Charlottesville Game Developers January 2012. Tips for Game Jams Jeff Ward

Charlottesville Game Developers

January 2012

Tips for Game Jams

Jeff Ward

Global Game Jam!

January 27th to January 29th

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)http://www.jeffongames.com/2009/02/jamming-postmortem/

2010 (Quest for Stick)http://www.jeffongames.com/2010/02/jamming-post-mortem-2010-edition/

2010 (Cultural Exchange)http://www.jeffongames.com/2010/08/immigration-jam-post-mortem/

Use a Tool Use a tool or framework

Unity 3D Game engine http://unity3d.com/

Angel C++ prototyping system (http://code.google.com/p/angel-engine/)

AngelXNA C#, XNA based version of Angel https://bitbucket.org/fuzzybinary/angelxna/

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

http://www.lostgarden.com/search/label/free%20game%20graphics

http://letsmakegames.org/resources/art-assets-for-game-developers/

If you don’t have a coder, get free code http://www.yoyogames.com/make http://gamesalad.com/

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!