Aspiring or experienced game designers at Brock can come together at The Mother of All Game Jams.
On Feb. 24 and Feb. 25, from 9 a.m to 5 p.m., Brock University is hosting the Mother of All Game Jams, a beginner-friendly game-making session, in the Rankin Family Pavilion.
Traditionally, a game jam entails an event in which individuals or teams try to create a video game in a limited time frame, which typically lasts a few days but sometimes only a few hours. These events can be both cooperative and competitive. Sometimes there is a theme, like “ten seconds” or “alternate universes.”
This may not seem like much time or direction to create a fully functional game, yet some of the most popular indie games have come out of game jams, including Hollow Knight, Celeste, Surgeon Simulator, SUPERHOT and Inscryption.
While game jams typically focus on video games, The Mother of All Game Jams will provide participants the opportunity to create board games if they choose.
The event’s theme is motherhood – mothering, mothers’ experiences, maternal identity and more. Both experienced and beginner designers are welcome, teamwork is encouraged, and knowledgeable facilitators will be present to assist participants with any questions they have about game creation.
Provided at the event will be breakfast, lunch and refreshments. Childcare is also available to anyone who requires it; a student in Brock’s Education program will be looking after children in full sight of their parents.
The Mother of All Game Jams is being held in collaboration with Dames Making Games (DMG) and Pixelles, two Canadian grassroots non-profits from Toronto and Montreal, respectively, working to support gender diversity in the gaming industry.
This is a two-day event, but participants are not expected to attend the entirety of one or both days nor do they need to be Brock students or faculty. Everyone is welcome.
“Anything that engages your creative mind – the ability to make connections between unrelated things and imagine new ways to communicate – is good for you,” said Girija Kaimal, a professor at Drexel University and a researcher in art therapy, in an NPR article by Malaka Gharib.
In the article, Kaimal explains how making art can help people imagine brighter futures and process their emotions, it activates the reward centre of the brain, lowers stress and promotes deep focus – what scientists call the flow, “that sense of losing yourself, losing all awareness… [forgetting] all sense of time and space.”
While game design can seem intimidating, it’s important to remember that making games is a form of art and creative expression. Not only is it fun, but it’s healthy.
The Mother of All Game Jams is a place where people can learn the basics of game design or hone their craft in a stress-free, low-stakes environment. Two days may not be enough time to create a fully-fledged game, but it’s ultimately about the process of creation and learning – and who knows, you might surprise yourself.