Forming The Dream Team#
The allure of Mini Jam, a 72-hour whirlwind of video game development, pulled me in during a brief holiday break. Scouring the community for potential teammates, I stumbled upon a game designer/artist eagerly seeking comrades. Without hesitation, we banded together, forming a motley crew consisting of 1 artist, 1 music/sfx maestro, and 2 developers.
For our creative playground, we settled on Godot 4.0, a sweet spot engine catering to all our diverse skill sets. Although I hadn’t tinkered with Godot before, my background in Unity and other web game frameworks like Phaser primed me for the challenge.
Building The Game#
The journey of crafting our game took an unexpectedly delightful turn.
With team members scattered across America and myself stationed in Malaysia, a gaping 12-13 hour time chasm yawned between us. Collaboration, as conventionally understood, was out of the question.
Thus, our modus operandi adopted a whimsical rhythm: while the artist/designer and another developer toiled away on art and level design, I would awaken to a canvas ripe for implementation—menus, opening scenes, and the like.
It mirrored the tale of the shoemaker and the elves: as one party retired, satisfied with their day’s work, the other sprang to life, weaving their magic into the project. It was an enchanting dance of creativity, fueled by spontaneity and a laissez-faire attitude that made every moment a thrill ride.
After three days of frenzied activity, fueled by adrenaline and a dash of caffeine, we added the final flourish: sound effects and custom-made BGMs courtesy of our musical virtuoso. Let me tell you, those tracks were absolute bangers!
With a collective sigh of relief, we submitted our creation mere minutes before the jam’s conclusion—talk about cutting it close!
Evaluation#
And so, our game ventured forth into the wild, where players tested its mettle, judges rendered their verdicts, and feedback flowed like a river.
In the end, we emerged triumphant, securing a respectable 15th place out of over a hundred submissions! For a team of first-time jammers, it was a moment of sheer elation—a testament to our combined efforts and the boundless possibilities of collaborative creation.Results here.
Play Now !