UMBC will once again host the Global Game Jam. The weekend-long game development event will be held this year from January 25-27. UMBC is one of hundreds of host sites around the world. Other local sites include College Park, the Universities at Shady Grove, and George Mason.
“I expect an exciting mix of students, friends, alumni, and game developers for a weekend of creative fun,” says Dr. Olano, director of UMBC’s Game Development Track. Last year he and Visual Arts professor Neal McDonald ran the event out of UMBC’s GAIM Lab where game developers of all levels gathered to conceive and create video games around a common theme.
Last year the theme was Ouroboros, a symbol of perpetual renewal. The theme inspired games like Bit Exhaust, a space-invaders-esque Windows phone game and Snake ‘N Bake (pictured above), a two-player game where a snake must help a cupcake make it to the oven before the tasty confection gets hit by a fireball.
The theme for this year’s competition will be announced at 5 p.m. on January 25th so that all parts of the game development process—from coming up with a game concept to finishing a playable video game–will have to be carried out during one single adrenaline-filled weekend.
Visit globalgamejam.org to register for the event. Thanks to support from Next Century Corporation, registration for the UMBC site is free and open to anyone 18+.