Hey everyone,
I wanted to share my experience when it comes to making a game for a game jam. This was the first time I ever participated in one, and it was really fun! The game jam I joined was called 60 Minutes, where you have 60 minutes to make a game. I decided to join this one because it was an interesting concept, and I wanted to test my limits as well. The theme for it was Reversed Controls, which was a something I never really tackled with until now. Since we were allowed to use any engine and templates provided in those, I decided to go with what I was most comfortable with, that being UE5.
With only 60 minutes to make my game, planning beforehand was essential for me to finish on time, and I am grateful that I did. Knowing what assets needed to be created before I started really helped to speed up my workflow and get to building the playable level faster. I decided on making a platformer as the game, with certain platforms inverting the players controls. Thanks to the First Person template, I was able to start working on my level’s mechanics without the need to make a brand new player character.
But even with all the preplanning I did, there were still some things that I had to cut out during development, with the main one being level stressors. Making the gameplay mechanics took almost 30 minutes, so I didn’t have enough time or confidence to implement anything to combat the player. Making a health system just for a few traps just felt like a waste of time when I haven’t even started the level itself, so I had to settle with making the platforming challenging in a different way.
Overall, I am really glad I participated in the game jam, and I hope this inspired you to join one as well!
If you would like to check out the game I made for the 60 Minute Jam, Here’s the link:
Don’t Fall by ComicSans1 for 60 Minute Jam