This was my first ever game jam where I created my game "Tiny Planet Defence League" (which you can check out here - https://bennydgames.itch.io/tiny-planet-defence-league). This was also my first time developing a game from start to finish, so I thought I'd share a few things about my experience with the game jam and some advice I wish I'd had as a first timer :)

1. Having some existing experience was a massive help

I'd been following the GameDev.tv courses for the last few months and had been putting together some basic game ideas or demos (but never anything complete). I think being familiar with the game engine (Godot in my case) and programming was a massive help in being able to finish the project. I'm not sure how many people sign up to gam jams with no previous experience but I imagine it'd would be tough to teach yourself how to develop a game whilst at the same time trying to submit something before the deadline. That being said, taking part in the jam and going through the process of completing something from start to finish was still a great learning opportunity for me!

2. Don't make your dream game (at least, not yet anyways!)

When I first saw the tiny world theme I had a million ideas of games I wanted to make - I love things like Super Mario Galaxy, Outer Wilds etc. But these are massive games which sadly can't be made in a week. I think part of the reason I was able to submit on time is because I chose a very scaled down project that was simple but fun, and was something I could put together in a week. It can be hard to not let the scope of a game creep up, but focusing on something small and contained really helped me. 

3. There's a lot more to game dev than you think!

It seems obvious in hindsight, but going through the full process of making a game start to finish made me realise just how much stuff is involved! Programming, 3D modelling assets, creating textures, creating music, UI design - there's so many different elements. When I'd being doing courses to teach myself game dev, a lot of these resources are provided (e.g., model assets, music) but it's a bit different when you need to find them for your own game. For my next game jam I think I'd plan out what assets I was going to make myself and what ones I would look to source elsewhere so I could better plan my time. 

I'd be keen to hear how other people found the game jam and what their advice for future ones would be!

Congratulations on making it through your first game jam!

It's a big achievement, to get to this point you had to decide to do it, build a game, and then publish it for people to play, all big decisions.

GDTVJam24 was my first game jam and it was a great experience.  Over the last year I have done a few other jams as well, and while each game has been different in style and mechanics, each has taught me various lessons or reinforced the fact that I can make games.

I also try to make all of my own assets, which adds an extra layer of challenge to any of the jams I participate in as well.  I do this for a few reasons, but mostly because I want to be able to do it this way.  It means that every game I make is truly unique because the art, the sounds and the music aren't used in other games (at least until I post the assets for others to use).

From my experiences, here's a few more things to consider:

• If you're starting out, don't be scared to try - If you're contemplating doing a game jam, it normally means that you want to be able to make games, so go for it.  Worst case scenario is you start it and don't finish the game you plan out.  If that happens, learn from it.  Think about what went wrong.  Did you over scope?  Did you not fully understand the engine, or the code?  Did you spend too much time making assets, or one mechanic, or were you unable to devote as much time as you would have liked?  Figure out where your bottleneck was and try again in another jam - there's plenty out there.
• When looking for your first jam, try to go one you think will fit - Most jams on itch have a community forum that can be open before the jam starts and can get a feel for the community in the jam before deciding to join.  Also look at the rules and overall focus of the jam, some require you to use specific engines, software or assets, or make a specific style of game.  Make sure you think that the jam fits what you want to do as much as making sure you can fit the jam.
• Don't be afraid to interact - In most jams I've been in, there has been a reasonably active community that has been welcoming to inexperienced and new developers, and when you're in a jam, we're all trying to fit the deadlines and make a fun game that hopefully rates well by the end.
• Do you need to make your own assets? - If you want or need to make your own assets, you need to consider the time it will take you to plan your project, make your assets and make your games.  If you're practicing making assets before or in-between jams, get a rough idea of how long it takes you to make various things, and then use 1.5 to 2 times that time for making your assets in the jam.  As much as this limits the amount of time you have to make the game itself, you can then scope your game accordingly to give you every chance of finishing the game.
• Don't get too caught up in making the game "perfect" - It is rare for anyone to make a game with the same quality as AAA games in a jam.  Most submissions are proof of concepts, with short play times and normally more than a few bugs or areas to improve.  If you can allow some time in the jam to add a little polish to your game, it might rate better, but the most important thing in the jam is to make a game.  If it's your first jam, or your still learning, just remember that you don't need a perfect game, you need to complete the experience, get some feedback and possibly learn a few things along the way.
• Keep at least the last day of the jam for project uploading and submitting - If you're still making your game in the last 12 hours of a game jam, you're probably going to miss the deadline.  If you always plan for this time and make it a hard deadline, you should always be able to make it through the jam.
• So long as it plays, upload it! - I really can't stress this enough, but if you have been working on a game and it isn't "finished", but it does play and there's something to do, upload it.  Again, when you're starting off, a game jam is about getting experience.  People in the jams will still play your game and give you feedback, even if it's not finished.
• Upload a Web Playable Version - In all of the jams I've participated in, if you really want to ensure that someone plays your game, upload a web version.  While there are exceptions, most downloadable games don't get much attention because people don't want to risk downloading a virus, and most game jam games aren't "signed" to be trusted by the OS on everyone's computers.  The games normally trigger an antivirus response and means that players (other devs) don't really want to trust them.  With a web version, Itch will likely do its own security checks on your games, and if it plays in the browser, there is less perceived risk in playing your game.
• Don't be disappointed by the Ratings and Rankings - While you might think your game is perfect, others might not, or might see problems where you saw a great feature.  The main thing you should be after in a jam is feedback.  Good feedback can give you a confidence boost, and bad feedback can help you figure out where you might be getting something wrong.  Just make sure that if you get a negative comment, that you get a reason for that feedback.  I personally try to think of how I would potentially fix the problem I perceive in the hope that it can help, sometimes I get it wrong, but most of the time will appreciate the feedback if there is something to work on.  If the feedback is just negative with no reason, ask for an explanation.  If the commenter is genuine, they will normally elaborate on why the gave the negative feedback.  If they don't, then just ignore it.
• Finally, ENJOY IT - We all have aspirations of making the next big thing, but it's a long road to get there so you might as well enjoy it.  I have enjoyed every jam I've been in.  Each one has been a unique experience and the process of going from nothing to making your own game and getting it played can be daunting and stressful, but is also massively rewarding.

Apologies for the length ...