A game jam is an event where people get together and make games over the 48 hours of a weekend. While that may not sound like much time, you'd be surprised at what you can do with a motivated team and a short amount of time. Participants prototype, design and create a video game based on a secret theme that is announced at the start of the event. The constraints of the time limit and secret theme encourages creative thinking between participants with different backgrounds and skill sets, and results in small but innovative or experimental games.

Don’t stress that you might not have a finished product by the end of the weekend. Game jams are about discovery, innovation, and creativity. Not everyone has a finished product at the end – one of your biggest takeaways is a valuable learning experience. The “jam” in “Game Jam” is a reference to the musical jam sessions performed by bands and artists. The biggest reason to join a game jam is to have fun. Either exploring a new gaming concept or practicing your artistic skills, you will have a blast learning and making new friends – all while developing and playing video games!