Game Jams and Informal Learning Spaces: Playful Making for Everyone Scott Nicholson Syracuse University School of Information Studies Because Play Matters game lab

Game Jams and Informal Learning Spaces: Playful Making for Everyone Scott Nicholson Professor of Games, Wilfrid Laurier University Director, Brantford Games Network

We Be Jammin’ O Overview of Game Jams O Mini Game Jam O Lessons learned from Jamming

What’s a Game Jam? From

Traditionally…

Global Game Jam (Jan 23-25, 2015)

But it doesn’t have to be…

What is a game, anyway?

O “Form of Play with Goals and Structure” – Maroney (2001) O What is Play?

What is a game, anyway? O “Form of Play with Goals and Structure” – Maroney (2001) O Figure out the Play O Set the Goals O Make it fair with Structure

What is a game, anyway? O “Form of Play with Goals and Structure” – Maroney (2001) O Figure out the Play O Set the Goals O Make it fair with Structure

What’s a Game Jam? From PLAY

What is a game, anyway? O “Form of Play with Goals and Structure” – Maroney (2001) O Figure out the Play O Freedom to explore boundaries

Menu of Fun (Hunicke, LeBlanc, Zubek 2004) O Fantasy O Narrative O Challenge O Fellowship O Discovery O Expression O Sensations O Submission What kind of fun do you want today?

Choose Your Difficulty Level O Easy O Hard

Choose Your Difficulty Level O Easy O Hard Form groups of 4ish

Your Challenge: Create a New Form of Play

Choose Your Difficulty Level O Easy O Use what is in your pockets. O Hard

Choose Your Difficulty Level O Easy O Use what is in your pockets. O Hard O Use only your bodies! You can change.

Your Challenge: Create a New Form of Play

Phase Two: Play with 2-3 other groups!

Elements of a Game Jam O A core concept, technology or question O Initial ideation O Development and Playtesting O Specific deadline O Sharing and Wrapup O Playaround? O Awards? O Post-event Distribution

How to start? Player Experience ThemeComponentsMechanisms

Provide Boundaries O Game Shells O Three-Tac-Toe O Track Meet O Existing games O Constraints O Time O Complexity O Platform

Rules Template O Goal O Setup O Starting Player O Turn Order O Special Rules

Reflections and Discussion O How do you feel about the idea of using a game or play jam? O Do you see some specific applications with which you could use a game or play jam ? O How would you modify the structure to make it work in your context?

Don’t make games for the community. Help the community make games for themselves.

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