GAMERella is a friendly game making event, focusing on inclusivity, accessibility, eduction and support! FREE and OPEN to the public!

GAMERella is the world’s longest running annual game jam and workshop series focusing on supporting marginalized game creators and aspiring game makers. Our next edition is planned for November 23-24, 2024.

Hundreds of people have made their very first game at GAMERella with the support of our amazing industry mentors, live and video workshops, and low-stress environment. NOW IT IS YOUR TIME!

Please make sure you have registered on our EventBrite in order to access our Discord and online mentor help! https://gamerella2024.eventbrite.ca

As always, GAMERella invites women (cis/trans), trans men, non-binary/genderqueer and 2-spirited folks, LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and any others who feel they haven’t had a chance to make a game, to join GAMERella in a weekend of fun game-making on November 23-24, 2024.

WHEN IS THE JAM?

November 23-24, 2024

For in-person jammers in Montreal, we will start Saturday at 10am and wrap up at Sunday 5pm. However, we think sleeping is more important than making games, so we will all be sending you home to have a good sleep at night's sleep!

All participants will be invited to submit their game to our itch.io jam page!

MY TEAM

If you have a team already, you can skip this part! Just show up and jam the jam!

For online participants, our Discord server will have a team-search channel, where you can advertise or respond to calls in search of a team.

But if you are jamming in person and looking for a new team member or a whole team you can participate in our amazing in-person team-making session Saturday morning. No need to apply, just join us at the end of the opening notes.

HOW TO PREPARE?

1 . Sign up on our EeventBrite! https://gamerella2024.eventbrite.ca

2 . Look through our workshops on our website. Lots of simple tools you can learn quickly! Please also check out our values before joining!

3 . Don't have a team or missing a team-member? Don't worry! Discord participants can look for a team-mate on our server and in-person participants can take part in our amazing team-making session. 

5 . More questions? Check out our FAQ page!

6 . Still unsure about something? Send us a message! We want to know if there is anything else you might need to make this weekend less stressful for you!

THEME

----Hearth----

This year’s theme is HEARTH! Curl up around the cosy fireplace, find a place to call home, craft amongst the fires of a forge, be warmed away from the cold world outside, or perhaps take a moment to reflect – some respite from the humdrum of life. Wherever this theme takes you, let it centre on the power of the hearth.

Modifiers:

• Fractal
• Unexpected Joy
• No text
• Hodge-podge

Feel free to use these modifiers as inspiration or just ignore them and make the dream you always dreamt of!

For news and updates, follow us on Instagram!

ONLINE SCHEDULE

SATURDAY

• 9:30am Setup
• 10:00am Watch our Keynote stream (link coming soon)
• 11:00am Jam!
• 10:00pm Work is over, please rest!

SUNDAY

• 9:30am - 3:00pm Work, work, work!
• 3:00pm Updates & last-minute debugging
• 5:00pm Time’s up, upload games to itch.io!

HEALTH & SAFETY

At GAMERella, we want to continue to exercise caution, approaching public health measures from a place of mutual-care and in ways that ensure the wellbeing of all our participants. Our location is very well ventilated. But we are also amplifying ventilation with a large HEPA air filter. We encourage all in-person participants to wear a surgical or higher quality mask. KN94 masks will be provided free of charge to all participants.Furthermore, please ensure that you wipe down your work-space after use using the cleaning supplies we have provided.

If you have COVID symptoms leading up to/during the jam, or test positive, please remain/return home and immediately notify the organizers. Thank you!

WE WOULDN'T BE HERE WITHOUT...

GAMERella 2024 is supported by EA Motive Studio, Autodesk, Clever Endeavour, Behaviour Interactive, and LUMOplay.

Our partners include Weird Ghosts, Milieux Institute for Arts, Culture and Technology, and our host: D3 Innovation Hub.

OUR STORY

Dissatisfied with the game spaces and opportunities provided for women in Montreal’s game scene, Gina Hara and Charlotte Fisher created GAMERella in 2013. Since then GAMERella has welcomed over 1000 participants in a low stress, learner-friendly environment. GAMERella participants have come a long way over the years: founded over a dozen game studios, went to study games, became professional freelancers, got hired by many AAA studios, and even came back to GAMERella to teach, mentor and become organizers!