Short deadlines as a driver of creativity

The Global Game Jam video game development hackathon will start today at 14 p.m., and the organizer, the Electronic Sports Association of Montenegro, announced that the gathering of teams will begin at 12 p.m. at the House of Olives in Bar. This is the third year in a row that this creative event, which brings together programmers, designers, artists and video game enthusiasts, has been held in our country, and the goal is for competitors to design and create a completely new game on a given theme in a very short period of time.

The final judging will be organized in the "Hub" Stari Bar, and the organizers expect over 100 participants, while the competitors, as in previous years, will be judged by international judges from Croatia, Turkey and Montenegro, while the prize fund is three thousand euros.

Regional leader for Global Game Jam Dominik Cvetkovski is proud to point out that this competition is growing year after year. Beginners, as well as experienced developers who have already made games or participated in such competitions, apply to participate in Game Jam. He believes that it is very important that events like this provide opportunities for creative people, but also that the developer community grows thanks to them.

"Various Game Jams, hackathons and the like are the best opportunities where beginners can try things for the first time, make mistakes and learn from more experienced developers. Game Jam is not just about making a game, but also has a great impact on networking among developers and there is a great emphasis on the local community. And the community grows when beginners and creatives are given an opportunity in this way," emphasizes Cvetkovski.

The theme is revealed to the contestants only when the game officially begins, after which the teams have exactly 48 hours to design and develop their pilot version of the game. In this short but intense time frame, participants go through the entire creative process from idea and concept, to design and basic functionality. The Game Jam format encourages speed, teamwork and innovation, often leading to unexpected and original solutions, and how much these limitations, such as time, but also the themes that must be adhered to, promote and how much they negatively affect creativity, Svetkovski reveals:

"Although it may seem like a limitation at first, the fact that there is a short deadline is actually a positive thing because you have to be extra creative to make something in that short period of time. There is no room for overthinking, overcomplicating, or "perfect" gameplay or models. Decisions have to be made quickly and results should be based on what really works. And sometimes, simply, beginners take too much, or go on to develop a game that they can't finish in that period. It's a matter of (in)experience," advises the "Vijesti" interlocutor.

Video game development involves a combination of programming, design, visual identity, music, narrative... Teams have been making some games for years, and Cvetkovski also addressed whether 48 hours is enough to even come up with an idea and what works best when it comes to evaluation - the idea or is it important to satisfy every segment:

"Of course, 48 hours is not enough to make a 'real' game in the full sense of the word, but it is more than enough to set a clear idea and show the potential of the prototype. Personally, when I am on the jury, the best impression is left by teams that knew how to allocate their focus wisely. A simple, but clean and well-rounded idea is better than a project that tries to cover all segments, and none of them are done properly," claims Cvetkovski.

Today, the use of AI tools has become widespread and almost inevitable in various fields of creativity, so the question of whether competitors in competitions can use this type of assistance is increasingly being raised. It also raises the dilemma of to what extent it is possible to control the use of artificial intelligence, and where the line is between legitimate support in work and violation of fair conditions for all participants.

“From the perspective of the Global Game Jam, AI tools are seen as another tool, not as something that should be banned in itself. A Game Jam is first and foremost an experiment, learning and exploring new ways of making games, and AI now naturally fits into that context. Competitors can use AI tools to help. What is crucial from the GGJ perspective is how these tools are used. The focus is not on AI ‘making the game for the team’, but on helping the team to get to a working prototype faster and a clearer idea,” he explains.

We've had the opportunity to see great ideas at these competitions, but the majority of games created at Game Jam are never further developed by developers after the competition. There are few examples of games created at this competition that have managed to gain a place among gamers, and as to why the creation of these pilots is reduced to just a competition, Cvetkovski says:

"This is a very realistic and accurate observation. Few developers imagine Game Jams as the beginning of a commercial project, they see it more as a creative experiment in an extremely short period of time. And that's okay. After all, a developer does not mean an entrepreneur. These are two different skill sets. Also, games are often not continued because teams break up after Game Jams. People return to their obligations, universities, jobs or other projects. However, there are very famous examples of games that moved on from Game Jams and found their audience. Superhot started as a jam prototype, Goat Simulator, and Surgeon Simulator started as a quick prototype with a clear idea," reminds the "Vijesti" interviewee.

Although competitive, events like Game Jam also have a strong educational and collaborative dimension as developers connect, share knowledge and experiences. Such gatherings also contribute to breaking down the prejudices that often accompany the gaming community.

“Events like this have a huge impact precisely because they are not just a competition at their core, and this is something that Global Game Jam communicates very clearly. The competitive framework exists more as a motivation, but the focus is on cooperation, learning and community, not on winning. Game Jams very quickly break the prejudices that often accompany the gaming community, that it is a closed or “incomprehensible” industry. When people of different profiles, ages, experiences and professions work together, help each other and share knowledge without hesitation, the picture completely changes. The educational segment comes naturally here. You learn through work, through mistakes and through talking to others”, concludes Cvetkovski.