Charlottesville Game Developers January 2012

Tips for Game Jams Jeff Ward

Global Game Jam! January 27 th to January 29 th Site at the University of Virginia

What’s a Game Jam?  X amount of time to make a “game” based on a theme  GGJ is “48” hours.  Theme (or tech) is revealed at the event  Fun way to just make a game, hone your skills, and learn.  You are forced to just “get it done”

From Experience!  Game Jam Post Mortems!  2009 (Game of Nom)  2010 (Quest for Stick)  2010 (Cultural Exchange)

Use a Tool  Use a tool or framework  Unity  3D Game engine   Angel  C++ prototyping system  (  AngelXNA  C#, XNA based version of Angel   PyGame, Akihabara, LOVE  Only restriction on GGJ is it must be available for at least x months before the Jam

My Opinion  Stick with 2D.  The third dimension will you.

More Tools  Use Source Control  Recommend mercurial or git  Have a way to transfer assets  Drop box or a shared drive is easiest  Don’t sweat process  You won’t have time

Know your tool  You should know how to use your tool before coming in to the jam.  Or, at least someone should  Exception: If you want to learn the tool  Still recommend you get with someone who knows the tool  You will come out of the jam knowing the tool.

Ideas  First go off into small groups….  … then bounce ideas in large-ish groups  Avoid ideas that hinge upon “and at the end…”  Stick to the theme  Keep scope small

Form Your Team  Teams are probably best 3 – 8 people  Work with someone you know  Work with people you don’t know  Work on the project that sounds most interesting.

Development  Get working immediately  Have something end of day 1  Have something playable mid day 2  No new features, end of day 2  These are… guidelines as opposed to rules.

Larger Teams  Get Organized  Have a way of keeping track of tasks, ideas, what needs to be done.  Have a dedicated “designer”  Get them productive quickly…  … even if it’s on pen and paper

Other Advice  Go home. Get some sleep.  MIT GAMBIT closes it’s lab.  Scope to your team

Other Advice  Utilize free stuff  If you don’t have an artist, get free art    If you don’t have a coder, get free code    If you have neither, make a board game!

Other Advice  Don’t Compete  Take risks. Learn Something!

Have Fun! That’s really what it’s all about!