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The InnoGames Game Jam 2013 -- a game party for the best of them: Never have there been so many participants, so many games, so little sleep and so proud winners as this year. But let me start from the beginning...
Friday afternoon: A total of 80 programmers, designers and other creative minds meet at InnoGames headquarters in Hamburg. Preparation for the 5th creative marathon of its kind begins.
"I think there will be totally different kinds of games: Jump & Runs, shooters, puzzle games. You never know, as there is so much creativity."
18 various groups will each develop a game within the next 48 hours. The team lead by Tobias Rojahn took first prize from the last two Game Jams. The captain is in good spirits, he and his team are looking for a hat trick this Sunday.
"This would be great of course, although I wouldn't mind if someone would be able to create an even better game."
The theme for this Game Jam is very present in gaming, but here it´s meant ironically: „Violence". The use of gallons of pixel-blood was a given. All other game elements are just created in brainstorming.
With a lot of creative potential in their heads, and an endless supply of energy drinks, they passed the first night...
But we're jumping directly to Sunday! The participants only have 40 minutes left to add the finishing touches to their games.
"We have five people in our team, three people are building the levels, we are tweaking the physics and I hope that we will be finished in time."
The favorite team is tense. Their top-down scroller lacks some necessary spice.
"We are adding a little bit more blood now and have to check if this works out."
Only two minutes left...between caffeine shock and sleep deprivation. Then:
"It is 2:00pm, please stop programming. Your game is over now, you are finished."
A total of 18 games will now be presented. Although some can barely keep their eyes open, this moment is the highlight of the weekend.
Tobias and his group receive applause for their game. The winner of the InnoGames Game Jam 2013 was, however, another: a team of three people created an Android based game with a lot of destruction - lovingly made of paper with plenty of brains.
"It shows that analog drawings are sometimes even better than computer graphics. Sacrifices had to be made, definitely." "Staying awake for the whole 48 hours wasn´t that easy, but I could focus amazingly well."
By the way, during the weekend, a whopping 18 pallets of energy drinks, and 2000 Euro worth of food was consumed by the 80 participants. InnoGames Game Jam 2013, the fast-food-paradise AND creative pool for programmers of tomorrow.