Hey, y'all! The jam is starting pretty soon, so I just wanted to say good luck!
I know for a good few of us (including me), this is our first jam! Even though I haven't participated in anything like this before, as someone who has had his fair share of burnout, I'd like to give y'all some tips for minimizing stress, because stress sucks!
- Don't let this interfere with a healthy sleep schedule! Sleep is pretty important, and if you don't get any, you will have a bad time!
- Please do not work in bed! I've done this a lot, and while it is much more comfortable than my desk chair, it sucks when it comes to upholding a good sleep schedule! Keep your work confined to your desk/office!
- Try to always have a light snack and water close to your working area! I enjoy having a bowl of almonds by my side.
- Speaking of your working area, try to keep it somewhat clean!
- Don't crunch too hard!! Overworking yourself is just, like, generally a bad thing to do. Don't do it.
- Try to have fun! The point of a game jam is (mostly) to develop your game-making skills.
- You have sixteen days! Spread the work out!
Also, as for managing time, if you're solo (like me), I highly suggest doing the programming first. It's tempting to make all the other assets right away, I know, but the programming is usually the most time-consuming part and it's best to get it out of the way. Save polishing up the game for later. You can't build a house without first building the frame (or however that saying goes).
Cheers, and best of luck! :D
-JB