This year, Global Game Jam returns to Rijeka! From January 30 to February 1, at the Center for Technical Culture, the seventh Rijeka edition of this competitive event that brings together enthusiasts of video games, technology, and creative creation will take place.
Global Game Jam is the largest global video game development event that takes place simultaneously at hundreds of locations around the world. Competitors have only 48 hours to prepare functional video games from the announcement of the secret theme until the end of Sunday: with plenty of collaboration, challenges, and a great atmosphere.
No prior knowledge or experience is required to participate in the Global Game Jam. Programmers, designers, illustrators, musicians, gamers, and all video game enthusiasts with an idea and a desire to learn are welcome. The entire event is free and open to everyone. Competitors come not only from Rijeka but also from other counties and countries, making the event an important point for the development of the industry in Croatia and beyond. The Rijeka edition of the Game Jam will be the largest of its kind in Croatia, and we expect over 20 finished games.
A panel of expert judges and enthusiasts will evaluate and award the produced games at the end of the competition, consisting of: Nikolina Finska (Sentona Games), a veteran of the mobile game industry who worked on the globally recognized project Angry Birds, and Jorma Finska (Rebel Studio), also a veteran of the mobile game industry with many years of experience. Jonathan Yoe, who leads bizdev for the marketing agency Rivira, which co-organizes the largest Croatian convention Rikon and Expo Gamers - a conference and fair for the video game industry, while Valentino Simunović participates as a sponsor and representative of Media Centar, a computer equipment store. Aleksandar Gavrilović, CEO of the studio Gamechuck, brings competitors the rich experience of one of the leading domestic independent game studios, and Iva Carević, a senior animator at Nanobit, shares knowledge from working on successful mobile games for the global market.
The best teams will also receive valuable prizes, and participation is completely free for all competitors with mandatory registration on the official Global Game Jam organization website. The organization and sponsors have ensured that all competitors are provided with meals and refreshments. The project is carried out by the Association for Creative Media RiCode and the Association 3. zmaj with the support of the City of Rijeka, the Kultura nova Foundation, and the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia.
