Before I start, welcome to play our game “Constellation”!
GGJ website：
https://globalgamejam.org/2023/games/constellation-2
Youtube：
https://youtu.be/iHmqB95ue6c
Itch website playable version：
https://yichun-he.itch.io/ggj2023-constellation
Introduction:
The Global Game Jam (GGJ) is a unique free event held worldwide among game creators. Participants come together and work to develop original and innovative experimental video games based on a secret theme.
What is the Global Game Jam?
“Jam” is a reference to musicial jam sessions. Similarly, the goal with a “game jam” is to come together and make a videogame, or a non-digital (analog) game like a board game or card game. Participants rapidly prototype game designs and inject new ideas to help inspire and grow the global game industry. We share a common theme and constraints. We ask participants to create a game from beginning to end in a prescribed time. The brief time span is meant to help encourage creative thinking which results in small but innovative and experimental games, some of which have been developed beyond the GGJ into a commercial success.
The GGJ mission is to empower individuals worldwide to learn, experiment, and create together through the medium of games. The organization oversees various efforts both globally and locally to encourage communities to join together to make games. The GGJ provides unique opportunities for people to create, collaborate and practice their game creation skills, and invites everyone of any skill level to take part.
The organization is best for its cornerstone GGJ event in January every year, the world’s largest game creation event, as well as GGJ NEXT – a game jam designed for younger creators (students aged 12-17 years). We also partner with various organizations to organize and host game jams of various scale to help promote cultural connection and the exploration of game education.
When is the Global Game Jam?
The Global Game Jam® is an annual event, usually occurring in January. GGJ 2023, the 15th GGJ, will start at 17:00 (in your time zone) on 30 January 2023 and goes through 5 February 2023.
Participants work concurrently around the globe; we rally around a central theme, and then work together to create a game. It’s our hope that we will see some very experimental prototypes that you can continue to work on after the jam. Many games developed in previous Game Jams have become fully realized games.
Most sites will likely be active during the weekend of 3-5 February, sites can operate earlier if desired to accommodate local preference. We have allowed for 7 days for the jam this year which allows Site Organizers to freely choose which 48 hours to have their jam. When those days are depends on which jam site you attend as a participant, or spread out the 48 hours over those days and make your jamming experience healthier and more productive.
Site Organizers may provide support at other times/moments of course, though officially they should at least provide support for their 48 hours, starting from the starting date they applied with as SO. The 48 hour “limit” is so our Site Organizers do not feel overwhelmed and the 7 days also allows for participants to jam earlier than usual in case of interruptions while jamming at home.
The theme will be announced globally prior to the start of the jam. Participants are then free to jam from the 30th until the submission deadline on the 5th.
5PM on February 5th (for each timezone) is the deadline for submissions globally.
The GGJ is open source, hardware and software agnostic, and all projects are released under a Creative Commons license. We encourage people to try out new ideas and push themselves, within reason. We also strongly encourage participants to be aware of their mental and physical wellness during the event (to eat and sleep!), so they can stay at their creative best!
Personal Reflection:
The Global Game Jam is absolutely a game makers’ binge. It’s an annual international event developed in a collaborative format where participants try to make games from scratch. This year was my first time participating in this event! We were a small team of 5 people. The Constellation is a 2D top-down hook game. The player is an astronaut lost in space. Player needs to use the hook-and-cable and jet knapsack to move through the complex meteorite area and find a way to the giant space station. There are many small space capsules in the scene. When exploring, player can reactivate the small space capsule and obtain supplies. The reactivated modules will be connected to each other, and the connected modules will form a nebula unique to the player. Welcome to visit our website and play!
Reference:
- Victoria Martínez, M. (2022, November 14). How much do you know about the global game jam? Globant Blog. Retrieved February 5, 2023, from https://stayrelevant.globant.com/en/technology/gaming/how-much-know-about-global-game-jam/
- What is a game jam. Global Game Jam. (2023, February 3). Retrieved February 5, 2023, from https://globalgamejam.org/what-game-jam
