From IGDA’s Ludum Dare 34 event page
Who wants to make games?! Do you? Have you considered the Ludum Dare event happening during December 11 – 13th then?
I recently attended an Independent Game Developers Association (IGDA) presentation in Winnipeg, where some of Winnipeg’s prominent developers gathered to share tips and discuss the challenges of getting their games out there, and Greenlit on Steam. A lot of wisdom was passed around, a lot of questions were answered, and an announcement was made: Winnipeg’s developers will be hosting another Ludum Dare Jam (in celebration of Ludum Dare 34), where the community will come together to build games in the span of three short days.
If you’ve always wanted to work in a team to develop a game, but never joined one of these events, you really should give it a shot!
Here’s how it works. Developers get together in a team, while a theme is generated by the community. Based on that theme, the team spends the weekend creating a game (or games, if you’re really productive!), where they showcase and demo in front of the attendees afterwards. It’s a great way to meet new talented minds, get the creative juices flowing, and see just what kind of games people can pump out in such a short amount of time.
IGDA members often host game jam events a few times through the year, too – so mark April, August, and December on your calendars and keep an eye out for future events! If you’re someone who wants to develop games and get involved in the community, I highly encourage you to follow IGDA for event updates and other presentations. The group is a very active community including prominent independent developer teams such as ZenFri and Complex Games, smaller start-ups, and individual members.
The presentations held by IGDA offer valuable insight on topics such as Steam Greenlight, finding funding, developing using Unity3D, marketing your game, social media tips, and more. The topics are diverse, and the knowledge shared in the community is wonderful.
Interested in joining the game jam? Better sign up now!
To stay up to date with future Winnipeg game jams, keep an eye on IGDA on Facebook, as well as Pegjam.com (sign up for their mailing list here).
To learn more about Ludum Dare and its origins, follow the link to read more.
Let the games begin!
Kate is the Deputy Editor and graphics person for AYBOnline, and producer on Level 1 Scrubs Podcast. Her opinions are her own. Feel free to follow on Twitter!
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