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9-11 MayCampus Umeå Universitet, Universum, Rotundan

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Game Jam on Campus

Do you love games, and have always wanted to try your hand at making one? Then this is the event for you!

Whether you're a complete beginner or have some experience in game development, we invite you to participate in an exciting 48-hour Game Jam! Together in small groups, you will get to flex your creative muscles & design brand-new games, all based around a unique theme that will be announced during the launch of the event.

The goal is to experiment, learn new skills and have fun!

Join us on an exciting journey where your ideas can become reality. Who knows, maybe you'll create the next big game hit!


📅When: May 9-11
📍Where: Rotundan, Umeå University
🏷️Ticket: 100 SEK

Who: 
Whether you're a coding pro, a creative student, or just someone with awesome ideas, we want you! All skill levels are welcome to participate in our game jam. Previous experience in creating games is NOT necessary.

Hosts:
Harry Heath (Cold Sector) and Dimitra Papacosta (CRG)

We kick off the weekend on Friday afternoon with inspiring lectures, open to everyone. The Game Jam runs from Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon.

What is a Game Jam?
A Game Jam is an event where participants create new games (digital-, board-, card- etc.) from scratch in a limited time frame. The goal is to meet other game enthusiasts, try things out, and have fun.

The time limit often leads to fun, unexpected, and innovative games that never would exist otherwise! Then your team can decide if you want to continue working on the project, or not!

Who can participate?
Previous experience in creating games is NOT necessary. We believe that you have an interest in games, game design, storytelling, programming, art, project management, or sound design. You may be a high school student, university student, or perhaps an indie game developer, game enthusiast, programmer, musician, or graphic designer; aspiring or experienced.

It’s in the spirit of a game jam to be inclusive and collaborate with new people! Experienced game developers should help initiate newcomers and help get them onboard with the game development creative process. You can always shadow others, just to get an idea of how they work, and help with brainstorming & small tasks!

Creating teams
Sign up as a team or just yourself - we'll make sure everyone gets to be on a team!

It’s usually recommended to have a max team size of 6 people. This is to keep ideas and creative energy flowing smoothly without too many heads butting in & slowing things down. You can always go small, or solo even, but it’s always fun to collaborate with new minds!

If your team is missing a specific role (e.g. artist), then you will be able to advertise a free slot the game jam’s discord server or find someone on the day.

Presenting
Ideally, all teams will present or showcase their game at the end of the jam! You can either prepare a short presentation (around 3-5 mins) or live demo your game.

How long does it last?
The Game Jam lasts for 48 hours. Although it doesn't sound like a lot of time, make sure you sleep, eat, and take breaks!

Awards
We are looking into having prizes and awards for games that perform well in several categories, which we will announce at the event. There will be extra optional goals to pursue, beyond making a game that matches the theme. Only presenting teams will be considered.



SCHEDULE

  • 15:00 - 15:15 - Andreas De Faria Waleij, Arctic Game
  • 15:15 - 15:45 - Per and Daniel, The Fine Arc, "From 48 Hours to Full-Time: Our Studio’s Origin Story"
  • 15:45 - 16:00 - Hanna “Tips and Tricks for Animation in Games”
  • 16:00 - 16:30 - Maria Mazur, CD Projekt Red, “An ARIA for the Player - immersion through narrative interconnectivity.”
  • 16:30 - 17:00 - Harry & Dimitra Intro Ceremony

Speakers

Maria Mazur
Senior Quest Designer, CD PROJEKT RED

An ARIA for the Player - immersion through narrative interconnectivity

Maria’s story in game dev began back in 2018 on a whim, as a "fun adventure". The plan was to earn bragging rights so she could say “Guess who once worked with The Witcher people!” before eventually moving on with a “proper” career plan. But little did she know, Maria happened to unwittingly stumble upon one of her greatest passions to date: Narrative Design. She learned the ropes of Quality Assurance while supporting the Thronebreaker” The Witcher Tales (2018) and Cyberpunk 2077 (2020), primarily in the narrative area, eventually switching to the design side of game development in 2021. Since then, Maria has been working as a Quest Designer, most notably on the Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty expansion (2023). Currently, she’s responsible for the area of Quest Design on the newly announced new IP AAA - Hadar.

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Per Franson, Daniel Olofsson
The Fine Arc

From 48 Hours to Full-Time: Our Studio’s Origin Story

The Fine Arc Nordic AB is an indie game studio based in Umeå, Sweden. They specialize in creating immersive, story-driven games with unique art styles and gameplay mechanics. They are passionate developers who are dedicated to creating games that leave their players with memorable experiences.

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Hanna Johansson
Technical Animator at Cold River Games

Tips and Tricks for Animation in Games

After studying animation at the New York Film Academy in Los Angeles, Hanna went on to join Paradox Interactive as 3D/Technical Animator, where she worked with everything from animation to 3D modeling and VFX for 5 years. Currently she is working as the Technical Animator at Cold River Games, bringing to life the upcoming steampunk ARPG Crystalfall.

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Dimitra Papacosta
Community & Marketing Manager at Cold River Games

Game Jam host

Rotundan

Dimitra Papacosta

As Marketing and Community Manager at CRG studio, developing the upcoming action RPG Crystalfall, Dimitra is a multi-talented creative force with a passion for crafting engaging experiences through UX, storytelling, and multimedia.

We're thrilled to have Dimitra as one of our hosts for the Game Jam!

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Harry Heath
Design Lead at Cold Sector

Game Jam host

Rotundan

Harry Heath

Harry is a solo dev with a passion for Programming and Game Design. He created Pawsta, a cozy cooking game, during a game jam & is now developing it into a full game. He’s a shining example of how a game jam can spark incredible opportunities!

Originally from Cambridge, UK, Harry moved to Sweden after obtaining a degree in Narrative Design. He later studied game programming & founded Cold Sector, an indie game studio, based in the cozy small town of Jörn. He’s an advocate for creating games for positivity and often shares his knowledge & experience as a speaker at conferences.

We're excited to have Harry join us as a co-host for the Game Jam!

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FAQ

Equipment: - Wired and Wi-Fi internet are provided – don’t forget your network cable for smooth jamming!
Computer:
Bring your equipment (computer, mouse, keyboard, laptop etc.).
Age Requirement: 16+ years
Language:
Primarily English

Game Engines:
You are free to use whatever engine or tool you like! You could create an interactive narrative experience in Twine or even create a card/ board game prototype! It’s completely up to you and your team.

Have Any Game Jam games become successful?
Yes, there’s lot of examples of big games coming from game jams & they’re usually quite diverse. To name a few: Superhot, Baba Is You, The Binding of Isaac, Don’t Starve, Celeste, and A Little to the Left.

How Do I Make a Game in 48 hours?
We’re not expecting a huge experience. The advice is to stick to one central star mechanic and run with it as much as you can. Define “must haves” and leave “nice to haves” for later, in case you find time for them.