The daily GDC Game Jam!

Edit 15-Mar-2016 One more edit! We got fenced in and it turned out they decided to make our tables in to press tables. So we aren't supposed to be there. So! We will meet at the opposite side of the 2nd floor, this time at the tables near the staircases. I'll leave a note and we'll send someone by to see if anyone gets lost. We will be at the table nearest the staircases, or if it's too crowded, one of the nearby ones. There will be the same sign held up.

Edit 14-Mar-2016, Fifteen minutes after the jam starts: Hello Daily Jammers! I may have made mistakes in describing location. We are on the second floor of West Hall! They reversed the escalators on me, so following those descriptions will get you further lost! Ignore yesterday's location to minimize your lostness.

The location is: West Hall, second floor, tables closest to 4th and Howard. You know it's right if you see the carousels across the streets.

The time is not edited, 11:00am - 12:00 noon each day.

The theme is still "Imaginary worlds".

Terribly sorry for all lost game jammers.

Edit 13-Mar-2016:

Location! Location is Moscone North Hall, second floor, at the table that is closest to the Children's Museum. We will have a little card advertising ourselves. When you go up the escalator, just go straight towards the windows, and if you get lost, look out the window, and if you see the carousel, you are in the right place.

Time! Oh wow this hard no two people have the same schedule. However! That didn't stop us from asking everyone, making up times, arguing endlessly over the perfect time, and then just drawing times from a hat. The time shall be 11:00AM-12:00 noon each day. I apologize if you miss us because that is when all your favorite talks are (that's when mine are too) and if we get enough demand for another slot perhaps something can be worked out.

Theme! "Imaginary worlds".

Don't hesitate to ask any questions here, or on twitter, or in email, or in person (if you find me)!

Edit 12-Mar-2016:

I have been receiving many emails, twitters, and texts asking me strange questions! I will put in a FAQ here:

Q: What is the schedule? I have all these talks and meetings and parties and things to go to!

A: We all have that problem. Unfortunately, I can't make the schedule fit for everyone, so I'm making it fit for me. Having said that, I am aiming for either around lunch time (fewer talks and people expect to take a break around then) or in that hour after talks but before everyone goes to parties (5-6ish, but that's also hard because the guards will be kicking us out).

If you can't make a given time on a given day, feel free to "make up" the hour at some other time earlier or later. Also, if you are not at GDC but want to play along, feel free to do this too.

Q: Where will it be?

A: We are still working out details and finalizing spaces. It would be very helpful if people signed up if they know they are coming. If I know that we are a small enough crowd, we can take at the tables on the 2nd or 3rd floor of Moscone North without asking permission. I am currently talking with several people about spaces; if you have space to offer you should contact me at laaph@laaph.com.

Q: Will there be a projector/time after to show off our creations?

A: At this time no projector is organized but I hope we take some time to show each other the games we make on Friday.

Q: You crazy, Laaph.

A: I know I know please enjoy this craziness why am I doing this?

There will be another update tomorrow (Sunday before GDC) approximately in the evening with the theme and the location and time of the first meeting! Hopefully we will have the location/times of ALL meetings sorted out by then but I won't guarantee that. I will be around SF at the pre-GDC festivities tomorrow from about 2pm-onward, so if you want to meet up with me in person, email me at laaph@laaph.com and we can find each other.

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On Sunday night when I should have been sleeping but as it turns in to Monday, I have this idea. People on Twitter had been talking about game jams at GDC, but really, I just couldn't see how I could do one. There is no way I would spend a significant amount of time at GDC for a game jam. I know of the Train Jam, and I'd love to join, but I couldn't justify the cost of taking an airplane to Chicago, and then another ticket all the way back to the west coast.

The normal game jams I partake in lasts 48 hours. I have done one hour game jams before, and I could see programming at GDC for an hour. However, one hour is usually not enough for a fancy game. I'm not a really big fan of one hour game jams, since you don't really get a lot done (even though I do the zero hour game jam every year).

I developed an idea. What about one hour a day? It's not too long. And, more interestingly, you can think about your game for 23 hours between sessions, getting ideas from the many people you talk to at GDC. And then once a day, for an hour, you quickly implement all those ideas that have come up.

So that's sorted. Where to meet? That will be a secret revealed Sunday (the day before GDC starts). More maddeningly (or confusingly), it will be at a difference place (at GDC, or at least close) each day. And possibly, at different times each day. Don't worry, we will make sure this website is updated each day for the next day's meetup. (The real reason to do it this way is so we can run around and ask permission of spaces to invite all the game jammers to with short notice. But the official reason is to just make it sound mysterious.)

The theme will also be released on Sunday, the day before GDC.

All updates will be posted here.