Climate game on

The subtle clicks of a computer mouse and the whir of desktop engines are the only sounds permeating the University of Delaware's ESports Arena.

That hum is occasionally punctuated by the squeak of a chair or the tapping of fingers on a keyboard. You can almost hear a pin drop as dozens of students gaze at the screens in front of them.

Don't mistake that quiet for idleness, though. Underneath the dim glow of the arena's blue lights, these students are responding to rising sea levels, trekking through trash-filled waters and adventuring alongside mermaids. They're also testing a new generation of video games created by their peers.

On March 8, participants, judges and video game enthusiasts convened in UD's ESports Arena to celebrate its first game jam, a time-limited competition that challenges participants to create a video game from scratch.