Game Jam Hosting - 15 tips to host a successful and convivial Real World Gathering

Our association, PALO ALTOURS (Tours, France) has been organising Startup Weekends and other Hackathon since 2014, and Game Jams “Real World Gathering” since 2016. After 10 Startup weekend, 8 Game Jams and some more Hackathons, we now have some experience to share…

Here are the 4 reasons we have identified why it is great to take part in a Real World Gathering, and 15 tips to make it happen.
If you need more details, here is our full guide.

The reasons why it is great to take part in a Real World Gathering:

REASON 1: Teaming with other people, and creating something you thought was beyond your skills

REASON 2: Entering a time bubble, where you are safe to give everything

REASON 3: Being part of a creative profusion, and amazed at other’s game

REASON 4: Showing your work, and seeing stars in other people's eyes

REASON 1:
Teaming with other people, and creating something you thought was beyond your skills

How to make it happen ?

Tip 1: Recruit participants with different skill and experience profiles

It is really great to mix beginners with experienced participants, developers with graphic designers, musicians, authors and players… But it requires a bit of work a few months ahead of your event, and you will probably need to promote your Jam on a large variety of communication channels.

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Tip 2: Facilitate interactions and teams creation

The first few hours of the Jam are crucial: it is the moment you need to transform a sum of individuals into a group full of wonders :

• Strongly advise your participants to join the introduction event 
• Create a system to let them display their skills and desires for the Jam. For example, we use colored stickers.
• Organise some animations to facilitate their interactions. For example, we organize a diner, some stupid games during which we mix them at random, and let them propose and vote* for the Jam’s theme.

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* Local theme voting does not apply if you take part in a larger event such as Global Game Jam or Ludum Dare. But the theme reveal can be animated though.

Tip 3: Make room for the beginners

We want the beginners too to enjoy the jam. So we organize a 2 to 3 hours workshop at the beginning of the Jam, to introduce them to a very simple game making tool. We use Construct 3, and must of them manage to create their own game.

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Tip 4: Help them keep their project simple, to make it to the end

We wrote “The 10 commandments of the participant”. Here are the 2 most important ones : 

• After 24 hours, you should have a working prototype.
• Keep it simple ! Keep it quick ! Keep it dirty !

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REASON 2:
Entering a time bubble, where you are safe to give everything

How to make it happen ?

Tip 5: Create a self contained event, with no strings attached

It is much more comfortable for the participants to conceive the Jam as a self contained event, where everything is done between the time they arrive and the time they leave: team creation, theme voting, game creation, testing, and “participant’s choice” attribution. No preparation is required, and once the event is finished, everyone is fully released from any obligation*.

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* Bear in mind that if you take part in a larger event, such as Ludum Dare, the participants might be strongly advised to test and rate other games in the next few days after the Jam.

Tip 6: Create a comfortable and functional environment

You should have a main large room for the jam, with adequate WiFi and electrical power supply, and also give access to some other rooms to relax, sleep and eat comfortably.

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Tip 7: Create a protected environment - “we are not a zoo”

A Game Jam is intriguing, and many want to see what it is like. However, your participants won’t appreciate to be interrupted every five minutes. So, it is more convenient to close the event from the public, and to strictly control visitors’ access.

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Tip 8: Respect your participants, and their different implication level

Some participants have a family waiting for them, an exhausting job to relax from, or don’t feel comfortable with other people’s interaction... It is their choice ! And it is much easier for everyone, if you respect the involvement they want or can give to the Jam.

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REASON 3:
Being part of a creative profusion, and amazed at others' games

How to make it happen ?

Tip 9: Empower the participants

Make the Jam theirs, from start to the end : let them propose themes and vote* for the official one, and in the end designate which game will receive the title “the participant’s choice”.

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* Local theme voting does not apply if you take part in a larger event such as Global Game Jam or Ludum Dare. You might still define a local challenge, though.

Tip 10:  Organise convivial animations, and take them out of their screens

Creating games is only half the fun. Interacting with the other is also very important. So it is good to create these opportunities. For example, we organise one animation every evening: 

• Ice breakers and theme voting on friday, 
• A big stupid game with random teams and no screen on saturday, 
• Game testing and Jam conclusion on sunday.

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Tip 11: Animate the event, but let them breath

It is nice to organize some animations, but your participants came here to create games! So, don’t do too much, keep the animations optionals, and let them be quiet most of the time.

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REASON 4 :
Showing your work, and seeing stars in other people's eyes

How to make it happen ?

Tip 12: Encourage the teams to display something, whatever they have achieved

Some teams will be demoralized: maybe they won’t have a working game, maybe they believe that it is not good enough. But whatever they have achieved, encourage them to display something: the pich, the art, the music, a broken prototype… Their production is more interesting than they think. And the public will tell them.

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Tip 13:  After the deadline, let them relax, eat, and test other’s game

At deadline, the tension might be incredibly high! Don’t worry, and give them some time to prepare their games presentation, relax a bit, move around... Laughters and excitement will come back soon.

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Tip 14: Reward the participant: let the public in and test their games

One hour or two after the deadline, invite the public to join and test the games. Having their feedback and seeing their amazement will be the greatest reward for the participants. 

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Tip 15: Help them publish their games online, or do it yourself

For many participants publishing their game might not be the priority. But they will appreciate seeing it again in a few months, or few years! Also, a nice page for each game will greatly help for next edition recruitment. So help them publish, or do it for them!  (with their agreement)

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More information:

HitboxMakers page (the section of PALO ALTOURS organizing Game Jams) : https://hitboxmakers.itch.io/
Our discord : https://discord.gg/tMeZaps
Contact : hitbox@paloaltours.org