The world’s largest game jam event is taking place this weekend and Malta is getting a piece of the action.

The Global Game Jam is like a hackathon focused on game development, where participants are given 48 hours to create a game from scratch, that is from the initial concept stage to the creation of a prototype and production. 

Enthusiasts from about 295 sites in 60 countries will gather tomorrow afternoon, watch a short video keynote with advice from leading game developers and learn the year’s secret theme. All sites are then challenged to complete games based on that theme by Sunday afternoon.

The 55 Maltese participants will assemble at the Institute of Digital Games at the University of Malta, which has been organising the local jam since the institute was founded in 2013. This year, registrations closed early due to high demand.

Jasper Schellekens, research support officer at the institute, told Times of Malta that the event has seen an increase in interest and participation over the years. 

He attributes this partly to the fact that a varied range of skills are required to make a game and thus the event does not only attract students of the institute.

“When we’re talking about digital games, a programmer is essential but there is a role for non-programming participants regardless of background. Depending on the type of game the team is working on, artists, sound designers and writers can find a role. But even beyond that, any discipline can provide the foundations for a game play,” he pointed out.

The jam is not just restricted to video games but one can also try their hands at designing board games. A board game titled …And Then We Held Hands, created at the 2014 Malta Global Game Jam by David Chircop (an institute graduate) and Yannick Massa, went on to win the Golden Geek Best Print and Play Board Game category at the Golden Geek Awards.

The global event carries the tagline “innovation, experimentation and collaboration”, three important pillars of the games industry that are endorsed by the institute.

“We want our students to do more than just fit into the game-making ‘factory’, we want our students to push the boundaries and think critically about every game design decision,” said Mr Schellekens.

“The games made at the jam are not for commercial release, which is an excellent opportunity to experiment and innovate without fear of the bottom line. It is also crucial that our students are able to be a productive part of a game design team.”

Students may also get involved in all the production steps, show their potential and add a project to their portfolio. Besides, the jam provides a valuable reality check.

“Game designers often have epic plans in mind for their game but epic plans require epic budgets and other tools and resources that may not be available, so the constraints placed by the game jam can teach the students where they can cut and what they need to keep,” noted Mr Schellekens. 

We want our students to push the boundaries and think critically

The institute stays open round the clock during the jam, with staff members and volunteers on site. Participants can avail themselves of workstations with game-making software installed and can browse a board game and a video game library for inspiration. Soft drinks, water, snacks and a lot of fruit “to keep jammers’ brains at peak performance” are also supplied. 

Mr Schellekens emphasised that the jam is not a competition but more of a social event, where the focus is on the experience and having fun. 

So, what happens to the end products?

“We’ll play them! During the jam there is a part dedicated to try out everyone’s games. The full code is also uploaded on the Malta Global Game Jam website, so people can download the games. Some teams choose to develop their ideas further such as…And Then We Held Hands team, some may use games in their portfolio, others may just leave it aside as a lesson learned.”

Whatever the outcome, the game jam provides a great challenge and experience, ensured Mr Schellekens.

“It is almost always a guarantee that you will come out of a game jam more tired but better than you were before. Provided you survive, of course.”

Two characters from the digital game We Do created during the Malta Global Game Jam 2018.

The Malta Global Game Jam kicks off on Friday with guest speaker Tomasz Kisilewicz, lead artist at 11 bit studios, who has worked on the critically acclaimed games This War of Mine and Frostpunk. Visit http://maltagamejam.institutedigitalgames.com/ for more information.

The Institute of Digital Games runs other regular events that are open to the public, including monthly lectures on the topic of games. The next one, titled ‘Sound and the Feeling of Presence in Video Games’ will be delivered by professor Mark Grimshaw-Aagaard from ITU Copenhagen on February 25 at 4pm. For more information, visit http://www.game.edu.mt/.