Started making games a long time ago and still not finished with your game? Don’t worry you are not alone. Most of the game developers start out by selecting a game engine and with an game idea. They start but never finish.
Most common reason is they don’t set a deadline and even if they do, they don’t follow it. Here is where game jams can help you. A game jam teaches you how to complete a game within the given time.
So what’s a game jam?
A game jam is where you are given a theme and a deadline. You are supposed to complete the game before the deadline and the game must be related to the theme. Game jams can be offline or online. Most of the game jam allow you to participate as a solo member.
What do i learn in a game jam?
Game jam is great place to learn time management during development. If you don’t manage the time allocated for your individual task, then it will be difficult to finish the game on time.
In game jams you meet new people and learn about their experience too. Its also a great place to find team mates. All game jams have a discussion forum, you can post your work and give details, so other people can contact you and team up.
Another skill you can learn is brainstorming for new ideas. After you get your theme you have to come up with a game idea within a short amount of time. If you are with a team, then brainstorming with a group can teach you how differently people think from one another.
Where can i find game jams?
One or the other online jam is always going one. You can find them in the websites below.
- http://www.indiegamejams.com/
- https://globalgamejam.org/
- https://itch.io/jams/upcoming
- http://weeklygamejam.com/
- https://becausegamesmatter.com/game-jams
- https://www.stlgamejam.com/
- http://www.gamejamcentral.com/
- https://gamejamplus.com/
- https://onehourgamejam.com/
- http://www.finnishgamejam.com/quantumwheel/
- http://berlinminijam.de/
- http://www.mtlgj.org/lang/en/index.html
There are more on google. Some are game engine based.
Most offline game jams are conducted once in a year. Global game jam is one of the largest game jam that people participate every year. It happens in the last weekend of january. It is conducted all around the world at the same time.
Another oldest running jam is ludum dare. This is an online jam where the participants have to make a game from scratch within a weekend.
So are you ready to take on a game jam? Don’t forget to stock your snacks bar for you and your team, you will need a lot of energy to go on.