The creative sparks ignited by Global Game Jam

14.03.2024 - 11:22 / gamesindustry.biz

Game jams both big and small have been a stimulating bucket of creativity for developers everywhere, encouraging creatives to push themselves out of their comfort zone and create a full game in a limited time frame, anything from a day to just a week.

You have independent and charity-focused jams where you create for a good cause, while many companies have seen the benefit of this restrictive challenge to hold internal jams. Titles like Celeste, Superhot, and Goat Simulator can also pinpoint their origins to a particularly inventive game jam idea its developers chose to push into full development.

These events spark creativity, offer a break from longer term projects, provide a chance for newer developers to meet fellow creatives and put together their first title, and potentially set people down the game development path for themselves. They harbor the hobbyist spirit that has existed since the beginning of the industry, and remain crucial in nurturing and encouraging a new generation of developers to enter the industry.

Over the course of the 15 years since the inaugural edition of Global Game Jam was held in 2009, this event has grown to become one of the biggest such events in the world, with the 2023 rendition of the event bringing roughly 40,000 people to 800 locations in 108 countries.

The event once again gathered a new cohort of greenhorn and experienced jammers together to challenge themselves to develop a small game that will 'Make Them Laugh' over the course of a single weekend last January.

In its encouragement to include developers of all skill levels and create in-person hubs for developers to meet, one of the greatest benefits of Global Game Jam is its level of accessibility to everyone.

While it may not be the only example of a multinational, large-scale game jam in existence, it certainly is one of the more accessible examples of such an event. Many jams take place online only, often within closed communities, with expectations that participants already possess the skills needed to complete a project. As a result, support may not be readily available if problems arise. The physical presence of Global Game Jam helps people of all levels experience the joys and stresses of a jam together, all while learning new skills.

Hosting the event even outside of typical game development cities and hubs – provided a volunteer is able and willing to host – also encourages a more diverse network.

Even in large cities with a strong development community, these events can be invaluable for developers seeking out a chance to meet and work with their peers, and can cross social and cultural divides that may hold different development groups from meeting in typical circumstances.

This was the case for CJ