TL;DR

This is the official game jam for IGDA Ann Arbor.

• This is a 48 hour game jam
• You will be given a theme at kick-off to make your game around
• You can use any tools or assets you want, just make it clear in your description.
• You can come with others or by yourself. We will help you find a team!
• You don't need any experience to participate, just get ready to learn.

You'll need to join the discord for updates! https://discord.gg/GB2zusk

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Hello IGDA Ann Arbor! I know a lot of you have not done a game jam before or have not done one in a long time. I wanted to give a quick primer for what a game jam is and some tips and tricks on how to have a successful, healthy and fun game jam.

What is a Game Jam?

First and foremost, what is a game jam?

A game jam is where you make an entire game within a given amount of time. 

Most commonly, game jams are 48 hours in length (like ours). You are given a theme at kick-off to help focus your creativity (remember, creativity thrives with constraints).

Rules from there very there from restricted tools to alternative requirements and themes.

Why Game Jam?

Beyond being fun, you gain a lot from doing game jams, promise.

These benefits include...

• Practice making games
• A game to go on your portfolio
• Collaboration and meeting new teammates
• Potential kick off for long term projects

By the end of the game jam, you’ll be surprised how much you learned.

Tips and Tricks:

Know What You Want from the Jam Going In

If you want something out of the game jam, know what it is going in and tell your team/form your team around that goal. 

Do you want something solid and polished for your portfolio? Then you should scope small and not try anything too far out of the box.

Do you want to make a specific genre? Do you want to use a specific tool or practice a specific art style? Just be up front. This is about accomplishing what you want from the jam.

Take Care of Yourself

Game jams can be a little intense, but you still have a life to return to come Monday. Here’s some things to remember while jamming:

• Drink Water
• Eat (healthy) food
• Get some sleep (your work declines if you don’t so all-nighters aren’t that valuable)
• Shower

Remember the last 20%

The last 20% of a game takes 50% of the time. This is the audio, menus/UI, tutorials,random polish, bug fixing, builds, and submission. To prevent that last minute scramble, remember to...

• Try making builds at the beginning of the final day. 
• Do a pass on audio early. 
• Make a main menu and level flow asap.
• Make a tutorial by the end of the second day.