The Global Game Jam Community Spotlight tells stories from the amazing people who participate in GGJ in one way or another

 

University of Lincoln (UK) is celebrating its 10th GGJ Anniversary! ?

 

"Hey! It's Ollie and Danni from the University of Lincoln!

Ollie is our Site Organiser and Danni is our social magician! Our campus has been running GGJ in an official capacity since 2014 - meaning that GGJ24 will be our 10th Anniversary! 

 

Ollie has been participating in GGJ since 2018 and has been the Site Organiser since 2022 after he got a job with the University as a Technician. Danni studied here at the same time as Ollie in Computer Science and is now chasing her Ph.D., whilst also helping the school run its socials! She also spent some time lecturing in the Games Design module.

 

Games are a big part of our School in Lincoln, and GGJ is our biggest event/Game Jam of the year, we've seen some phenomenal turnout in the past from our students. We also let in our alumni and other members of the public to mingle and develop games in an inclusive and welcoming space. Some of our Alumni work actively in the games sector for development studios - including the local guys Rockstar! GGJ is a massive highlight for all our communities, and we aim to keep it that way for a very long time yet!

 

As a student himself Ollie attended GGJ as often he could. Even if he wasn't necessarily making games, the "vibe" was always fantastic, and that is one of the things that keep people coming back year on year. Danni may not have actively participated as a student, however, working the socials she captures an air of positivity that is way above what we usually see during our usual workshops and lectures! Engagement is always high, and there is a sense of pride throughout all the labs we use to host!

 

We've seen students come out of their shells during GGJ. This is incredibly important for introducing collaborative working concepts, obviously a vital part of the industry!

 

Not only that - it's always nice for us to people begin to interact more with the wider community in not only Lincoln but the development community as a whole. That sense of community and occasion makes GGJ so special to us. Not only the people running it, but also the people attending, whether it's their first time or they're now seasoned veterans! To the rest of the GGJ community - we're so hyped for yet another year of jamming, and we hope you are too! Let's see some absolutely amazing games!"

 

? Ollie and Danni