Registration is open for the 2020 Global Game Jam, with Scotland once again fielding a number of sites offering the opportunity to participate in the world’s largest game jam.
From January 31 to February 2, developers around the world will be taking part and attempting to make a videogame – based upon a single common theme – in only 48 hours.
Glasgow Caledonian, which was a pioneer of the GGJ in Scotland remains a focal point for the event, but has been joined by a number of other sites across the country.
If you’re not familiar with a ‘games jam’ the GGJ handily provides a description:
The Global Game Jam is the world’s largest game jam event (game creation) taking place around the world at physical locations. Think of it as a hackathon focused on game development. It is the growth of an idea that in today’s heavily connected world, we could come together, be creative, share experiences and express ourselves in a multitude of ways using video games – it is very universal. The weekend stirs a global creative buzz in games, while at the same time exploring the process of development, be it programming, iterative design, narrative exploration or artistic expression. It is all condensed into a 48 hour development cycle. The GGJ encourages people with all kinds of backgrounds to participate and contribute to this global spread of game development and creativity.
On Friday afternoon, participants gather to watch a short video keynote with advice from leading game developers, and then a secret theme is announced. Every site around the world is then challenged to make games based on that theme, with games to be completed by Sunday afternoon.
The jam puts a strong emphasis on collaboration and invites participants to explore new technology/tools, try new roles in game development and move beyond their comfort zone and skills, challening themselves to design, develop create, test and make a new game in the time span of only 48 hours.
For the 2020 jam, the following locations in Scotland are now accepting registrations:
Abertay University (Dundee)
Each venue lists the facilities available, age restrictions, etc.
The SGN has been involved in the GGJ over a number of years and can highly recommend it for anyone who’s interested in making videogames under challenging circumstances. Regardless of your skill level or real world job, you should give it a go…
You can follow the Global Game Jam on Facebook and Twitter for the latest news and updates.
