“InVIDEOGAMESjam” was a small-scale partnership created to promote the creation of video games applied to the areas of education, training, and health among young people aged 13 to 25. The project was implemented throughout 2023 and it included events in Spain, France and Estonia. Here you can read the experience of our Estonian team who participated in each one of the national events:
InJam Spain| 23-24.10.2023
“As a game developer, I’ve been to multiple game jams before, both on-site and online. I know how hard it is for beginners. People come with a drive to make games, but no idea how to actually do that.
Most events expect you to learn on your own and give no support whatsoever. However, InJam in Spain was different, as we had a team of mentors who actively helped the participants with all sorts of problems. Being a part of the mentoring team myself, I was very happy to see the scaffolding we provided.
Since we were working with youngsters, they were naturally very curious and ambitious. So we did our best to answer their burning questions, solve their technical problems, and keep them focused and relaxed. Even though not all teams had a finished game at the end, we made the process itself enjoyable and meaningful for them, and they felt accomplished and happy at the end.
It was heartwarming when participants came up to me and thanked me for helping throughout the jam. Generally, it was an awesome event that both raised awareness about mental health for youth and facilitated hands-on learning of game development. I was glad to be an active part of the amazing team that made this event real.”
Mike Stavrovskyi
“Although I am a creative person myself, I had never experienced video-game creation before, but recently I was lucky enough to get a behind the scenes look at the InJam event in Terassa, Spain.
Besides that, I have also never seen so many people and youngsters who are interested in game developement. During the InJam, young people came together from all around Barcelona to create and learn how to create video games with the underlining topic of mental health.
Mentors worked hard to provide help and assistance for the participants, since some of them have never created a game from scratch before. It was truly mesmerising to see that for the two full days people stayed focused and wanted to give a hundred precent in order for their team to succeed. For many, it was definitely a learning curve and a new experience. If I had to describe the event in three words, then I would choose these words: creative, meaningful and educational.”
Emilia Sabirova
InJam France | 27-29.10.2023
“The inJam in France was truly an experience and memory I will cherish. I saw passionate young people who were excited about making games on the topic of mental health. Some of them were as young as 12 years old. Despite their limited skill and experience, they kept on pushing themselves and managed to present the game they created in the end.
On the other hand, there were also some participants who were more mature and experienced. They showed the same interest and passion as the younger participants. Overall, it was great to see people from different ages who were excited not only about playing games but also making games. I am lucky to have the opportunity to be there and watch everything.”
Fifi Arisandi
“Attending the event in Rennes was very important to learn about the execution of the game jams and the culture. I consider the experience as rich in event management, networking and some coding skills I am interested in.”
Rodrigo Eyzaguirre
InJam Estonia| 03-04.11.2023
“InJam Estonia was the clear example of teamwork, dedication and local impact! From 0 to hero, the team behind the event (8 people with different expertise levels in game design, logistics and communication) made it possible to create a meaningful educational experience for over 60 young people from all over Estonia.
Over the course of 6 months we took on the adventure of designing our own educational videogame jam targeted at youth in Estonia aged 15-26, involving not only schools and youth centers, but also a wide variety of local partners and volunteers. The result? Two days of impactful moments, 15 game prototypes dealing with the topics of loneliness, bullying or toxic relationships and unlimited amazing memories!“
Olalla Gonzalez
“The game jam in Tallinn was awesome! The previous preps for this event were very well coordinated and every member showed commitment and effort. It took many months of meetings and different committees were organised to attend to different aspects of the event like food, hardware, venue, mentors, content and communication. They were necessary and worked very well before and during the event.
Participants really enjoyed the event. The venue was perfect, we had all the necessary assets to run it with no problem at all. We eneded up having a few more mentors than needed because the experience of
the participants was in their majority intermediate or advanced in developing skills. Overall, I am very happy with the results and the team.”
Rodrigo Eyzaguirre
Check out the photo album of InJam Estonia here.