Hi this is Mozilla, and we’d like to share some tips on how to succeed in a game jam.
A game jam is a game development competition. It usually spans over a few days –typically
48 or 72 hours– and has a theme determined by the organisation.
A jam can be on-site, where all the programmers and artists meet at some physical location,
or remote, where people create the games at their homes or offices.
Most jams allow people to participate in teams, although some of them have a solo category.
No matter the format or the rules, all jams present a tough challenge. We will now see
some tips that can help you to finish your game on time.
First of all, embrace all the constraints! Limits are good for creativity. Don’t be
discouraged because you don’t like the theme at a first glance. Don’t be upset because
you are not allowed to re-use assets or code that you already have.
The goal of the jam is to have fun and be creative. Constraints can actually help you
to shape your ideas. Do a brain-storming session until you find some idea, or game mechanic,
that you really love and want to try out.
Before the jam starts, do some preparations so you and your team can hit the ground running.
Make sure that everybody has all the software they need already installed, and that you
all are using the same version! If the jam is on-site, don’t expect a good Internet
connection to download software or install updates –the network will probably be saturated.
Besides that, set up a blank or “hello world” project, build it and deploy it in your target
platform, be it the web, or mobile, or an executable file. Make sure that this release
can be played in a computer that is not your own. Why do this now? Because you want to sort
out potential problems before the jam and not when the jam is about to end.
While you are developing the game, don’t mind if your code is not perfect. Your goal
is to finish a game, not to have an excellent code base.
If hard-coding something is going to allow you to implement a feature, do it! Can you
create your level by editing a text file instead of writing a level editor or an importer?
Do it! You can always polish things later if you have the time.
Keep in mind that nobody is going to care if you don’t have a well-designed architecture
or if you repeat yourself. Even if your project is open source and people can check out your
code later… don’t worry about it. It is a jam, you have to release a game in a weekend.
Nobody –not even you– can expect perfection out of this. What people will care about is
if your game is fun, not how was it made.
You will find out that time is your biggest constraint. You cannot make a complex game
from scratch in a weekend, so try to focus on just one core, solid game mechanic, and
implement it before anything else. So, for instance, if you are making a platformer game,
develop the jumps first.
It also helps to separate features into two different lists: “must have” and “nice
to have”.
And be prepared for the fact that you might need to cut off a feature in the “must-have”
list. But if you already have your core mechanic implemented, it will not hurt your game much.
During the jam, it is useful to build a release every time you implement a new feature. This
serves two purposes: First, you will be able to have people to play your game, so you can
get feedback and find some bugs. The other benefit is that, as the deadline approaches,
you are sure to at least have some version of your game ready to be delivered, in case
something goes terribly wrong at the very end.
Jams are tough and hard. Morale will be an issue, so try to get as much encouragement
as you can! If you work in a team, rely on your team mates. It also helps to check out
what other participants are doing.
Show off your game to other people! If you are making an HTML 5 game, post the URL in
social networks during the jam, so your friends and followers can try it out. People will
cheer for you, and it really helps. If your game cannot be played on the web, you can
always post videos or screenshots.
Last, remember to take care of yourself. A lot of people load up on junk food and energy
drinks but this will make your energy levels to fluctuate, and your body will suffer. Beers
are also quite popular, but remember that alcohol will reduce your focus. You can always
wait until the jam is over to celebrate with your team mates over pizza and beers.
To increase your energy and improve your mood, make sure that you go outside at least once
a day. Get some sunlight and physical activity, even if it’s just a 20-minute walk.
In summary, do the things you would do on a regular day on your schedule! Eat, drink
and sleep as usual.
That’s all for now. We hope that these tips can be of help during the jam. Have fun, and
until next time!