That’s My Jam! project page | What’s Next Jammer? project page | launch event at TGW
That’s My Jam: Understanding the Value of Game Jams is an Ontario Creates and Mitacs funded white paper facilitated by Game Arts International Network that studies the importance of jams for both emerging and established game makers. It was launched at Toronto Games Week in 2025.
For over two decades, emerging and established game developers have turned to game jams as sites of training, experimentation, networking, and fun. Game jams are public events where participants create games from scratch within a set time limit while following a central theme. Despite their ubiquity around the world, the role of jams in relation to the broader game industry is not well understood. Sourcing insights from interviews and surveys with emerging and established developers, this white paper interrogates what game jams are, why people attend them, and how they benefit game makers with diverse creative and professional aspirations.
Research for That’s My Jam! was completed between August and December of 2024. The primary methods we used were long-form interviews (26 participants) and an online survey (51 participants). Research data was also supplemented with news articles, academic papers, industry reports, and some data sourced directly from game jam administrators.
Building on the research in the white paper, What’s Next Jammer? is a Canada Media Fund funded interactive resource that provides post-jam guidance to game jammers.
While we were interviewing jam organisers for That’s My Jam!, so many of them expressed a desire to offer support to jammers who wanted to keep working on their projects. The interactive resource provides advice for jammers interested in commercial, artistic, or experimental development paths.