Game Dev Beginners: Game Jam Tips
This past weekend we participated Kenney Jam 2024 on itch.io
Come try the game: https://hologydev.itch.io/connection-home
We picked Kenney Jam because not only does it have a community passionate about developing games, but Kenney already has the assets for everyone to use.
💣 We thought it was going to be a relaxing and fun weekend to build a cute mini-game and boy we were dead wrong.
🌐 The theme was “Connection.” When we saw it, we scratched our brains out. From shock to silent cry for help, the first night we spent rolling around thinking about what to do to demonstrate that theme.
💡Adam Ringhede, creator of Hology Engine, came up with the idea of someone being stranded on an island, and having to find a way back home to the island across the ocean by building decks. Thus the game “Connection Home” was born.
🐁 While Adam was working on his game, I was on the side also making something myself.
🌟 But the result was rewarding. There were no monetary prizes, but it was rewarding to overcome difficulties and make a sample of a game using Hology's game engine.
We walked away with a few tips for those interested in trying their first game jam:
- Start with a simple concept: If the game jam is only 48 hours, focus on one or two mechanics that are the star of the gameplay. You never know what happens so start simple then expand if you have time.
- Social interactions: Game jams can be a good place to enjoy the teamwork environment or ask others to help try your game and give you feedback.
- Plan efficiently: Give yourself plenty of time to upload and test the game. We saw some had technical difficulties with various engines at the last minute on uploading the web games, or games might have bugs they wish they caught early on.
- Embrace the surprise: A lot of game jams don’t announce the theme until the day it starts, so be open-minded and hold your breath, get ready to search for inspiration.
For beginners interested in web game development, here are 4 game jams to try:
Kenney Jam: If you are not good at graphic design but want to try to develop a game, Kenney Jam provides all asset packs already. You can use any game engine you want. Kenney hosts game jam on itch.io annually.
js13kGames: A game jam specifically for JavaScript games under 13 kilobytes.
Global Game Jam: A worldwide event creating web-based games, different countries may even have locations in person. You can use any game engine you want.
Gamedev.js: Various themed jams throughout the year, many of which are suitable for web games.
Come try our engine now for any game jam: https://hology.app/download
Hology Engine is an ideal tool for game jams, especially for those creating web games. Its user-friendly interface and web-focused development environment allow for rapid prototyping and iteration, which is crucial in the time-constrained setting of a game jam. The engine uses web technologies, making it easy to share and showcase your creation quickly online and for PC & mobile.
