I like to tell the story of how the Speedgame Challenge is among one of the few, longest running game jams in the world.
Started in 2006 in the now defunct Christian Devs or CDEVS website, and picked up by the CGDC around 2015 or so, the Speedgame Challenge hits 20 years in 2026. I only joined the challenge myself in 2014 when I submitted a rough Action-RPG game with the working title of Warrior, but that experience not only set me on a path to experience and enjoy game jams, but also grow as a game dev. It also connected me with other Christian developers and put me directly in touch with a niche but growing industry. A lot has happened since then, and this side of the industry has been growing steadily, with more and more Christian developers joining groups such as the CGDC and Imladris, among other smaller groups.
So, what other jams have been running for close to 20 years if not more?
- SpeedHack ran from 1999-2015. less than 20 years, but 16 years is a good number!
- Ludum Dare has been running since 2002.
- 7DRL (Seven Day Roguelike Challenge) has been running since 2005.
- Global Game Jam has been running since 2009, getting close to 20!
- Nordic Game Jam has been running since 2006, another 20 year old jam!
These are some of the ones that I discovered while exploring how many game jams have been running continuously for 20 years. So, we should be proud that although niche, we've been able to keep doing these for so long. It's thanks to you, and all those who took up the responsibility to plan these each year, that we've lasted this long. And I'm hoping we last 20 more, if not more!
In celebration of these 20 years, I want to encourage you all who are participating that if you've been in any of the previous Speedgames, and are looking for ideas, maybe try revisiting one of your old ideas and give it a new spin? And maybe include at least one of the old verses you used for that project, while including the new ones for this year. That way we celebrate our legacy while also looking forward.
In addition to this, I'm going to try throughout the next year to get ahold of all the old games through the wayback machine and create a Speedgame itchio profile to upload all those games and have it serve as a playable archive for current and future generations. The games will be uploaded as is. Where they aren't playable, I will try to get in contact with the developers and see how we can make them so. Maybe even make them browser playable. And where unfinished, perhaps they can be brought to a complete state even if it is still rough. Stay tuned for more info on that!
Happy devving these next few weeks, looking forward to what you all make!
All the best,
Raul