Game Design & Development · Capstone
Game Jam Week: From Idea to Demo
A Game Jam is a timed challenge to design, build, and ship a complete game in a short period — anywhere from 48 hours to a week. This is your complete playbook: how to scope a build you can actually finish, what to do each day, and how to present on showcase day.
What Is a Game Jam?
Game jams are real events in the professional world. Ludum Dare, the world's oldest online jam (running since 2002), sees 3,000+ entries in 72 hours. Global Game Jam is the world's largest, held simultaneously in 100+ countries. Many successful commercial games — including Superhot and Untitled Goose Game — started as jam prototypes.
The rules of your classroom jam:
① You have 5 days — Monday through Friday.
② Build a game in the engine or tool of your choice.
③ The game must be playable from start to "game over" (or winning state).
④ On Friday, you demo your game to the class for 3–5 minutes.
⑤ Done beats perfect — a simple game that works beats an ambitious game that crashes.
Scope Checker — Can You Build It in a Week?
The #1 reason game jam games don't get finished is too much scope. Check every feature you're planning. If you check too many danger or warning items, cut something.
Game Design Document Builder
A GDD doesn't need to be 50 pages. For a jam, a half-page document keeps your team aligned and your scope honest. Fill this in before you write any code.
Mini GDD — Game Jam Edition
The 5-Day Jam Sprint
Follow this day-by-day plan. Resist the urge to jump to features — foundation first, features second, polish last.
Day 1
- Write your GDD (use the builder above)
- Sketch 2–3 screens on paper (menu, gameplay, game over)
- Find or decide on a 5-item asset list (what sprites/sounds you need)
- Set up your VS Code project folder and get Live Server running
Day 2
- Get the player moving and responding to input
- Add one obstacle or enemy (even as a rectangle placeholder)
- Implement the lose condition (game over screen)
- Goal: the game is playable but ugly by end of day
Day 3
- Add score, timer, or health system
- Add sound effects (at least one for hit/lose)
- Implement difficulty scaling (enemies get faster over time)
- Replace placeholder art with your actual sprites
Day 4
- Add a proper start screen (title, "Press Space to play")
- Add screen shake, particle effects, or color flash on impact
- Add background music
- Fix the top 3 bugs your playtesters find
- Freeze new features — only polish from here
Day 5
- Final bug fixes (one hour max)
- Prepare your 3-minute demo: show gameplay, explain your concept
- Tell the class: what went well, what you'd do differently
- Play everyone else's games — give specific, constructive feedback
Showcase Day Checklist
Click each item as you complete it before Friday's demo:
- Game runs without crashing from start to game over
- Start screen explains the goal and controls
- Restart button works after game over
- Score or progress is visible during play
- At least one sound effect plays during gameplay
- Game has a clear lose condition the player understands
- Tested on a second computer or phone (not just your machine)
- Practiced the demo: can explain the game in under 60 seconds
- Prepared one thing you learned and one thing you'd change
- Project folder is backed up (USB, cloud, or GitHub)
Tips from Experienced Jammers
✅ Do
- Commit your code to Git every day (or every hour during jams)
- Playtest with someone who didn't build the game — you'll miss obvious problems
- Use free licensed assets from itch.io, OpenGameArt, or Freesound
- Build the core loop first and get it fun before adding anything else
- Write a cut list — features go there when scope creep hits
- Pick a tiny-loop archetype (catch, dodge, maze…) before you pick a story
❌ Don't
- Start with art — placeholder rectangles are fine. Art can come Thursday
- Add features on Day 4 or 5 — only fix bugs and polish
- Change your game concept mid-week unless the original is genuinely unworkable
- Aim for perfection — aim for playable and interesting
- Work alone if you can work in a team — jams are more fun together