Dr. Gestwicki is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Ball State University. Much of Dr. Gestwicki’s teaching, research, and service center around his interest in game design and development.
The weekend is usually a time to refresh and recharge, but on the last weekend in January, over forty people from Ball State and the surrounding community got together to do something different: make original video games in 48 hours. This was a part of Global Game Jam, an annual event in which participants around the world get together at local sites and make games based on a common theme. Just like instrumentalists get together and “jam” to make original music, a game jam is an opportunity for creative people to get together and make new games.
Global Game Jam is the world’s largest game jam. The first GGJ was in 2009, involving over 1600 participants from 23 countries who collectively created over 300 games. Global Game Jam has grown significantly since then: this year, there were over 34,000 jammers from 102 countries, and they created over 11,000 games. With over forty participants, Ball State University had the second largest Global Game Jam site in Indiana. The jammers finished eight original games, each of which can be downloaded from https://globalgamejam.org/group/11441/games and played for free. Most of our jammers were Ball State students, but we also attracted faculty and staff, several alumni, students from other institutions, and people from the Muncie area.
The jam started at 5 p.m. on Friday, January 24, in the Game Production Studio in the Robert Bell Building. The jammers watched the Global Game Jam keynote video, which included the announcement of this year’s theme: Bubble. Participants took the next hour talking about their game ideas based on the theme while also talking about their skills, backgrounds, and interests. At 6 p.m., everyone was welcome to pitch game ideas to the crowd, and from there, teams were formed.
The next 47 hours were spent sketching ideas, iterating on designs, slinging code, making art, writing stories, composing audio, and making sound effects. There was a constant buzz of activity in the Game Production Studio. Jammers came and went as their schedules allowed, and there were meals and snacks provided by our generous sponsors, the Computer Science Department and the STEM Living-Learning Community.
Photo courtesy of Housing and Residence Life | Garrett Tur
Our jammers created and uploaded eight original video games before the end of the jam at 5 p.m. on Sunday. At that time, there was a celebration in the studio where all the jammers and their guests played each other’s games and congratulated each other on their creative accomplishments. We made 2D games and 3D games, single-player games and multiplayer games, pensive turn-based games and fast-paced action games.
Are you interested in learning more about how games are made? The Computer Science Department has a major concentration in Game Design and Development. They also have designed a Minor in Game Design and Development that will premiere in next year’s undergraduate catalog. If you’re on Discord and are affiliated with Ball State University, you are also welcome to join the Ball State Game Design & Development server.
This marks the ninth consecutive year that Ball State has hosted a site for Global Game Jam, and we plan to host it again next year. Watch social media for the announcement or keep an eye on globalgamejam.org for next year’s dates.
Want to hear more? Read about students launching their first game on Steam, the Symposium on Games, and Dr. Gestwicki’s reflections on Ball State’s Game Design and Development Concentration.
Read more about the Department of Computer Science, visit our website, contact our office, or follow us on Facebook or Instagram.