1. Charlottesville Game Developers January 2012

2. Tips for Game Jams Jeff Ward

3. Global Game Jam! January 27 th to January 29 th Site at the University of Virginia

4. What’s a Game Jam?  X amount of time to make a “game” based on a theme  GGJ is “48” hours.  Theme (or tech) is revealed at the event  Fun way to just make a game, hone your skills, and learn.  You are forced to just “get it done”

5. From Experience!  Game Jam Post Mortems!  2009 (Game of Nom) http://www.jeffongames.com/2009/02/jamming-postmortem/ http://www.jeffongames.com/2009/02/jamming-postmortem/  2010 (Quest for Stick) http://www.jeffongames.com/2010/02/jamming-post-mortem-2010-edition/ http://www.jeffongames.com/2010/02/jamming-post-mortem-2010-edition/  2010 (Cultural Exchange) http://www.jeffongames.com/2010/08/immigration-jam-post-mortem/ http://www.jeffongames.com/2010/08/immigration-jam-post-mortem/

6. Use a Tool  Use a tool or framework  Unity  3D Game engine  http://unity3d.com/ http://unity3d.com/  Angel  C++ prototyping system  (http://code.google.com/p/angel-engine/)http://code.google.com/p/angel-engine/  AngelXNA  C#, XNA based version of Angel  https://bitbucket.org/fuzzybinary/angelxna/ https://bitbucket.org/fuzzybinary/angelxna/  PyGame, Akihabara, LOVE  Only restriction on GGJ is it must be available for at least x months before the Jam

7. My Opinion  Stick with 2D.  The third dimension will !@%$ you.

8. More Tools  Use Source Control  Recommend mercurial or git  Have a way to transfer assets  Drop box or a shared drive is easiest  Don’t sweat process  You won’t have time

9. Know your tool  You should know how to use your tool before coming in to the jam.  Or, at least someone should  Exception: If you want to learn the tool  Still recommend you get with someone who knows the tool  You will come out of the jam knowing the tool.

10. Ideas  First go off into small groups….  … then bounce ideas in large-ish groups  Avoid ideas that hinge upon “and at the end…”  Stick to the theme  Keep scope small

11. Form Your Team  Teams are probably best 3 – 8 people  Work with someone you know  Work with people you don’t know  Work on the project that sounds most interesting.

12. Development  Get working immediately  Have something end of day 1  Have something playable mid day 2  No new features, end of day 2  These are… guidelines as opposed to rules.

13. Larger Teams  Get Organized  Have a way of keeping track of tasks, ideas, what needs to be done.  Have a dedicated “designer”  Get them productive quickly…  … even if it’s on pen and paper

14. Other Advice  Go home. Get some sleep.  MIT GAMBIT closes it’s lab.  Scope to your team

15. Other Advice  Utilize free stuff  If you don’t have an artist, get free art  http://www.lostgarden.com/search/label/free%20game%20graphics http://www.lostgarden.com/search/label/free%20game%20graphics  http://letsmakegames.org/resources/art-assets-for-game-developers/ http://letsmakegames.org/resources/art-assets-for-game-developers/  If you don’t have a coder, get free code  http://www.yoyogames.com/make http://www.yoyogames.com/make  http://gamesalad.com/ http://gamesalad.com/  If you have neither, make a board game!

16. Other Advice  Don’t Compete  Take risks. Learn Something!

17. Have Fun! That’s really what it’s all about!