The Global Game Jam is a Free Event For Creative People of All Ages

The 48-Hour “jam” is dedicated to meeting new people and developing a game together! The Global Game Jam is an annual event that takes place around the world. The goal is to assemble a team and create a game together within the 48-hour time limit. Experience with game development is not essential—Global Game Jam is fun and for people of all experience levels.

The event is free, though we welcome donations of $5–$20 to help cover costs and food.

Check out last year’s Global Game Jam and see the games developed by last year’s teams.

This Year’s Sponsors

A Gathering of Programmers, Artists, Writers, and More

Global Game Jam (GGJ) is a yearly event where people of all ages and experiences from around the world come together to grow as developers. “Developers” includes programmers, artists, managers, writers, musicians, and more— any and every person with skills and interests that can contribute to a game’s development.

Celebrating Games By Building a New One in 48 Hours!

The GGJ is a celebration of gaming entertainment. The idea is to spend 48 hours to build a concept for a game, plan its development, pull a team together, and then create it. At the end of the weekend, every team will present their games and do an evaluation: What went well? Where could we have improved? What did we learn?

The games we create are diverse and include but are not limited to video games.

For beginners, GGJ is a great way to introduce yourself to game development and teamwork. For the professionals or hobbyists, it’s a great way to keep skills sharp, meet people, or try new positions in a team.

A Non-Competitive Competition

This is a non-competitive event, so there’s really no pressure to accomplish some glorious testament to the splendor of your capabilities. In fact, many games are hardly functional at the end of the weekend. Gerritt Dorland, one of our returning hosts for this year’s event, has only ever had three “finished” games out of five years of participating. GGJ is definitively “for fun” and to build experience.

What to Expect

For Newcomers to Game Development

Expect to be challenged and to learn a lot through that challenge. Our location is very friendly and has a lot of experienced developers who are more than happy to help, so you aren’t going to be completely left to flap in the wind.

We have a shortlist of beginner-friendly tools ready, and we are more than happy to help introduce you to how they work. If you have even a passing interest in game development, you should attend this event because it’s always an invaluable boost to starting yourself as a hobbyist or professional.

For Experienced Game Developers:

You know what a development pipeline looks like, so get ready to blast through that at uncomfortable speeds!

Find new ways to prioritize your work, and learn to let go of problematic mechanics before they lag your schedule. GGJ is GREAT for getting better at identifying mechanics that, while fun, delay your schedule without improving the game.

Network with other developers, make new friends, and expand your skill set into new areas!

The event is a straight 48 hours of development. You will be a bit stressed trying to meet that deadline, but that’s part of the point—to push yourself!

Expect to meet new people, make new friends, and network. And of course, most importantly, expect to have fun! That’s why we’re here—not to compete, but to have fun while honing our skills and learning.

Schedule of the Global Jam

The Jam officially begins at 5 PM on Jan 26. We recommend arriving an hour early to socialize and set up.

Rundown of the Global Game Jam Schedule

– Hopefully meet ahead of time, about an hour before the theme announcement.
– The theme is announced (Friday at 5:00 PM).
– After the theme announcement, 15 minutes for concept design.
– Everyone with a concept will then pitch their ideas to the room.
– Attendees will then organize into groups based on what concepts interested them.
– Everyone scatters into their groups and hammers away for the remaining 47 hours.
– After the submission deadline passes on Sunday, we will have each group present their game to the rest of the attendees, talking about what worked and what didn’t.
Everybody goes home and sleeps off the fatigue.

What We Will Provide

Light refreshments
Desktop PCs with developmental software
Secure workspace

What You Should Bring

Meals or plan on getting takeout or delivery
If you would like to stay onsite overnight, bring a pillow, toiletries, and a sleeping bag

Your own PC or laptop if you prefer your own gear
Ideas!

For more info on the worldwide event, check out the Global Game Jam website

Are you ready to Jam? Register now: