GDWC: Who are you and what got you into game development?
Choi Je Hyun: I'm a Korean game developer. When I was a child, arcade culture was disappearing from Korea and PC room culture was born. So I was able to encounter arcade games and PC games in a variety of ways, and their experiences turned into a desire to develop my own games.
BouncyCell by Choi Je Hyun
Jari Hanski: I got into game development by taking a beginner course on learning C++ while making games. I had always thought making games was somehow too challenging for me and never got started learning because of that. After completing the course I started doing my own projects and liked it so much that I went to study game design and programming in Uppsala University Sweden.
Scallywags! by Jari Hanski from Team ScallywagsGDWC: Wow, both of your stories sound interesting! Is this your first game made in Game Jam?
Choi Je Hyun: Not the first game. I have participated in other game jams.
Jari Hanski: This was my first jam that I have participated on Itch.io. I have participated in some short offline jams before.
GDWC: Alright, has there been any specific challenges in making a Game Jam game?
Choi Je Hyun: It seems to be will. It's so much fun to imagine what kind of game I'm going to make, but I think it's hardest to endure it because it's so painful to actually implement.
Jari Hanski: The challenges are mostly related to moving quickly and having laser focus on the important things. It is easy to spend time on things that do not matter so much for the player.
GDWC: Seems that your challenges are quite similar as both struggle with keeping the focus on the project and not get side-tracked. Do you have good tips for making a Game Jam game or for participating in Game Jam in general?
Choi Je Hyun: The best tip is to try it without thinking much.
Jari Hanski: Start simple and expand if you need to. It is surprising how simple mechanics can be when creating immersive experiences.
GDWC: What is your favorite thing about Game Jams?
Choi Je Hyun: Watching games made by other people and enjoying different perspectives.
Jari Hanski: Definitely the motivational boost of other developers and the time constraints that push you to finish the game on time.
Thank you both for the interview with us! We have enjoyed hearing your perspectives of Game Jams! We wish you and your games all the best for your future.
If you have a game made during a Game Jam this year, feel free to enroll it to the GDWC and add it to the Game Jam category at https://thegdwc.com/!
