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[This is a companion question to the one I asked yesterday about IGDA membership.]

IGDA runs an annual Global Game Jam in locations all over the world. Have you ever participated in one? Would you consider participating in the upcoming Jam next January? Also, have you ever gone to (or would you ever go to) a game jam that's run by someone else? Who, why, where, when, etc?

Gimme all your thoughts about game jams, folks! I feel that they could be a great fit for our model - bunches of people making games and looking for answers to their problems and questions in as close to real time as possible. Seems like GDSE could be an invaluable tool to game jam participants. But, IANAGD, so it's up to you guys to let me know whether or not I'm onto something here...

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    \$\begingroup\$ this does seem like a particularly good CHAOS fit, that is -- find new, appropriate, interested audiences for the site. \$\endgroup\$
    – Jeff Atwood
    Commented Aug 26, 2011 at 2:47

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I'm a professional game developer with a wide range of experience (triple-A first person shooters to casual facebook games).

I LOVE game jams. In fact, I've written all sorts of articles about why game jams are great for game companies. I've participated in the Global Game Jam, in Ludum Dare, and in the Philly Game Jam with teams and individually.

I also teach graduate game engine architecture courses. One of the things I constantly advise my students to do is participate in jams. If I had to hire a developer out of college (rare), having finished projects is crucial -- jams are an easy way to develop a good portfolio.

So, weekend at FogCreek offices writing games ;) ? I could dig that.

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I make games for a living, but like the idea of game jams and weekend compos. I have mentor'd at a few similar student events, and last week took part in my first Ludum Dare (gratiuitous plug). It was a great experience and very enjoyable. In particular I enjoyed getting out of the grind of a >1 year project into something that went from blank page to balanced game in 48 hours.

Ludum Dare is different to GGJ in that your entry must be a solo effort, but recently they've added a Jam competition that runs in paralell, which allows teams.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ probably what makes sense here is to figure out who is interested and subsidize their attendance, and provide free swag. \$\endgroup\$
    – Jeff Atwood
    Commented Aug 26, 2011 at 2:48
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    \$\begingroup\$ Ludum Dare is a remote event, you can do it in your living room. Therefore there's no attendance to subsidize as such. However there's no restriction on meeting up and working alonsgside other competitors. cambridgeindies.com is one group that does this. Maybe gamedev.se could sponsor some group facilities somewhere? \$\endgroup\$
    – tenpn
    Commented Aug 26, 2011 at 8:02
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I am from Bangladesh and really there is no game development industry here. But, I love to play games, and may be I am the very few people in our country who is working on a PC title(Indie of course).

Here its hard to find / convince someone to work with me for a full length game. But, recently I am gathering some developers(2d & 3d artist & musician) who really want to make games, just because they love & want to do it. Projected deadline of, my game's first public release is on the end of this year.

If I can meet the deadline or make a satisfying progress, I might want see myself participating next year's IGDA in Thailand(I think, this will be the closet from our country.). But, really don't know any details about it. Does it really worth it? If is, then how so?

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    \$\begingroup\$ That's part of what I'm aiming to find out with this meta post. I hope we get a good range of answers! \$\endgroup\$
    – hairboat
    Commented Aug 25, 2011 at 21:14
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I've participated in Ludum Dare in the past, and hosted a local Global Game Jam site in January. I'm also somewhat familiar with some of the other Jams held around the world, though most of them are either local to a city, or month long events. I am once again hoping to host or participate (or both) for the upcoming Global Game Jam (last year I was sick, and mostly just watched other people make games).

Overall, I think Jams are great for student and hobbiest developers, and they can be quite good for professional developers as well. The former get to experience the full process of making a game, while the latter can learn a new tech, experiment with a new idea, or in some cases, focus on something they want to make instead of Movie Licensed Game #47.

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No -- never been, probably would never go, and for the same reason as Tetrad, mostly. The development I do in my own time, outside of work, tends to be non-game-development related. I doubt I'd ever participate as a contestant or contributor, but I am not necessarily opposed to volunteering to help out with community-oriented competitions or contests in some other capacity, depending.

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No, because I make games at work and generally don't go out of my way to participate in them when I could be doing other things.

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