Preparing For The Global Game Jam 2019

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The time has come. Another Global Game Jam is at our doorstep and that means a lot of fun and sleepless hours building a game! Last year our team Devious won the Best Student Team award for our game Echo and we can’t wait to jump back in for a new experience. Team Devious consists of me, Nicky Wu, Danny Dorstijn, Huub van de Hoef and a new member this year Daniel. Thankfully Daniel is an artist and is a great addition to the team, since the rest of us are programmers.

The Global Game Jam is the largest game jam event taking place around the world. A game jam in its broadest sense is an event where several teams create games. The jam revolves around a new theme every year and is announced when the jam goes live on its first day. Then, your team has 48 hours to create a game based on said theme. The event aims to stimulate collaboration and encourages people from all kinds of different backgrounds to come together as teams and be creative!

Last year I had a really great experience. The event is hosted at physical locations throughout the world and we signed up at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. I had a great time checking out all these amazing games being developed and the ideas that people had for them. That is, whenever we decided to hold a small break from the constant development cycle for our own game! My favorite part of the event is the presentation where all the games are presented and can be played by anyone and that is where they really shine. A game that integrated Twitch commands as a core mechanic or a game with a custom-built controller system? It’s all there.

Exploring the games of others

Although it’s not the primary focus of the Global Game Jam, there is a jury walking around during the presentation phase who evaluate the games they play on multiple areas. At the very end of the jam, winners are chosen based on their game and classification (not mandatory). We are a student team, but there are also teams that consist of professional developers in the field looking to jam for example. Each classification serves different rewards, so don’t be afraid to join just because you are new to being a developer. There is a place for everyone!

Want to know more? Keep an eye out for my Global Game Jam 2019 report, coming shortly after the event. Happy jamming!