Green Bay hosted Global Game Jam | Ft. Assistant Professor Purzycki | Insight On Business

Beginning at 5 p.m., Jan. 24, gamers from around the state will gather for Global Game Jam, where developers and enthusiasts of all skill levels collaborate to make original games over a 48-hour timeframe. Hosted at the Urban Hub in downtown Green Bay, UW-Green Bay’s Center for Games and Interactive Media is a sponsor of the event.

The Global Game Jam is an annual event that invites participants to create games at one of hundreds of sites across the globe. ‘Jammers’ are given a loose theme (ex. “waves”) and a 48-hour timeframe to work with. Beyond that, jammers can create any type of game they are interested in. It helps to have some basic skills in art, music, coding, or writing but approaching the jam as a chance to expand those skills is also key.

The nationwide phenomenon is making a significant mark in the greater Green Bay region, partly because of the culture created surrounding videogame publisher Midwest Games, started by UW-Green Bay alumnus Ben Kvalo; and according to UW-Green Bay Assistant Professor Kris Purzycki, his colleague UW-Green Bay Lecturer Ben Geisler’s connections to the Green Bay community, including the region’s renowned DIY and punk subcultures.

“This ethos resonates throughout the 48-hours of the jam: all are welcome so long as there is a desire to make games,” says Purzycki in a blog post. “Those games may not be complete. They might not be pretty. But neither completion nor looking good is the goal.”

Collaboration, support and the sharing of ideas is inherent in the spirit of the event. Inspired to work on creations of all kinds, jammers can develop digital, tabletop role-playing or board games.

“The only requirement is that you have to want to make a game,” said Purzycki. After being the largest GGJ site in Wisconsin last year, organizers expect an even larger turnout in 2025.

Green Bay hosted Global Game Jam sponsored by UW-green Bay’s Center for Games and Interactive Media