Next generation of game developers challenged to take part in this year’s Global Game Jam
Date: Friday, January 19, 2024
Game developers of the future are being challenged to design their own new computer or board game at the world’s largest creation event, which is taking place at Prifysgol Wrecsam/Wrexham University.
The Global Game Jam (GGJ) will run from Friday 26 January until Sunday 28 January at the University – in conjunction with Global Game Jam Next (GGJN) – which is aimed specifically at children and young people, aged between five and 16.
This will be the eleventh year that GGJ will run from Wrexham University, which is one of the main global hubs for the GGJ organisation.
The GGJ takes place around the globe, boasting tens of thousands of participants – known as jammers – at hundreds of physical and virtual sites in more than 100 countries
The aim of the event is to encourage innovation and collaboration, and to connect people from across the world as they aim to develop video games from start to finish within 48 hours. No experience is required and it is open to anyone with an interest in games, design and technology.
Richard Hebblewhite, who is the GGJ Global Regional Organiser, as well as Programme Leader for Game Development, Game Design & Enterprise and Game Art at the University, said he feels proud that this year’s focus – more so than any previous year – is on inspiring the next generation of game developers.
He said: “This is the second year now that children and young people under the age of 16 are being invited to take part, through GGJN – and I think it’s a great extension of the GGJ offering. It’s brilliant that we are inspiring and capturing the imaginations of our developers of the future.
“I’m also excited to see ideas come to life and the end-products of both GGJ and GGJN, as jammers will be creating their own games from scratch – whether that’s a computer concept or a boardgame.
“I’m immensely proud of everything that GGJ and GGJN next stands for – it’s all about bringing creative people together to create and innovate, with games at the very heart of that.
“I’m also incredibly proud to say that our award-winning Game Development team at Wrexham has been taking part in the GGJ now for 11 years – and were the first in Wales to get involved. Since then, we have grown to become an integral part of the GGJ organisation with global and regional coordination, and all UK and Ireland sites overseen by myself and the team, here at the University.”
This year’s GGJ and GGJN at Wrexham is taking place in the Creative Industries Building – as well as online, streaming live via the University’s Discord Community.
Full details and schedule can be found via the GGJ 2024 Wrexham University webpage here. For further information about the event, contact games@wrexham.ac.uk.