more Girls Make Games clubs are created, they will all participate in a competition, and the winning club will have their game published on app stores.

“I’m looking forward to seeing how our ideas come to life and coming together as a team,” Barkatullah said.

Club officer junior Amani Chowdhury looks forward to being a part of the club and its journey. She thinks it is important to have this club on campus because of its motivation for girls.

“Only 12% of women make up the game industry compared to the 47% of female gamers,” Chowdhury said. “The club is here to give girls a good start into how the industry works.”

Club advisor Christina Mehl believes the club has an amazing purpose of breaking gender barriers.

“The club shows that girls can do it too, not just boys,” Mehl said. “These girls are so incredible and talented.”

Girls Make Games meets on Wednesdays at lunch in D306.