How to Get Everything Done in a Game Jam

Game Jams get people making a game in a very short period of time. Usually people run out of time and their final game is a far cry from their vision. Production can help you figure out what you can fit and and gives you key beats to reach for. To make a game in 48 hours or less, you need to be focused on your goals and shipping the game. Production is like project management for games and it can help you rock the game jam. These easy to follow steps help you navigate what to do before the game jam starts, and all the phases during the game jam. We’ll go into naming the phases, what deliverables are due at the end of phases, the timeline of the phases, what production software to use, and who should be doing the production work. The phases we investigate are brainstorming, prototype, prep for production, production, alpha, beta, and release phases. We’ll discuss how to decide which way to build your game, when to focus on features vs content, playtesting, and a lot more. We’ll also go into depth about which software tools are right for you and give you a template you can use yourself. After watching this video you’ll be ready to succeed at a game jam regardless of whether it’s your first or 100th game jam. Resources: Production software: [Notion](https://www.notion.so/), [Trello](https://trello.com/), [Miro](https://miro.com/index/), or (if you must) [Google Sheets](https://workspace.google.com/products/sheets/). [Task board template in Notion available for duplication](https://www.notion.so/282a82440e16808585f8ce4d6f9498ae?pvs=21) Previous advice blog: [Production in a New Discipline](https://jennsand.com/advice/new-discipline/) talks about vertical vs horizontal development. [Power Up Game Jam](https://powerupjam.com/) — A free global game jam for women. Have a question for an expert game producer? Ask me your question here: https://jennsand.com/askjenn/ Text version: https://jennsand.com/advice/road-jam-map/ Video version: https://youtu.be/gt8m-j90WEo Jenn’s Generally Good Game Production Advice: How to Get Everything Done in a Game Jam 00:00 Introduction 00:31 Question & First Thoughts 01:29 What to do BEFORE the game jam begins 02:03 What to do DURING the game jam 07:28 What is the timeline? 08:13 What tools do you use? 09:31 Who should do the work? 10:13 Conclusions & More Tips Jenn’s Generally Good Game Production Advice is an advice column for our modern ages and for game developers everywhere. Topics covered will help you ship your game on time, on budget, with a happy team no matter whether you are a producer or someone else on the game team. Find out more and about how to hire me: [jennsand.com](https://jennsand.com/)