Hello!

We are delighted to be hosting a Game Jam here at Unity, in association with the University of Brighton & University of Brighton Game Jam Society to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ Community.

Special thanks to Panagiotis Fotaris for the design & development of the GAY(M) JAM logo!

Open to all levels of ability and interest - we want to foster an educational and inclusive Game Jam that celebrates and speaks to LGBTQIA+ experience.

Joining us, we hope to have representatives and speakers from local Brighton LGBTQIA+ Charities to speak about their work - and the communities they serve.

This event will run from 9:30AM Saturday 27th July , to Approximately 8:00PM on Sunday 28th July.

• Unity Brighton is located on City View, 4th floor, 103 Stroudley road, Brighton, BN1 4DJ . We’re right behind Brighton station, next to Jurys Inn.
• If you arrive by car, there is a car park opposite our office. 

Full schedule to be provided ahead of the event in a Game Jam Information Pack sent to attendees.

We will also be arranging a Prize Raffle for participants! Prizes are currently under wraps (and very exciting!) and we shall be offering raffle tickets with proceeds going to a chosen charity active in the LGBTQIA+ community.

We hope you can join us - we're extremely excited to put this event together in our central Brighton studio, and look forward to making this one of our best ever Game Jams!

Please take a look through the below FAQ's, and of course reach out to the organisers if you have absolutely any queries or questions we can address. 

FAQ's

• What's a Game Jam?

A Game Jam can be a whole variety of things! Traditionally - a Game Jam is an event designed to foster creativity and collaboration, with participants forming small teams to build a game or interactive experience, usually linked to a theme or rules within the event itself.

Game Jams will usually take place within a small window of time - encouraging participants to take risks, experiment - and not worry about building the biggest game possible.

You don't necessarily have to make a computer game! Plenty of Game Jams have seen teams developing physical games, like card or board games - and other novel formats.

Participants are usually encouraged to join teams with other people they might not know so well - to build friendships and learn new things as they collaborate!

Finally - Game Jams are all about having fun, and being creative. This is not an event to create a best-selling game, or to reinvent the wheel. We want everyone participating to have fun, make friends - and hopefully learn a thing or two along the way!

• I've never made a video game, or done any computer programming. Is this for me?

Yes! You don't need to have a knowledge of coding to participate in a Game Jam, or even an understanding of how a video game is made. Teams will always need help with other aspects - such as designing characters, story, gameplay features, and even playtesting to make sure the game works!

A Game Jam can be an amazing experience for anyone new to Video Game development - as you can learn first hand the building blocks of modern computer games.

We would encourage anyone to join regardless of ability - and to get involved!

• What equipment do I need to bring?

Whatever feels comfortable! We should be well equipped to provide workspace and power to participants - laptops are preferred, as we may be a bit squeezed to provide space for everyone if they bring a PC tower & dual monitor set up!

If you're Jamming for the first time - bring curiosity! Bring pens & paper, something to make music with, craft materials - whatever you might need to feel creative!

There will be a lockable room at the venue where you can leave your hardware overnight but please note you will be leaving the hardware at your own risk. We can not monitor computers and other devices on your behalf during the day. Feel free to bring whatever equipment you need to jam, but do so at your own risk. This includes laptops, controllers, VR/AR devices, and so on. Please, keep an eye on anything you decide to bring. Labels/stickers could be a sensible solution to help identify your equipment from others!

Please be sensible - no flamethrowers and weapons of mass destruction. Likewise, soldering irons, craft knives or other dangerous tools best left at home.

Unity will not be able to loan any hardware for the event, unfortunately.

• Is the venue accessible?

The venue and bathroom facilities is assessed to be suitable for wheelchair users. We also have gender-neutral bathrooms available. If you have a specific request or query regarding accessibility, please get in touch so we ensure you are accommodated!

• Do I have to use Unity?

Teams are free to use whatever tools or software they want to participate :) Of course, we think Unity is pretty neat - but there are no rules about what teams can use to build their submission.

• Do I need to arrange a team before the event?

Not at all! The current plan is to have a session for teams to form and bond in the morning of Saturday 27th. Of course, if you'd like to pair up with individuals ahead of time we can likely accommodate groups of 2's & 3's - but would encourage participants to join the Game Jam as individuals, so we can form teams with a good mix of skills and abilities to help ensure everyone has a positive experience at our Game Jam.

• What are the team sizes?

To be determined by the number of event attendees! Watch this space :)

• Is this a competitive Game Jam?

We will not be evaluating or judging submitted Games to find an overall winner, or category winners, at the end of the Game Jam. This event is designed to celebrate our LGBTQIA+ Community, and we will celebrate all entries too!

We will of course have time at the end for all teams to present and share their work, and time to play the Games!

• Will there be food provided?

This event will not be fully catered - and we encourage participants to make sure they observe a healthy routine of meals & snacks to help maintain a good energy level. We will be observing meal breaks during the Game Jam to remind individuals to take a break :)

We will hope to provide some snacks and light refreshments to attendees throughout the event.

• Can I stay in the venue overnight?

We will be closing the venue at 11:00PM on Saturday night - so participants cannot stay inside. Participants are also encouraged to ensure they have confirmed accommodation arrangements (if they are not local to Brighton) - as Unity cannot provide accommodation for attendees. Please feel free to contact the organisers if you would like advise or guidance on finding accessible, safe options for accommodation.

• Alcohol, Smoking & Drugs Policy

Abuse/overuse of Alcohol will not be tolerated - especially if anyone else's enjoyment of the Game Jam is being affected. We will eject participants who have breached this rule.

Please remember the GameJam is a 2-day event, and whilst we are celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community - this isn't a party first and foremost. We want to encourage a social and inclusive atmosphere, but please remember it is not everyone's preference to drink alcohol - and hangovers are detrimental to productivity!

The venue has a zero-tolerance policy to illegal drugs - anyone found with substances will be ejected, and police action may be taken.

The venue is no-smoking, this applies to both cigarettes and electronic vapes. We will have a dedicated smoking section outside of the venue, and ask that this is respected at all times.