OC’s Gaming and Animation program hosted the annual Global Game Jam event in January

Global Game Jam created a welcoming environment for game developers to create games in just 48 hours on Jan. 26-28.

Oklahoma Christian University’s Gaming and Animation program is proud to have hosted the annual Global Game Jam event last week. Global Game Jam is an event that empowers students worldwide to experiment and create games in 48 hours. This year’s theme was “make me laugh,” which was fun for the designers, but it was a challenging theme that helped them to think outside of the box. 

OC Assistant Professor of Gaming and Animation Jacob Touchstone led OC’s participation in Global Game Jam.

“Each of the teams had their own strengths,” he said. “Each team did their best to cover every skill set and they performed wonderfully. Some of the students have participated in this event for the past four years, so they have become quite accustomed to it and were well prepared.” 

This event welcomed OC alumni to participate where one team was made of alumni working remotely on creating video games, while on the other team there were current OC students. Touchstone appreciated the teamwork between the teams because they were able to complete their games in just 48 hours.

Touchstone said the gaming club student organization helped run the event. The money they raised was used to buy pizza, and the Art and Design Department bought snacks to keep motivating teams to do their best. 

“I'd like to add that we had a ton of fun and we can't wait to do it again next year,” Touchstone said. “Alumni are invited back to participate and we can't wait to see what they come up with next year. We hope to do a week-long game jam instead of the typical 48-hour weekend event we've been used to,” Touchstone said. 

The Global Game Jam helps students think outside the box in a limited 48 hours. Students are required to work in teams or individually to make video games from start to finish. This unique opportunity allows students to put their knowledge and skills to the test. OC's Gaming and Animation program invites students to participate in this event each year and gain hands-on professional experience.
Learn more about Global Game Jam here.