A Scout's Guide to Game Jams
A guide to prepare and maximize your game jam experience.
What is a Game Jam?
A Game Jam is a game development challenge, where one person or a team has to create a game within a (usually short) time frame. The Time frame can vary from 6 hours, up to 3 months, but the classic game jam is approximately 48 hours.
While it may sound daunting, the challenge itself is part of the fun, because no matter the preparation you'll still have _a_ challenge to face, most notably the Theme which is revealed at the start of the jam, along aside the time limit. -- In other words, between making a team, learning and honing skills, you'll also be thinking and planning how to make a game that implements the theme of the jam in a any way, and said game to be fun and engaging, but to also be able to completely develop said game within the time limit.
The Puerto Rico Game Developer's Association usually participates in the Global Game Jam, but in some occasions also host their own. At the time of writing, What The Jam!? is scheduled for the last weekend of May.
Preparation
"Be Prepared"--The Scout Motto
As with any preparation, preparing for a Game Jam, is about putting into your bag, what you actually will need, and what your teammates (if any) might need, if you and your team mates are going to a physical location. Unfortunately, there are not that many lists of things to bring that we can base our lists on, so I'll try to be concise. The list will be further below, in a different section.
But the bottom line from this section is that to prepare efficiently is to bring enough with some actually useful extras, while avoiding over-preparing.
Backpacking
As the rest of this document, I'll be pulling from my knowledge from Scouting. In this section of preparation, I'll talk about some backpacking and some tips.
When traveling for sleeping over any location, you'll typically put things in a backpack, more often than not, you might find yourself or a friend doing so without space saving bags, or with things not necessarily organized, or worse, done in a rush.
The Art of Backpacking is to put together what you'll use -- or take out, in an orderly and efficient fashion, while keeping it light on your back or arm. Rolling backpacks generally will follow the same rules. In Hiking (or in this case, vehicle to work area) being efficient in weight will be greatly appreciated by your back and shoulders.
Tips for Desktops, it's a different case entirely, puns intended. You might actually want to consider 2 cases (ie backpack, luggage), rather than your singular one. If you've your tower and monitor, if those can go together, you'll save yourself at least one trip, considering that other bag is your backpack. Briefcases & luggages with wheels can be a life saver.
Tip #1, is to take into consideration what kind of work you wanna do and are open to doing in a game jam (ie skilled in X but are open to do Y), typically you'll need a computer of some kind, or a tablet. A Computer can be anything that allows you to do your desired job. It can be a Laptop, Desktop, Raspberry Pi/Single Board Computer, a SteamDeck, or even better a Tablet!
If you're using a tablet and need a desktop experience for whatever reason, you can look into some Cloud-based desktops. You may not need as much as you think.
Friendly reminder that Godot Engine runs on Android. There are apps that allows you to use your tablet as a secondary display, or even a graphic tablet for your main PC.
Tip #2, comes from my scouting days, quote; "Use Ziploc where you can", considering that you'll have your core necesites in your backpack, one thing you can do is use something like Ziploc bags to bundle things like clothes, snacks, meds, hygienic items, cables, tools, and other things into their respective bags, and squeeze the air out and thus saving plenty of space.
Tip #3, is to Organize your Backpack in a "Last In, First Out" manner. To summarize, it's to organize your bag in a way that everything you need to set up your space, as easy as possible, but also anything that you'd like to show or use before setting up your workspace, as simple as possible as well. One example is, in the case of a laptop or an mini PC, usually the display/laptop would go in the back side, and that could be the first thing that you take out, but right after, maybe your keyboard, Mini PC, mouse, then your cables. Maybe your tablet can be in a separate compartment/pocket, if your main is filled, or your cables on the side for easy access, there are endless combinations, the point is to make it simple to set up by having what you'd need, accessible. Speaking of which, you should always bring one extension and one multi-plug, you'll rather not use it than need it.
Making A Team
This can easily be a controversial topic, there is no inherit need for a team, but as the African proverb says;
If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
Now,the other bit of controversy, is that, there is an infinite amount of combinations, there is or may never be a correct or perfect team formulation, though there are many efficient combinations that we can talk about here, these are just some that come to mind.
When making a team, ideally you'd want to have a well rounded team. This means that you have at least someone to cover the facets that involve making a game. Be it Physical or Digital Game. (Who said Game Jams are exclusively for Video Games?) For video games this can look like a programmer, an artist and a composer. But it can also look like 2 programmers and an artist. It can be two composers, it can be any weird combination. -- Point is, no matter the combination things can work, but the team must be willing to put the effort. Allow me to explain.
Earlier I had written about "what you want to do and what you're open to doing"; this is because, while you may be skilled in something, your team might need something else, maybe its something you wanna learn, or practice; this kind of flexibility will get you a long way. One example can be, a 2D Artist who wants to do Bone animation, but a teammate suggests to do it in-engine, it's not necessarily portable as a sprite sheet, but it can mean, that the work can be integrated seamlessly as it's already in the engine, and can be a tad performant and lighter (less animation sheets), but now they'll learn the tooling and a bit of the engine , or another case, you're a programmer but someone else wants to do programming, and you'd want to, or are open to trying modeling and/or level design, you can teach and/or help the programmer teammate, while you work on the game's models and levels.
Part of the fun about game jams, as a social event, Teams can be formed before the jam, in the jam before the theme is announced, or after. Some teams break up and join others, in some rare occasions, there can be a few that end up helping multiple teams. - There's a lil bit of magic in seemingly randomly made teams. Everyone gets to do what they know, and trade knowledge. And that takes me to the other fun bit about teams.
Another fun part about game jams is that they can be a learning experience, as discussed before, if you're open to doing Y, rather than X, you might find yourself learning more from other jammers, or your team mates. You might find a more efficient way of doing things, or a different pipeline, or paradigm altogether. Never underestimate the edu-social potential of game jams, more often than not you'll go away with more knowledge, and sometimes, your skills, honed.
Don't be afraid of pulling double duty, some experienced jammers tend do this, and some turn out to be Jack of All Trades and Master of One.
Software
This section is short, because although software selection can be vast, for terms of preparation it's fairly simple.
If you happen to have a team, you should always discuss what tools you use, what workflow you're accustomed to, and most importantly, what version? That question is most important for Game Engines, Tip #4 ideally you all use the same mayor version or close-enough versions. Of course, it helps if you know if your engine is "minor-version sensitive", 202X.Y.Z1 is for some reason incompatible with 202X.Y.Z2. The best course of action is to discuss what engine, and just download the latest version before the game jam. If it's a very specific version, you can usually find a way to download it the game engine's version history archive.
For other software like Maya, 3DS Max, Blender; though most of the times the files can be backwards compatible (at least with Blender), it's still safe to use the latest version your team has access to, to avoid possible corruption.
Text and Code Editors are usually the exception of this; code is code, and the only thing that will matter are libraries (if you're going the custom engine route) and compiler major versions. However, when using something like VSCode, or any IDE/Editor that uses LSP (Language Server Protocol), make sure the LSP Server is up to date as well. And in the case of formatting, please, include a lint configuration file if you're not going to use the IDE's default formatting. For C# there's .omnisharp & VS' code formatting options or the .vsconfig, for JavaScript & TypeScript there's the .esconfig.json file as well.
Of course, prepping like this can take you a long way, but don't forget to consider your teammate's tools as well! Examples, if you're using Maya but a teammate uses Blender, while ideally you work with separate things, it's not a bad idea to look up interchangeable formats like .dae, .gltf rather than just .fbx.
For the Big 3 Engines, Unity and Unreal have their dedicated applications to manage engine versions, Godot doesn't but, Godot is like, a 100mb rather than a few gigs. -- We'll touch more on these further down.
Side-note: If you don't like the Epic Games Launcher, you can consider something like Asset Manager Studio.
If you're venturing and never used an engine that your teammates are using, read the docs and ask for help! Your teammates should be able to guide you through, if the engine documentation isn't as helpful. -- Though it always helps to study up before the big event.
Food & Snacks
This may seems silly to put after all the technical stuff, but its still relevant.
When attending a physical game jam, you should ask if meals are included or if you should bring your own, and if you do need to bring your own, how far is the closest food place(s)? Some community game jams tend to provide meals, be it provided, a donation or in some cases, paid, again, ask beforehand so you can prepare. The Menu isn't always known either, so in case that you, for whatever reason would rather eat something else -- or it's not meal time and you'd like a snack, the question of food place proximity is still important, in the case that you didn't bring some snacks.
Tip #5, figure out if you need to provide your own meals, and if you do, how easy (or not) is it to get some, if you did not prepare.
Side note: If your community jam is in fact offering meals, and have a survey where you can tell them about allergies, please do.
I'm once again going to bring my inner scout out on this section, so please bear with me and know that this section is half snacking, half meals. So, in the case of snacking, I personally prefer something that can make me feel good while tasting delightful; a scout example is the trusty granola bar, you know the one.
Other carbie options include pop-tarts, cookies, baked goods, potato chips and so on. I'm personally not into carbs, so I struggle with this a tad, and my knowledge of vegan and vegetarian snacks is beyond lackluster, though for keto, small fatty proteins are good, and so is some nuts (be it raw, toasted or in butter), but I would always suggest to do some meal prepping, if there's no meals or can't eat what's available. Specially if there's a microwave accessible.
If you're going to take some snacks with you, I'd personally, Tip 5a suggest using a small box or bag to keep it from making a mess, or crumbling, and avoid moisture-sensitive meals as they can dampen by the hour.
If all else fails, consider delivery services, because the less time you have to worry about sustaining, the more time you can keep jammin'.
The Game Jam
Everybody get up it's time to slam now. We've got a game jam going down....
The days leading up to the jam are both terrifying and exciting. If you've prepped beforehand and cannot think of anything that you may need, think of scenarios, consider where you'll go, and the surrounding area, of both, your work station, and the jam site. If you've taken all these things into account, you're golden.
If you're doing a remote game jam, most you should've prep for is software, having good internet and meal prepping.
Also, remember to read the Jam Rules and Code of Conduct.
Station Strats
Tip #6, You'll want to get to the jam site early, like at least 2-3 hours early before the jam's theme is announced, the earlier the better. Look through the place and find yourself a comfortable spot. You'll want easy access to power, and decent WiFi reception. Plug your power extensions so that your multi-plug can reach the tables with ease, or at least enough to power your devices as well as your team mates, speaking of which. Communicate with your team mates, you'll let them know you've arrived, send photos of the place, and decide together where and how to set up!
Setting up the tables is a bit of a wonky process. You need to juggle cable reach, travel efficiency and most important of all, communication efficiency. Tip #7, Find a way to set your tables up for minimal travel and make it easy to show your work off to your teammates when you need to.
If you can set everything up before the jam starts, you're golden~ it also makes time to help others set up as well as socialize and maybe make new connections! -- Mind you, if you haven't got a team by now, this is the time to try and make one, or get recruited.
The Reveal
How in the heck am I suppose to make a game with THAT!?- A Common Thought & Fear
The Theme Reveal is one of most anticipated part of the game jam. It is that moment where all creative gears come to a halt and slowly rev up again. Or to exaggerate a bit, like a car speeding, and suddenly drifting while the engine comes to a stop, to suddenly resume the speed. -- Why? Because as much as it hurts to say and admit, no amount or preparation, no easy game dev ideas can prepare you for the possible total shift that is the theme reveal. - And because of that, it's the first big challenge and it can become an insane amount of fun. You technically have about less than two hours (in theory) to come up with a feasible idea that can not only be developed quickly, but can quickly be iterated through, and of course, can be completed within the time limit, and that can provide an entertaining, if not outright hooking experience.
Tip #8, So once the theme is revealed, if you have an idea, bring it up as soon as you can, you and your team mates need to put the ideas on the table and come to an agreement. It's not always an idea, it can sometimes be a few iterations of that idea, it can also be an amalgamation of multiple ideas. It doesn't matter what the game idea is, what matters is the game that you guys make!
It's a good idea to write these ideas down as you're sitting and thinking of things as well, I'd personally suggest something like sticky notes, to put the ideas selected into a makeshift board, and once the idea is set, don't throw away the other papers, keep them next to this board for any possible iterations, who knows, maybe some ideas will come back. -- But this makeshift board has another purpose...
Regardless of physical or remote, Tip #9 it's a good idea to take a small moment, to make something similar to a kanban board, take no more than 15 minutes. The idea is that with these "cards" (or a check list), you'll get a list of what needs to be done, we can break these into departments as well, splitting the time necessary. Although a board or list like this isn't specifically required, having something like it, can help keep track as development goes on. -- While this discussion is happening, it's not a idea to get any missing software you might have decided on or forgotten.
The Jam
So once you've all know what to do, and how to proceed; Tip #10 one thing you might want to take into consideration is making a Git repository, or a Version Control system, or a way to have the project, in a reversible manner, assets, code, scenes, configurations, you name it. The point of something like Git, or rather, a Version Control system is to make sure that changes are committed to the history, and should anything ever happen to any one file, config, script or be it what may, it can be restored to a previous version.
Another thing that you might like is to, Tip #11 have some morale boosters, a playlist is a good thing to have, and experienced jammers usually have one or two playlists that they like listening to. For me, specifically, I like to start my game jams with a certain video called "Slam Jam" followed by any other Space Jam remix that you may fancy, followed by some tunes to vibe to. You'll be surprised what a neat music selection can do. Other boosters include just chatting, talking about things you have in common, like that movie or that anime or game? Chat it up, but don't overstay too long to become too distracting, the idea here is to take a micro-break as you work, a little let-loose while you're still at it, if you will. Or you know,
While taking actual breaks is good, and in should take breaks, I'd advise against longer breaks that end up deterring from your roadmap. Others might find it a bit rude too, if gone for a prolonged amount of time -- however, contrary to this, it's the ever important rule that, Tip #12, rest and breaks are important, please don't let the stress or mental deadline get to you, your brain can only physically do so much when its not well rested, it also helps if you're stuck on something that you don't know how to tackle, a power nap once in a while can take you a long way, but nothing compares to taking a proper rest. Same goes for eating, although you can eat while you're working, it's still important
As you develop your game, you may find some roadblocks in the implementation, or a problem that none of you might have thought of while you were brainstorming, this is where an iteration comes into place. An iteration can simply be a small modification to the idea, or a re-contextualization, or reconstruction of part of the idea, sometimes some bits are remove, sometimes new stuff is added, sometimes, stuff from that list from tip #9 can come in handy. -- The real problem here isn't just the fact that things need to stop momentarily, it's the very clear fear of scope creep, that is when at a variable rate, the idea and thus work, grows notably, and now maybe you have a little (or a lot) more than the team could chew, mind you, scope creep can still be a minor good thing if you wanna work yourself a bit harder, but it's something that should generally be avoided.
Another thing that you should avoid, is leaving your game page for the last moments. This is a crucial mistake that can block you out of submitting your game entirely, rendering your team disqualified in most jams. So Tip #13, take a moment to, when you finish a task or come back from a break, and make that game page in the platform where the jam is being hosted. You don't need to put a detailed description, just a name, collaborators, genre and platform should be enough for now. And truth be told, this can be done at any given moment in the jam, but it's safest to do in the start of the 2nd day, or middle point. As the game should be a notably more concrete. You can update this page as you go along. Specially considering that Tip #14, you should playtest your game every milestone and every feature in development often, to make sure everything works as intended. This may seem obvious but it is something that, in the rush, we tend to forget.
Also, Tip #15 it helps to build a bit of hype on your game if those screenshots and playtests are shared in social media with the respective hashtags and on the game jam's chatroom. And just like taking a break to talk about the game, it's also not a bad idea to ask for help, should you need some.
The Final Hours
As time goes on, you may have forgotten that the time limit, when the deadline is coming near, it's not the best time to get screenshots, but also as good a time as any if you have none, or have really outdated ones, but it is most definitely, the time to do final playthrough tests, to ensure that you game can be completed, and at the same time, find any bugs. Though it may sound like this is QA, ideally you were playtesting as you developed. Make a list of the bugs, and discuss which are more crucial, because those are the ones you'll want to fix, remember that things don't need to be perfect, and above all else, everyone is in the sudden rush, Tip #16, do not panic, sit, take a breather and fix those bugs, finish those assets and polish what you can. It's not a bad idea to make a build, should time allow, if something's not completely finished, but works. Also, if you still haven't done the page yet, this is a good time to take screenshots, update said game page and if there is an early-near-end build, upload it as a safe backup.
Mind you, some game jams have a specific uploading format. One example is the Global Game Jam, which requires you to have a text file detailing the game, all of the builds and the source code. -- Tip #17, Ask the jam staff if there is a particular format. Ahead of time, sometimes they include said format in the rules. Though more often than not, at least in my experience, all you need is a game build.
Once you've done all you can, it's time to make that final build. While building, if you still haven't yet, make sure that you update the page again, link the collaborators on Itch (if you're submitting or publishing there) and let the build finish and upload.
It's imperative and paramount to remember;
"Finished, not perfect."
"Haste makes waste."
There is a little something we'll discuss in the next major chapter but for now, remember to the last few hours with ease and calm, there is nothing to gain when in deep rush, and we are all human so don't be too disappointed if the game didn't pan out exactly as you wanted it. Rather, relish in the fact that you and your teammates made a piece of art in (insert game jam duration). Because now, we get to enjoy another fun part of the game jam. Showing off and seeing what others have made!!
A Personal Suggestion: To reach a higher player base, and reduce the chances of people just glancing over, rather than playing your game, I always suggest, Tip #18, export for WebGL/HTML if your engine allows it!! People are more likely to play a game that they need to download, than otherwise!
The Submissions
Once the Jam is over, pat yourselves in the back, you've made it, and I couldn't be more proud. <3 data-preserve-html-node="true" Game Jams are not for everyone, and some people might prefer to be a spectator rather than a jammer, and its honestly understandable. Game Jams are a sport of sorts, and also a form to fine tune your craft and talent, but it can also be grueling for some. So take that into consideration, we're all humans in varying levels of experience and possibly trying different things. So rather than seeing a project as a masterpiece (even though some can be), be considerate and see them for what truly they are behind the scenes, a work of passion and dedication. (Perhaps that's why _I_ find Game Jams so neverendingly enjoyable.)
So, typically, in physical jams, everyone comes to the main showroom to have a presentation where everyone gets to show their games, this includes those who are remote in hybrid-jams, and the audience just gets to enjoy the games that they've made. As for you though! No sudden stagefright Tip #19, take a breather and select someone to present what you and your teammates have made. If the game is unfinished, don't worry about it, you can also show parts of what the game was meant to be, if you've some progress screenshots, or visual aid to help explain, don't be afraid to ask if you can show it! You might get feedback or even some hype built around what you show, don't think too hard and show your work with pride.
I should also mention that some games can be so well received, they're played well beyond the game jam itself! An awesome example being What The Jam '22, where a remote jammer and friend, Christopher Rosario (Tenka Studios) had shown his game, "Gallo", and it was immediately loved, so much so that it was then used to raffle things that the venue had gifted to the event, and if I'm not mistaken, has been used in other events as well.
It goes to show that no matter the kind of game that you make, if it's fun, or if it has a hook of any sort, it'll stick. And people will enjoy what you create during the jam, regardless of it's state, because it's not just about the game, it's about the craft and the fun, or to use another quote; "The Journey Is More Important Than The Destination". So, one of my favorite parts is that even during the showcase, people are already looking up the games that are being presented so that they can check it out on their own time. And in all honesty, so should you! Another trick, or "dark secret" is besides mesmerizing yourself in a game, think how did they do it? Heck, why not go and ask how they did it!? This is a perfect time to socialize,talk about how your experiences went and what you liked and what you'd do differently for your possible next jam, likewise ask others the same! There's so much to see and love here that you will not want to skip on talking with other jammers after the showcase.
I'm doing a terrible job here of trying not to undersell the amazing experience that game jams can be (I blame staying up late to write this article.) but like I said at the beginning, Game Jams can be a sincerely fun, and educational experience, each and every time you participate in one, you get out with a lot more than how you entered. They are an excellent place to network, to trade knowledge, to create something under constrains, further improving creativity to work within those limitations, and ultimately, you've probably either gained a new skill (if not a few), or found a new way to do something, or found a better way to do something you already knew, and are more likely to have made some connections along the way.
Either way, and this is the cheesy part~! If you're reading this in anticipation or preparation for a game jam, or have participated in one beforehand, Thank you for helping fuel this niche-yet-wonderful event, and I hope that you too can spread the word and help these events grow. Sometimes it feels like we have too many (looking at you, Itch.io), sometimes it feels like we don't have enough.
Regardless, however you come/came to pass your game jam, I hope you you have a wonderful time.
Ok that's enough cheese and sweetener. Let's get to the for-some-reason, roads less traveled.
Post Jam
So, all I can genuinely say here is, if you had a game that caught your attention, I hope that you a link on your phone because that's where we can go next!
Itch.io Game jams, typically have a jammer-run judging session, where all the participants can check other games, and vote their ratings. Physical Jams might have something similar, but its a tad rare. Some jams have a round table of judges, even if they're hosting a Global Game Jam, some jam sites have their own local awards. But my point here is, Tip 20, you've seen the games in a showcase, if you haven't played them proper yet, you really should!
Tip #21 It also helps that you post about your game on social media once the jam's completed! Why? Well, because you can link them to the game page!! Don't forget to share the games that you got invested in too! It helps build a community and it can lead you to connect with others on the networks. I personally suggest Twitter (Sorry, "X"), Facebook and Mastodon!
Tip #22, another thing you should do is ask your team mates how they feel about the game, and if they're up to finish polishing it to do one final update, unless it becomes a comercial product, which happens more often than you'd think. See the value and enjoyment of your game, and see how far you've come, and then how far you wanted to get when originally discussing the game. Some games just fo for the Post Jam Update. Others take it further and add the things they cut, sometimes they expand beyond the original idea (remember, avoid scope creep!) and some release the game as is on Steam or other pages. The choice is totally up to you. And if the project is discontinued, that's also ok.
In the mean time, take a well deserved rest, get home safe, take something to wake you up if you need to drive far, or stay somewhere to pass the night, but believe me a Post-Jam Sleep feels heavenly, to say the least. But after that, I'd suggest it's not a bad time to reflect on your experience, see how you can improve in all fronts, and continue to work on craft, your game if you decide to do so, and see where this experience and game takes you. Hopefully you'll come by next jam <3 data-preserve-html-node="true" I know I'd love to see you participate again.
Thank you reading this accidentally absurdly long, but also first time doing this kind post, post!
The Forest of Suggestions
This is that section I mentioned in the very beginning where I'd make a list of things I suggested for the game jam. This includes Software and Personal Items.
Game Engines
Even though there is an older blog post from the PRGDA, I'll mention the ones that I personally have seen and also suggest for game jam.
I am, by trade, a Unity person. The Unity Engine, is one of the Big Three, it uses C# as it's primary language, and has a very decent selection of built-in 2D Tools, but it can also do 3D "Simplified" (if you REALLY wanna call it that) with the URP for "lower end" and High Fidelity for higher end. The Editor is about 1-2gb in size, it can run on Linux, Windows and Mac. It exports to Mobile, VR headsets, Consoles (with Pro License), Desktops, and Web. It also has a vast asset store and pretty ample package management, from both Unity and the community so you only include what you need.
The second most seen engine in general is Unreal Engine. As a Unity person, I gotta admit this may take some getting used to, it's primarily aimed at non-technical people, it uses node-based scripting, called Blueprints, with expandability to C++ and some other languages through plugins,and it has a lot of things done for you from the get go (including Graphics set to Ultra, and some Actor blueprints to get you started), but this also means that 2D isn't as simple as the other options, it's definitely viable, but this engine is trying to be AAAA (yes, 4) and it should definitely be a consideration if you want strong physical lighting focus art in your game, if your hardware can handle it. Just remember to close the launcher once you start the editor and this is definitely an engine you wanna download before the jam!! Oh yeah, it runs on Linux, Windows and Mac, it exports to Desktop, Mobile, VR Headsets, Consoles, but not Web. (Sadly discontinued on UE4.17)
Re-Side-note: If you don't like the Epic Games Launcher, you can consider something like Asset Manager Studio.
The Third of the Big Three, and my personal favorite child is the Blue Robot of the Free & Open Source Godot Engine. I am personally not yet well versed in Godt, so why is it my favorite? Because it's the little engine that can and will. It combines the best parts of Unity and Unreal, that means excellent 2D tools, a very well rounded, and surpringly flexible 3D, with 3 different rendering processes that you can technically switch on the fly (Legacy Compatible, Mobile Focused, And Forward+), it has it's own simple language called GDScripts, though there are community made bindings for other languages, Godot is also community driven, rather than inversor-driven, it runs on... oh jeez, almost anything. Linux, Android (yes, the editor), Windows, Mac, and even on your Browser. It's the engine I'd recommend if you've an android tablet. It exports for everything the editor can run on, plus VR Headsets, Mac and iOS, with some community exports for other platforms.
Now there are other engines besides these 3 Titans. There are some beginner friendly and niche engines too! Although, my knowledge is not as great, and I'd definitely suggest checking out the older PRGDA Post.
To name the few that I've seen often.
GameMaker is an incredibly common engine, and has been the beginner's best friend, being easy to use and incredibly flexible, but exclusively 2D, it has it's own language simply called the "Game Maker Language" though it's claim to fame is that you don't need to use it! You can do a lot with just the drag-and-drop event-driven objects.
GDevelop is very similar to GameMaker except that it runs on Linux and Mobile too, it has a fairly simple to use interface and object system.
Phase is for the web developers who wanna get into game dev. It runs entirely on JavaScript, and if you know WebDev, you already know it can probably run everywhere with a container.
Now if you really want simple-yet-limited experience you can also go the road-less-traveled of Fantasy Consoles. Fantasy Consoles or Fantasy Systems, are an integrated all-in-one development environment replicating that of an older system (think DOS, Amiga, etc) all of your tools are there, from pixel art, music & sound design, level design and code! Some let you open files externally! The best part is that the game you develop on a Fantasy system will run wherever said system can run on. It's more of an extra layer of challenge and I guess, makeshift nostalgia.
There are more engines that are used in our local community and in the industry, I've only listed a select few that I've personally seen in game jams myself, and from those the ones that I believe have decent learning resources and/or are easy enough to pick up. Again, if you're uncertain, ask a team mate, or consider seeing what others are using.
The Backpacking
So I'll admit that making a list of things that _I_ should bring is what ended up making me think about this whole entry, and I wanted to put write it first, but I figured it'd be intimidating and a disservice to proper preparation to the wonders of jamming. -- That being said, this is list is based on a 48 hour jam but can be scaled to a week-long jam, scale as you see fit. Also, this is not a definite list, it's merely a suggestion.
Also I apologize if some these appear too obvious, I'm doing scout-like listing
[ ] The Required
- [ ] Your Primary Work Device (laptop, desktop, tablet, etc)
- [ ] Additional Hardware
- [ ] Multi-Plug
- [ ] Power Extensions
- [ ] Drawing Tablet
- [ ] MIDI Instrument
- [ ] Headphones or Buds
- [ ] Game Controller
- [ ] Game Console (if compiling for consoles)
- [ ] Pendrives (if other file transfers fail)
- [ ] Your Meds
- [ ] Hygiene Pack (Toothbrush, deodorant, pads, etc)
- [ ] Sleeping Bag or Pad
[ ] Highly Recommended
- [ ] At least 1 change of clothes
- [ ] Water or reusable bottle
- [ ] Drinks
- [ ] Your Cup for Drinks
- [ ] Your Teas or Coffees
- [ ] Cleaning Towelettes
- [ ] Snacks
- [ ] Meals Prepped
- [ ] Pillow or something soft to rest your head on
- [ ] Blankets or Jacket (things can get chilly)
I guess that's about it for now, so thanks again for taking the time to read this, feel free to share with others, and I hope to see you soon!
