[Archives] My Top 6 Favorite Game Jams

Archives, Game Development

Global Game Jam

The Global Game Jam® (GGJ) is the world’s largest game jam event (game creation) taking place around the world at physical locations. Think of it as a hackathon focused on game development. It is the growth of an idea that in today’s heavily connected world, we could come together, be creative, share experiences and express ourselves in a multitude of ways using video games – it is very universal. The weekend stirs a global creative buzz in games, while at the same time exploring the process of development, be it programming, iterative design, narrative exploration or artistic expression. It is all condensed into a 48 hour development cycle. The GGJ encourages people with all kinds of backgrounds to participate and contribute to this global spread of game development and creativity. 

Ludum Dare

Ludum Dare is an online community best known for“Ludum Dare”, the Accelerated Game Development Event of the same name (also called a “Game Jam”). During a Ludum Dare, developers from around the world spend a weekend creating games based on a theme suggested by the community. Ludum Dareevents take place every April, August and December. 

ProcJam

#procjam is a game jam about making stuff that makes other stuff.  

Our aims for PROCJAM are:

– To make procedural generation accessible to more people.
– To host a jam that is laid back, easy to enter, and fun to be a part of.
– To build a community of friends and peers across disciplines.
– To show off projects that are pushing the boundaries of generative software.

Cyberpunk Jam

As game developers, we have responsibilities to influence the future. I believe we should use it for positive ones, not negative. Create a game within the time allowed to leave a positive influence on the impending future using the theme and motives of the cyberpunk genre. While that is more solarpunk than cyberpunk, it still fits within the parent genre. Seeing as this is cyberpunk, literally almost anything goes content wise. 

Glitchjam

Glitch Jam was an official Game Jolt jam. The challenge was to make a game that deliberately used glitches as an integral part of gameplay or that otherwise embraced a glitched-out aesthetic. 

TarotJam

For the purposes of this jam, participating developers/artists are welcome to use the Tarot as a general theme, a structural guideline, a creative jumping off point, or simply a source of inspiration. Perhaps you want to create an alternative synchronistic divinatory system, like the Tarot or the I Ching. Perhaps you’d like to invent a brand new game using the Tarot (or the more “standard” deck of playing cards derived therefrom) as a primary component. Perhaps you’d like to pick a single card, any card, and make a game based on its specific themes and symbols. Perhaps you’d like to do something completely different. Do what makes sense to you and what excites you most!