Post GGJ 2019

It’s over. 48 hours (minus sleep time) spent on creating my first original game. I couldn’t ask for a better team. The idea was simple, the outcome was  *meh* ok-ish. And in my opinion, our game idea has some potential and could be developed into a game worthy of being featured on AppStore or Play-store. 

Anyways, here is the game- Nurture.

So, did I enjoy the game jam? I am not sure. I have some takeaways from it but apart from that, I am not sure if I liked it as much as I thought I would have. GGJ is an event where game makers and enthusiasts crunch in the 48-hour time frame to create a game. It is definitely not enough to create a great game. Many end up presenting just the ideas or work in progress instead of a game. But it is possible to create one nevertheless, which is kind of an encouraging thought- I could, if I had the skills (and motivation), sit down and create a game or at least a working prototype within 48 hours.

I think I’ll pin that one in my head. 

What did I learn from the game jam?

One, not many used Houdini for the GGJ. I didn’t find anyone using it in the location I was at. In fact, Houdini had a contest to encourage jammers to use the software- they even offered 2-month Indie licences to those participating in the jam. I might want to exploit that aspect and show-off in the next jam that I attend just for the sake. 

Two, I have a lot to learn. I knew that I lacked skills, but now I know what skills I lack and what I want to work upon. When it comes to designing an interface for a game, having a sense of design is essential. Developers may not necessarily possess it, which is why designers exist. I am a designer, but my skills are not as helpful for the game since I don’t know my way around coding. 

We used Unity and thus C# was used by the developers to code the game. All I could do was design a mockup on a graphics software and hope that the developers stick to it. I now feel the urgency to learn to code. 

Three, some people will make a meme and call it a game. Others will create a game that requires you to read a saga. My point is that I realise the need for User Experience designers in the game development process (not just Interface Designers) when I look at the games made by some developers or even artists. We all need each other, but I am stressing the role of UxD since that is what I am studying. 

Well, I hope the read wasn’t confusing. And hopefully, I am getting better at this.

Cheers!