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Extra Credits hosted the Extra Credits Holiday 2018 Game Jam in itch.io last December 14-18, 2018. It had the theme of PRESENT which was just timely for the holiday seasons as it kicks in.

To my surprise, I mustered up the courage to participate in the event. And, admittedly, joining the game jam was a different kind of roller coaster experience especially from a novice’s perspective. It was supposed to be a relaxing game jam because I could work at my own pace and in the comfort of your own home; however, as with any development process, it still unnerved me with some challenges. Particularly, I would like to share two of my major problems, how I solved them and what I learned from them.

There’s always that designer-to-developer moment when I thought that I got a great idea but realizing that I must execute it in code and then I get all disappointed. Sometimes imagining things are not as easy as actually putting them into code. To put it simply, my incapability of executing got in the way of the process. So, I had to give up those ideas given my skill set and the fact that I was initially planning on going as a solo group (it wasn’t until later that my friend joined in).

But that doesn’t stop me there as suddenly an idea hit me. I thought “why not use what I already know then transform it into a game that would fit the theme?” Coincidentally, weeks before the event, I was experimenting on a game with a typing mechanic similar to Typer Shark (PopCap Games, 2003). That’s the major decision point that ultimately steered the game’s direction – a game with minimal interaction, continuous, and involves a lot of typing.

The takeaway: Even though game jams are said to be places where you can explore and try out new things, for a small team with a limited or rough skill set, this might open an opportunity to put that skills to the test. Maybe what you’ve experimented in the past could be fashioned in a small experimental game. Just use whatever you have or you know then go from there.

This might sound pessimistic but just as any game development process this will eventually happen. Before Print Sprinter became a single looping round with two characters, it was originally planned as a fully realized time management game with three levels, three customers, three card types and three font styles. Even though only the last two components were met, the final product was still a satisfying one. There was a process I had to undergo just to make sure that: 1) the developers and the players would be at least satisfied; 2) make the game seem complete.

The first step was to accept that what I initially planned was not going to happen then the rest was just a series of choices. All I had to do was further refine what I really wanted from the game. So, from that small scope, it went even smaller by choosing the features that would fulfill the two aforementioned criteria. The game essentially became a looping game scene that highlights all the main mechanics. A tutorial was also imperative so that anyone can play the game without telling them what to do. Then bonus content came along when my friend joined in to add sounds, music and some optional character models with animations. Again, just utilizing what we have and know, we still managed to deliver our vision.

The takeaway: In these game jams, start out small and when the going gets tough, go smaller. Don’t be afraid to trim down what you have. Accept that it will eventually happen especially when the deadline comes creeping in. Then just decide what really matters for your team, your users and the game. Don’t crunch!

Overall, the game jam experience was unnerving in its own way but ultimately satisfying. I get to play around with familiar things and cross small boundaries I never thought I could do. For a developer who is unmotivated to create his own game, this gave me the right push. With that in mind, I would gladly join another one in the future.

Lastly, drop by itch.io to try out Print Sprinter and maybe send out some feedback. We might update it until it becomes a decent enough time management game that was originally intended.