An introduction to Game Jams: concept and experience.
Try the digital game version of the Zine Written by Nils “Gecko” Munch & Jill Lytken
Created at Nordic Game Jam 2026
Theme: Nothing
History and Timeline
1999: The earliest known game jam-style event SpeedHack appears, which ran until 2015 Together with SizeHack (2000), it shows some of the earliest examples of collaborative and spontaneous game development events
2002: In March, the “0th Indie Game Jam” was the first official use of the term Game Jam. Founded by Chris Hecker and Sean Barrett Intent on encouraging innovation and experimentation within the game industry
2002: Introduced Ludum Dare (April) and LT Game Jam (August). These game jams focused on the technology and the programmer
2006: The Nordic Game Jam was first held (January) and introduced the spontaneous group forming and theme introduction before the jamming itself
2009: Global Game Jam is launched as an international offshoot of the Nordic Game Jam, bringing the essence of non-competitive collaboration to the international stage
2010: Sees the rise of Game Jams linked directly to a specific cause, like the Health Games Challenge (2010) and later the Fukushima Game Jam in 2012.
2013: Itch io was launched in March by Leaf Corcoran, allowing anyone to quickly upload their game and customize the game’s page. It also opened its marketplace for indie games and game assets under a ‘pay what you want’ pricing model The year also sees the first Train Jam being held, all taking place during a 52-hour train ride to the Global Developers Conference (GDC) in Chicago.
2014: Itch.io started allowing its users to host game jams on their site, which quickly became the go-to location for discovering game jams around the world
2016: In the spirit of the Train Jam, Splash Jam takes place on a cruise ship.
2025: Global Game Jam had 805 sites in 98 countries, 35,427 registered participants submitted an impressive 12,100 games.
2026: Nordic Game Jam celebrates its 20th anniversary, where this zine was written
What is a Game Jam:
An event where participants challenge themselves to create video games within a timeframe. The format and duration can vary depending on the host’s rules and guidelines. This often includes differences in location, time limits, themes, and technology.
Why join a Game Jam:
Because it is fun! You get to showcase your talents, learn new skills, and challenge yourself alongside other like-minded people. Some people make new friends, while others discover ideas that turn into long-term projects. Game jams are truly a unique experience.
The world of Game Jams is vast and diverse.
Some events focus on prizes, while others include voting after the games are submitted.
Certain jams emphasize specific skills or requirements to participate, while others encourage you to step outside your comfort zone and try something new.
Good to know:
Eat, sleep, and jam.
Go in with well-balanced expectations, both for yourself and what you can ask of others. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
What motivates people to participate in game jams:
“I
get to play cat games ��”
/Toby @ Nordic Game Jam
/Julius @ Nordic Game Jam
“Here’s one benefit I've enjoyed: most of the time, if you make a thing and put it on the internet, nobody will care In the context of a game jam though, you’re pretty likely to actually get useful feedback.”
/user on r/gamejams
“It adds some more tangible immediate purpose to kickstart learning new things”
/user on r/gamejams
“I benefitted most from time management and organization, learning what features are required and when to start cutting ideas so you can finish. It’s good to practice tight time constraints, and actually making a “finished” game (title screen, menus, level complete screens, etc).”
/user on r/gamejams
Jams, jams and more jams
Itch io’s GameJam Calendar is a great tool to familiarise yourself with the vast world of game jams.
There is a Game all the time
Highlight of games that started at a Game Jam.
For some entries, after further development, launch to a wide audience.
Baba Is You - Nordic Game Jam 2017 a puzzle game created by Arvi Teikari (known professionally as Hempuli)
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes - Global Game Jam 2014 a puzzle game developed and published by Canadian studio Steel Crate Games.
Octodad - Independent Games Festival 2011 an adventure game developed by a group of students at DePaul University, many of whom would go on to form Young Horses, Inc.
Orgynizer - Extra Credits Game Jam 2019 A puzzle game created by Lizard Factory.
Special mentions: Jeff - Global Game Jam 2018 A boss battle game.
More knowledge about Game jam and work behind it.
“The term game jam is a composition of the words game and jam session A jam session describes the musical act of producing music with little to no prior preparation in an effort to develop new material or simply to practice. In the same way, game jams are events in which game developers prototype experimental ideas into playable games.” Wikipedia
Great introduction for new participants to game jams:
How to make your first game - playlist from Extra Credits, that have been making animated video essays about video games for over 10 years
Game dev 101 - playlist from Game Maker’s Toolkit, the channel is a deep dive into game design, level design, and game production, hosted by Mark Brown
There is an entry level as a first-time participant that needs to be conquered. Joining with friends can give a sense of safety to the unknown experience of the game jam Doubting your skill level, in programming, art or music etc. is not new. Finding the right game jam with beginner friendly level. Going with a nice friendly attitude and great work gest, will most likely result in a great game jam experience
Thank you.
Nordic game jam team and fellow Jammers. Making an environment and community to be creative and nerdy.
Special thanks to collab partners: Björn Lynne with sound. Isabel Pedersen with text editing Nice people who playtesting.