Game Jam - 001

Introduction

For our first week back in level 3, we had a fun Game Jam to take part in. During this Game Jam, we aimed to make a game idea fitting to the theme of food sustainability. We were split into teams randomly to help us learn to work in groups better and to get accustomed to new environments. Our idea was to make a medieval farming horror game where the player farms crops and sells them for money.

The Idea

The idea of the game was to be a horror farming simulator, set in the thirteen hundreds, where you play as a merchant attempting to localise the farming industry by selling produce made by his local village to nearby towns. The player can travel further through the lands, producing more income based on the distance travelled, wasting some produce on the way. During the journey, the player can pollute the areas you pass through and spread disease among other misfortunes.

My Role

My role in this project was being in charge of managing the mechanics of the game. I would focus on how the mechanics would fit and work with the theme and game genres. I also helped with planning concepts and making ideas for the game jam. I also helped in other areas of my team helping the other members.

Team Experience

My overall team experience was good. My team was helpful and took control of the tasks. Not only did my team manage their work, but they also helped come up with systems and mechanics. The areas they could have been stronger in are communication and consistency. Not only were there a few times where they did not respond, but they also did not tell me when they would change something. Sometimes, when I wrote something and sent it in, they would get rid of it without saying. For consistency, some areas did not fit the game jam theme. They could have gone into more detail on how the idea works with food sustainability.

Final Thoughts

I am happy with the project even though there are some areas I would change. I enjoyed how we worked together and how the idea fits well with the theme. If I could change anything, I would have worked closer with my team to ensure we were all together on certain decisions. I would have also gone into greater depth with my team on the game jam theme. I believe this project helped me in many ways, not only with working better in a team but also with my planning skills. I also enjoy how they thought about food sustainability.