Global Game Jam 2024 Unites Gaming Enthusiasts Across Alberta

This weekend gaming enthusiasts from around the world came together in over 800 locations to participate in Global Game Jam. The objective of the event is to join forces with others to create a game from scratch in 48 hours. Drawing both gaming professionals and enthusiasts, the event welcomed participants with varying levels of experience, including many students eager to dive into the world of game development.

Alberta had three sites participating – Edmonton, Calgary, and Lethbridge – with a total of 40 games brought to life over the weekend. This province-wide participation showcased the diversity and depth of the gaming community in Alberta, emphasizing the inclusive nature of the event.

At the onset of the weekend, participants were given a theme that would serve as the creative spark for their game development journey. This Game Jam’s theme, “Make me laugh,” proved to be a versatile canvas for participants to make their own resulting in games about comedy shows, court jesters, and tickling. 

Allyson Cikor, organizer of the Lethbridge site said, “There’s something about game jams that has always felt like a perfect way to both gather and grow the game developer community. From meeting and working with local students, hobbyists, and developers to being part of a global event alongside tens of thousands of people from all over the world, it’s so energizing to be able to share in that passion for games and just have fun creating something alongside others. For our small but growing game dev community it has been a pivotal event for making connections, sharing knowledge, and spreading the awareness that even in Southern Alberta there are people making games.”

Participants at the Global Game Jam also had the unique opportunity to explore and integrate cutting-edge tools. Leonardo.AI, a proud sponsor of the game jam, generously provided their AI tools free of charge over the weekend. This additional dimension of technological exploration allowed participants to experiment with new approaches. 

The intensity of the Global Game Jam was palpable, with participants burning the midnight oil to perfect their creations. Many were seen working until the final hour, making adjustments and streamlining to ensure their games were not just conceptual but fully playable by the weekend’s end. Some groups even opted to stay overnight at the venues, seizing every available moment to refine their projects.

One of the organizers of the Calgary site, Vieko Franetovic noted that, “Global Game Jam 2024 was a success for Calgary. Over 70 participants delivered 21 games in 48 hours. Teams included first-time game jammers, industry veterans and students from Bow Valley College. 

Making video games is a rewarding pursuit with a challenging learning curve, so the opportunity to collaborate with others is an essential part of our community’s journey to success.” 

The next Game Jam is slated for Summer 2024. Be sure to subscribe to the Digital Alberta Newsletter to be the first to hear the updates. 

Want to check out the games that were made? Click the links below

ttps://globalgamejam.org/group/508/games

https://globalgamejam.org/group/193/games

https://globalgamejam.org/group/689/games