Game developers who participated in the Global Game Jam in Jörn.
Organized by the gaming cluster Arctic Game, headquartered in Skellefteå, the event saw counterparts worldwide, with 930 locations in over 100 countries participating.
Jörn's Global Game Jam marked a significant success, becoming the third-largest event of its kind in Sweden, surpassed only by Gothenburg and Malmö.
– It was incredibly successful. Previously, we had around 30 participants. This time, it was 100, and additionally, 50 people participated in Vasa and Jakobstad, and eight in Umeå, reported Johan Linder, project manager at Visual Magic Education.
Nihan Bin worked on the game Stuffit Up.
– Only Stockholm and Gothenburg had more people in attendance.
Tim and Johan are impressed by the games created by the participants in 48 hours. – We've had a delightful mix of professional game developers, students, and enthusiasts. Jörn has all the prerequisites to become a center for game development in Sweden, according to Johan Linder.
Cinna Tamminen, Brandon Swee, Tistou Blomberg, and Rachel Lachiani developed the game Penguin.
The event was moderated by Justyna Fryczak, UX designer at Windup Games in Umeå and ambassador for Women in Games, an organization dedicated to increasing female participation in the games industry.
Fryczak noted the remarkable achievement that 25 percent of the attendees were females, a significant departure from the norm.
Justyna Fryczak was the moderator during the gaming event.
– It's impressive that 25 percent of the attendees were girls. It's usually a lot less, she said.
Among the participants, UX designer Dimitra Papacosta from Umeå, who works at Crypto Rogue Games, found the experience of her first game jam exciting and a valuable networking opportunity.
– I had never been to a game jam before, so it was an exciting experience and a great opportunity to expand my network, Dimitra said.
One of the thirteen teams at the Global Game Jam in Jörn
Rachel Lachiani, a game programming student at Forsbergs School in Stockholm, shared her motivation for participating, expressing a desire to explore a different part of Sweden.
Rachel chose to leave her studies to become a doctor to fully dedicate herself to a future in the gaming industry.
– My goal is to develop games that can help people suffering from mental health issues, she says.
Global Game Jam in Jörn attracted 100 participants.
Johan Linder, Justyna Fryczak, and Tim Leinert grilling sausages.