Game on! UB hosts Global Game Jam

The biggest annual game jam is coming to UB.

From 6 p.m. today through 7 p.m. on Sunday, the Center for the Arts will be home to students, faculty, staff and community members interested in game design.

Global Game Jam 2024 is being hosted by the Department of Media Study, the UB Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, the UB Game Development Club and Buffalo Game Space, and will feature satellite sites all around the world.

A game jam is a place where people of all skill levels come together to develop a new game in 48 hours. No experience is required, and there are no fees to attend. Sponsors request that participants register so the appropriate amount of food and resources can be provided.

“We’re hoping designers, programmers, artists, modelers, animators, musicians and all the other creatives will join us as we come together and make fun new games over the weekend,” says Cody Mejeur, assistant professor in the Department of Media Study, who directs the department’s Amatryx Gaming Lab & Studio and teaches game design and game studies.

This will be the first Global Game Jam on campus since well before the pandemic, and Mejeur stresses that all skill and experience levels are welcome.

“We anticipate the majority of the game jam participants will be UB students, given how this is hosted at UB and easily accessible on campus. Plus, there are a good number of students already taking games classes here, but the event is open to the broader community, and we will likely have folks joining from different places around Western New York,” Mejeur says.

Experienced mentors will be available throughout the jam to help break down the barriers of game development and help make the experience a success for all who attend.

Mejeur says a game jam is a beneficial event because it allows both established developers and first-time game makers to come together to share skills, try new things, and commit to making something in a short time span.

"It helps people network, can lead to lasting collaborations and partnerships, and can be a great stepping stone toward releasing an amazing game or getting a future job with a game development team or studio," Mejeur said. 

The opening and closing portions of the jam are set to take place in the Screening Room in the CFA, with most of the design work taking place around tables set up in the atrium. When the jam opens today, participants are expected to settle in and be introduced to both the jam and each other so teams can be formed. The next two days will consist of working in those small teams to make a playable game; those games will be shared and celebrated at the event’s closing ceremony.

“It’s very important to note that the creators keep all ownership and rights to their game — the only thing we or Global Gam Jam retain is the right to show the game in jam-related posts and media. There are often some awards at the end, and everyone who finishes a game will receive some really nice custom badges made just for our event here in Buffalo,” Mejeur says.

Global Game Jam is only 48 hours long, so when the theme is announced, teams should get right into the brainstorming. Once a team finds an idea they can agree on, they should directly go on to the design phase. “Coming up with ideas is fun and exciting and everyone should get a chance to be a part of that process,” Mejeur says.

The primary goal is to finish within those 48 hours. That means teams should have a playable game when the clock runs out. “Think small and then make it smaller,” Mejeur says. “One good level in a platformer is better than 10 boring levels. Remember that no one is taking the game away from you at the end of the jam, so you can always go back and embellish, polish and add that other level that wasn’t quite done.”

Remember to bring your gear. Typically, Mejeur says, this means a laptop and assorted peripherals. “If you don’t have a laptop, or prefer to use your desktop when you work, go ahead and bring that. Make sure you bring your power supply, a mouse and any other peripherals you need.” Game controllers, drawing tablets, second monitors, docking stations, cellphone chargers and even surge strips are popular items for jammers to bring.

And Mejeur advises participants to bring an open mind. Game jams are an opportunity for people to try something new. Some are trying to make their first game; others are working outside their comfort zone, either by using new tools, taking on a new role in a project or working on a team with new people.