Guests Darren Grey, Ido Yehieli, Michael Brough, Sos Sosowski, and Zapa discuss the thrill and challenges of participating in game jams. They share their experiences, talk about popular game jams like the Seven Day Roguelike Challenge and Ludum Dare, and explore the benefits of participating in game jams including creativity, learning, and community.
Game jams provide a social environment for collaboration among individuals with different skills.
Participating in game jams offers motivation, experimentation, feedback, and networking opportunities.
Game jam participants face challenges in finding the right balance between simplicity and fun, and overcoming the pressure to add more features.
Deep dives
Different types of game jams
The podcast episode discusses different types of game jams, including the Seven Day Roguelike Challenge, Ludum Dare, and in-person jams where participants form teams and work together. The episode emphasizes the social aspect of game jams and how they can bring people with different skills, such as coding, art, and music, together to collaborate on making a game within a set time frame.
Benefits of participating in game jams
The podcast highlights the benefits of participating in game jams, such as the motivation it provides to complete a game within a tight deadline, the opportunity to experiment with new ideas and genres, the chance to get feedback from others, and the social networking and collaboration opportunities that arise from participating in community events.
Challenges in making game jam games
The podcast acknowledges that making game jam games, especially in a short time frame, can be challenging. It mentions that finding the right balance between simplicity and fun, especially in roguelike games, can be difficult. The hosts also discuss the pressure to add more features and the constant desire to iterate and improve the game, which can sometimes hinder completion and release of a game jam project.
The appeal of game jams
The podcast explores the appeal of game jams for game developers, including the opportunity to work on smaller, non-commercial projects, the chance to have creative freedom and think outside the box, and the excitement of achieving small victories and receiving feedback from others. It emphasizes the social aspect of game jams, the sense of community, and the joy of showcasing and sharing your game with others.
The role of rules and restrictions in game jams
The podcast discusses the role of rules and restrictions in game jams, with some participants appreciating the structure and boundaries provided by rules, while others prefer more freedom and minimal bureaucracy. It also highlights how rules and restrictions can fuel creativity and force participants to think creatively and problem solve within the given constraints.