Global Game Jam 2014

Polygoblin

For those who are not aware, GGJ is a worldwide 48 hour gamejam event that is uniformly coordinated. It's been around for a few years and has grown quite a bit in popularity since.

http://globalgamejam.org/

There is tons of support for the event, including free content, engines, and other stuff offered by the various sponsors:

http://globalgamejam.org/jammer-resources

Are any of my fellow Polycounters planning on participating? It's an invaluable experience and a lot of fun.

Azaraen

Gonna be part of it! But this'll be my first jam ever. Im a bit nervous! lol

Kurt Russell Fan Club

I'll be doing it again this year, in Melbourne. I've done it three years running, and still want to make something really amazing.

Last year I made Heart Punch:


http://2013.globalgamejam.org/2013/heart-punch

Polygoblin

@Evolvyn Don't worry, those nerves settle down just after everything starts

@Kurt Russell Fan Club Looking forward to seeing what you come up with! Heart Punch is very impressive. Quite a complete game. No doubt you'll create another excellent one. Be sure to post a link back here when you do!

Hoping to see more games here. I'll try to have a stream up during. It'd be nice to share the experience.

Grimngor

Im in here at Madrid, Spain! It´s gonna be my first time also quite nervous! ^^

Alemja

Going to my first jam in Pittsburgh, PA, really excited for it!

tulkas09

Here going to Gandia(near Valencia), Spain! good luck!

Polygoblin

Nice, a lot of first-timers! You'll have to be sure to let me know what you think at the end. One more day before the big jam!

I'm getting my software installed and making sure everything is ready and updated today. Last time, I had to download and install Unity at the beginning of development time. Not doing that again.

Polygoblin

We've got our stream up (G+ hangout)! Pop in and say hello.

https://plus.google.com/hangouts/_/event/cohbipe43hpdodmkt49hk33v8v4?authuser=0&hl=en

How's everything going so far. Strange theme... we've got an interesting adventure game idea

Polygoblin

The stream was up and down due to tech issues, but I appreciate all my fellow Polycounters coming by to check in and say hello!

Well, the jam is over. I iz sad. Mostly tired. Anyways, here's our game!

"9 to 5" is an isometric office adventure game
http://globalgamejam.org/2014/games/9-5

Note: pick a wider resolution to prevent HUD clipping.

So lets see some games! Anyone want to share their game?

Tejay

Sure I'll share. It's not the most grand thing but i'm proud of what the 5 of us achieve considering our circumstances.

Its called Regan Remembers.

It had been over 40 years since the case of Dr Larry Singleton's mysterious disappearance had gone cold. I was on my way now to interview the only three witnesses that I could still track down...

http://globalgamejam.org/2014/games/regan-remembers

Polygoblin

@Tejay - Man, that's pretty dark. I like it Very cool how you used light and story elements to lead me around. Felt very gritty. The character on the bed tripped me out. Saved a bunch of time not texturing them, yet got a really neat (and creepy) effect out of it. Well done!

What'd you think of the gamejam?

Steve Schulze

I didn't get to participate this year regrettably, but the local IGDA had its usual huge turnout of local devs camping out in one of the game development colleges. I went down at the end for their show and tell and they had a pretty impressive selection of weird, wacky and occasionally brilliant games.

Some highlights included:
*4 player on 1 screen FPS (think Goldeneye), where all the players are invisible and you have to screen cheat to work out where your opponents are.
*An automated platformer where you had to use different shaped pieces of cardboard to build platforms for the in game character to jump on
*A dance, dance revolution style game controlled with post it notes attached to the eyebrows.
*And one team who decided that the best usage of the theme: "We don't see things as they are. We see things as we are" was to create a multiplayer pretentious quote generating combat game.

Tejay

@polygoblin I'm glad you liked out game. I thought the game jam was a load of fun. This was my first time and i'd like to go to more. Although it's dam tiring work. I think i got a total of 8 hours sleep the whole weekend.
Your game was also pretty cool, it looks like your team had a load of fun with the text choices.

almighty_gir

Here's the game i took part in making! http://globalgamejam.org/2014/games/human

Polygoblin

@Jackablade Those sound like some interesting concepts. There's always really neat ideas floating around these jams. Crazy sounding fighting game. Like, pretentious on purpose?

@Tejay Haha, nice to hear. Yeah, our team had some interesting choices on dialog. I couldn't be more happy about how silly it came out.

@almighty_gir Damn, that looks cool! I seem to be unable to download the zip though . Maybe the problem is on my end. Will check later.

Steve Schulze

Yeah, it was a friendly ribbing of the theme which, lets face it, did sound a bit pretentious. Of the games I played it was probably the most polished and conceptually solid and constantly had a bunch of people standing around laughing their arses off at it.

Polygoblin

Haha, aw damn. May I ask what location was this specifically? I'll have to look it up. And yes, the theme was quite pretentious. Some of the games made at my location incorporated it well. Most didn't even try. I do hope next year's theme will be better. They have been lame the past three years.

almighty_gir

yeah polygoblin, i'm having the same issue, not sure who to email about it. but i can ask someone at Bossa if they want to host it on a different server as well.

Steve Schulze

The local guys had a lot of problems with games not being uploaded properly. I think most people wound up re-uploading their games the day after.

The Melbourne IGDA site is our one
http://globalgamejam.org/2014/jam-sites/melbourne-australia/games
"Adversarial Manifesto" is the game I was talking about.

Polygoblin

@almighty_gir Ah, okay. Let me know when you got it hosted. I want to play Jackablade is right, I had to re-upload ours.

@Jackablade Holy shit that game is amazing! Everyone, you have to give that a try! "celebration is disenfranchised and addictive to mankind" Lol, maximum damage.

It occurred to me I never posted the actual artwork I did for 9 to 5, our GGJ game:

Also did the menus and HUD stuff.

Korda

@Jackablade I was one of the artists on Adversarial Manifesto. Thanks for the kind words!

Azaraen

Here is the game my team made! It was a good practice in working fast. Especially for our programmer, who was the only programmer in our team of 5 (4 being the artists).

Think of pokemon style top down map, and instead of battle screens when you meet an opponent, you get a dating sims style interaction screen. You are trying to find out what animal you are by interacting with all the other animals.

http://www.estherlove.com/identityquest.html

Promo Art by Caitlin Bernoski.

Polygoblin

@Korda - Really liked the game! You guys had a lot of fun with it

@Evolvyn Very neat game idea, and an interesting turn on the theme. The art for the animals emotions built a strange satisfaction when I found the right animal that responded to my love song. Nice job! Programmer did well.

@almighty_gir - I finally got a chance to play your game, it is working now. Very cool that you guys were able to get that much 3d work done. It's quite polished. How the hell do you save the person on the burning building?!

almighty_gir

with the ladder =]