How I Win EVERY Game Jam

Summary

In this engaging video, AIA shares their secrets to winning every game jam they enter, using their latest winning submission to Barjam as a case study. The video emphasizes the importance of adhering to the rules, coming up with unique ideas aligned with the theme, and prioritizing tasks due to time constraints. AIA highlights the significance of creating a gameplay loop, utilizing available assets, and making daily test builds for feedback. They also underline the value of focusing on learning and growth rather than merely winning, and they relish the knowledge and experience they gained, regardless of the win.

Highlights

• Winning a game jam requires understanding and adhering to the rules. 📜
• Creative, theme-based game ideas stand out. AIA's game about getting suspended from school is a prime example. 🎨
• Create a gameplay loop to keep the gameplay engaging – AIA used demerits as a scoring system. 🔄
• Utilizing pre-made assets helps to save time for more critical development processes. ⏱️
• Making test builds daily ensures feedback and helps maintain focus on essential game elements. 📈

Key Takeaways

• Always carefully read and follow the game jam rules to ensure compliance and eligibility. 📜
• Develop a unique game idea that aligns with the jam's theme for maximum creativity. 🎨
• Focus on creating a core gameplay loop to keep players engaged. 🔄
• Use readily available assets to save time and prioritize essential tasks. ⏱️
• Emphasize learning and enjoyment over winning to gain the most from the experience. 🎓

Overview

Winning game jams is not just about being the best but doing your best. AIA emphasizes the importance of understanding the rules thoroughly and using them to your advantage. Every game jam has specific themes and constraints, and it's crucial to create unique ideas that align well with these. AIA demonstrates this with a unique game concept focused on school suspensions, showcasing how sticking to themes can play in your favor.

AIA highlights the importance of the core gameplay loop. This loop is the heartbeat of the game, keeping players engaged by providing them with a reason to come back. In AIA's game, the scoring system, called demerits, offers players an incentive to replay the game. Moreover, utilizing pre-made assets efficiently is crucial since game jams are time-bound. AIA used various resources and assets to save time and managed to focus on developing essential game mechanics.

Despite winning, AIA underscores that the true victory lies in the experience and learning gained during the jam. By focusing less on the potential for fame or download numbers and more on the skills learned and fun had, any jam can be a fulfilling experience. AIA's journey also emphasizes the importance of testing, iterating, and getting feedback on progress. This way, even if download counts don’t spike, the personal growth and creative enrichment are always worth the effort.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction and Importance of Following Rules The chapter starts with a celebration of winning another game jam and expresses intent to share strategies for consistent success in such competitions. The author highlights the importance of learning how to win every game jam entered, using their recent winning submission to 'barjam' as a practical example. A primary piece of advice given is to read and follow the rules thoroughly, implying that neglecting to do so significantly reduces the chance of success.
• 00:30 - 01:00: Understanding the Jam Theme and Ideation The chapter titled 'Understanding the Jam Theme and Ideation' lays out the basic rules and creative guidelines for a game development jam. The rules are clear: the game must be developed entirely during the jam period, be safe for work, and incorporate the theme of 'suspension'. Participants are encouraged to generate innovative game ideas that revolve around this theme rather than just adapting pre-existing games like 'Flappy Bird'. The emphasis is on creating unique and entertaining gameplay experiences that can be realized within the jam's timeframe.
• 01:00 - 01:30: Creating a Gameplay Loop In this chapter, the focus is on creating a gameplay loop for a game. The concept involves playing as a student attempting to get suspended from school. This idea is considered unique because few games have this objective. The gameplay leverages physics destruction, which is inherently fun. The developer emphasizes the importance of setting up a gameplay loop early on, as it is crucial for allowing continuous play and enjoyment in the game, particularly through the act of destruction.
• 01:30 - 02:00: Managing Resources and Prioritizing Tasks In this chapter titled 'Managing Resources and Prioritizing Tasks', the focus is on game development mechanics within a project framework, particularly for game jams. The author discusses integrating features such as a scoring system called 'demerits,' character actions like attacking to gain points, AI elements like a teacher character that chases the player, and essential gameplay loops including score tracking and reset functionalities. The chapter underscores the importance of setting priorities early in the development process, especially when working solo, and emphasizes the need for strategic decision-making to manage resources effectively. This includes deciding which aspects to focus on and where shortcuts can be taken to efficiently complete the project.
• 02:00 - 02:30: Testing and Incorporating Feedback In the chapter titled 'Testing and Incorporating Feedback', the discussion centers around the challenges faced when participating in a time-constrained creative project, like a game jam. The author highlights the impracticality of creating all assets from scratch due to time limitations. Instead, they opt to use pre-existing 3D assets by Kay Lousberg as a foundation, planning to only create new models as needed. However, they acknowledge that the need to model more than anticipated is a common occurrence, suggesting that others should expect the same. Additionally, the author chooses to incorporate sound effects and music from commercially purchased packages, emphasizing the value of utilizing previously acquired resources.
• 02:30 - 03:00: The Real Objective of Game Jams The chapter discusses the importance of understanding the objectives of a game jam. It suggests reaching out to the game host for clarification if the objectives are not clearly listed, as missing out on such details can impact the game's performance in specific categories, like music and sound design. The chapter also advises creating a test build at the end of each day to track progress.
• 03:00 - 03:30: Sharing Personal Achievements and Experiences The chapter emphasizes the significance of sharing personal achievements and experiences, particularly in the context of game development. It discusses how receiving feedback, even if critical and seemingly negative, is an important aspect of improving one's work. The narrative highlights that most people might be reluctant to engage with incomplete projects, but consistently producing and updating game builds helps maintain focus on essential tasks. It shares a personal anecdote about a seven-day game development jam, illustrating a pivotal moment when the author realized the need to prioritize completing a gameplay loop after several days of unproductive results. This realization shifts the developer's focus entirely towards finishing vital elements of the game.
• 03:30 - 04:00: Conclusion and Encouragement The chapter emphasizes the importance of hard work, focus, and learning from others to succeed in a game jam. It encourages participants to engage with other submissions to gain insights and improve their own work. The author also stresses the importance of enjoying the process and not solely focusing on winning, acknowledging that some may view game jams as more than just a competition. A humorous note is made about a likely comment from someone named Jared, to which the author suggests a playful response.

How I Win EVERY Game Jam Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 We did it guys! We won another game  jam. Another one to add to the pile. Today we're going to learn how to win every  game jam you enter. To illustrate this,   we'll be using my latest winning jam  submission to barjam as a case study.   First, read and follow the rules. If you  can't do that, your chances of winning are
• 00:30 - 01:00 as good as the chances of EA not putting  microtransactions into the next FIFA game.   For this particular jam, the rules were pretty  straightforward. Only work on the game during   the jam. It had to be safe for work. And it  had to use the theme of suspension. Come up   with a unique idea based around the theme. You  might want to make a reskin of flappy bird but   fitting the jam theme around a pre-existing game  idea is boring. Use the theme to come up with   ideas that provide unique and fun gameplay and  can be completed within the timeline of the jam.
• 01:00 - 01:30 For this I thought of playing as a student who's  attempting to get suspended from school. I don't   know of any games where this is the objective and  know physics destruction is pretty fun on its own so it checked the unique box for me. Get a  gameplay loop set up as soon as possible.   If you're not familiar with a gameplay loop,  it's basically just a way for the player to   continuously play your game. I figured the fun for  this game would mostly come from destroying stuff
• 01:30 - 02:00 but you'd have the incentive to  replay if there was a score...   Which for this game, I called demerits to keep  with the theme. To complete the gameplay loop for   this project I needed to get a character that  could attack and do damage to accrue points,   an AI teacher to chase the player, a score  screen, and a replay button that would reset   everything. Decide early what you want to  focus on for the jam and allow yourself   to cut corners with the other stuff. This is  especially the case if you're working alone.
• 02:00 - 02:30 Depending on the length of the jam you're probably  not going to have time to create from scratch   all of the music, sound effects, graphics, 3d  models, scripts, and still have time for polish.   For this project, I decided to use Kay Lousberg's  3D assets as a base and only model stuff when   I needed it. And... despite having decided  that from the very beginning I had to model   way more than I actually thought I would,  so plan on that happening to you too.   And I also decided to use sound effects and  music from packages I had previously purchased.
• 02:30 - 03:00 If your game jam doesn't list the  objectives on the overview page like   mine didn't consider reaching out to the game  host to see if they're willing to let you know. I didn't and it almost cost me. I didn't  originally plan on adding any sound   but on the last day quickly threw some in. Turns  out there was a music and sound design category   I didn't know about. Finally, make a test build  at the end of every day and have it available for
• 03:00 - 03:30 other people to test and give feedback. Be aware  most people won't want to play your half-finished   game. "I'm not gonna subject myself to another  20-30 hours of this mess." That's completely okay   because making builds every day will also help  keep you focused on building things for your game   that matter. When my day three build in this  seven-day jam still didn't have a gameplay loop it   was a wake-up call the next day needs to be 100%  focused on completing that. Then from there just
• 03:30 - 04:00 work as hard and with as much focus as you can  to finish on time. Play other submissions, review   them, and learn from how other people approach  the same problem. Try to be helpful, and above all   have fun! I know this whole video so far has been  about how to win a game jam and that might be the   only reason that you're here... And I'm sure that  there's at least one Jared in the comments who's   written "Game jams aren't about winning." So if  you see any of those make sure to reply with a   "jared... KEKW". but honestly, they're not wrong.  Being entirely focused on winning really misses
• 04:00 - 04:30 the point of what jams are all about. Yeah, game  jams are meant to challenge you and it can serve   as a great motivator for pushing yourself and  getting something done in a short amount of time.   Don't let that get in the way of your other  responsibilities, relationships, and health. Your   primary focus on a jam should be to learn, grow,  and finish something you're proud of. Chances are,   winning a game jam isn't going to bring you  blackthornprod levels of fame and fortune.   In fact, on the day my game was announced as the  winner of the barjam it achieved a whopping zero
• 04:30 - 05:00 downloads on itch.io. But that's completely fine  because it's immeasurable to what I learned during   the jam. I made an entire system for damaging and  breaking things. An equip system where players can   pick up different weapons. I made destroyable  items i have a chance to drop random loot. I   made doors that can be opened, closed, locked, or  broken. I made scene transitions and an AI system.   And as a real treat, i got to see people play and  enjoy something I put into the world. "Dude come
• 05:00 - 05:30 on Pete." "Seriously AIA. Let's nerf this guy on  the next patch huh." "What is he on a segway?"   "What's his backstory? I know you gave him a  backstory." "1989 1990 Olympic world sprinter?   world record for the United States in the 4x4  the 40-40 dash or what here?" "Later. Finesse.   Doesn't know what to do. The fastest runner -the  most athletic person you'll ever see in the game-   can't open the door." "Peepagahead" But that kind  of stuff is invaluable. So you know what? If the
• 05:30 - 06:00 flappy bird recreation is really what your heart  is set on, go for it. You might not win anything,   but what truly matters is that you had fun and  enjoyed the process. So good luck in your jams!