UA Little Rock CRUX Lab Hosts Global Game Jam 2024

The 2024 Global Game Jam was hosted by UA Little Rock's CRUX Lab on Jan. 22-28. Game Jam is the world's biggest game creation event, where participants around the world are given 48 hours and a theme to design a video game from scratch. Participants may work alone or in groups to create their games.

Thirteen participants at UA Little Rock's CRUX Lab made nine games this year. This year's theme was "Make Me Laugh." The attendees worked together to create silly and engaging games in the allotted time slot.

For James McMath, this year's Game Jam experience was an exciting first. McMath, UA Little Rock undergrad student, has previously worked on games on his own. Game Jam provided him with the opportunity to work collaboratively with a team in a creative environment.

"The experience is something like no other, especially if you want to make games," McMath said. "I was very impressed by all of the projects submitted, and all of the great ideas that everyone brought to the table. I got to learn so much from so many people."

Meanwhile, UA Little Rock alumna and Game Jam veteran Loren Snow continued her streak, attending the event annually since the very first one that UA Little Rock hosted in 2018.

"As per usual, it was a really good time," said Snow. "There were so many creative ideas being bounced around and different interpretations of the theme. Also, goofy nerds make for great company!"

Global Game Jam is renowned for fostering inclusivity and community, giving participants a unique opportunity to connect and collaborate with others in a creative environment.

"I wanted to participate because my Game Jam experiences in the past have been very fun, community-oriented events that evoke a nostalgic memory of late-night sleepovers with friends, playing video games, and eating junk food," said Phillip Bryan, UA Little Rock alum. "Beyond this, game jams can help build useful knowledge and experience for many career paths, and the resulting project can often be an impressive portfolio piece."

The event serves as an opportunity for game designers to push their skills and creativity to the next level while forging connections that may never have been possible otherwise.

"Game Jam is a great way for beginners and veteran game designers to come together to test new ideas and expand their knowledge," said McMath. "It allows everyone to meet and work with people who they might not have been able to otherwise."

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