Global Game Jam 2022 Wraps Up

All of the games were developed from start to finish in under 48 hours, with many MDS alumni now working in industry participating, as well as current students. Check out some of their amazing work in this video!

"Media Design School has been hosting Global Jam for more than a decade and the event is still as exciting as ever for us. Game jams offer a unique space where hobbyists, students and industry veterans all come together to make games. Meeting new people and pushing the boundaries of what you thought you could do is what the event is all about." - Jordan Browne, Programme Director for Game Development, Media Design School.

With Media Design School being thought-leaders of gaming education in New Zealand and beyond, we are always blown away with what our community comes up with, and this year was no different, spurred on by the electricity of the return of Global Game Jam after its unfortunate cancellation in 2021. 

This year's event was lead by Media Design School's Bachelor of Software Engineering learning facilitator, Jack Mair. "As the first time hosting the Global Game Jam for me, I was blown away by the quality and diversity of games produced over a very short period of time. I feel incredibly lucky to be able to organise and take part in an event that showcases the incredible talent of students, faculty, and the wider New Zealand game developer community. I have come away from the event inspired by the ability of participants to overcome the challenges of a digital game jam and I am excited to see what the future holds for everyone in their journey as game developers."

This years teams developed and created games, based off this year's assigned theme of 'Duality', that are free to play. You can download any of the games below and see what is possible through discipline, tenacity and hard work. Check them out:

Abyss of Kings - Solve two puzzles at once. Guide both characters simultaneously through the broken land to retrieve the crowns.

Ascension - The body and the soul are in disagreement and stuck in a dark place. In order to escape they have to help each other and ascend as one being in the end.

Dreameality - How do we know if we are in a dreaming state or in reality? Wonder into Dreameality's Utopia as you get caught up between two worlds; dream and reality. Encounter puzzles in both worlds, with each having different laws of physics. Use these sets of laws to your advantage to overcome their challenges. 

Ducks that Dive and Fish that Fly - How good is your picture association? Take a quick break with this brain teaser style guessing game! Will you fall for the inconsistency? Play Now! No Download required.

Duelity - A fight for the ages as Robot and Cowboy duel it out through a wormhole that has opened between their dimensions. Play Now! No Download required.

Halloween Spirit - You awaken at the edge of the woods with candy atop your pumpkin head. You dislike candy, however... the tasty children... they love candy. Can you eat all the children before halloween ends?

Harmony - Escape the maze! Can you master the balance between light and dark?

In Heat - You walk the line between Cats and Dogs. Collect items and deliver them to the bosses - but try not to die along the way.

In Sheep's Clothing - Wolves have infiltrated your livestock! Use your trusty dog or sniper rifle and root them out before your livestock are killed!

Jank - A quaint sim/management game

Pukeko - Play as Eko, a baby pukeko trying to get back to their mother through rapidly changing seasons. Play Now! No Download required.

Shrimp Life - You're a shrimp of a cook making your specialty shrimp fried rice. Keep working so you can get that sweet, sweet break, oh yeah. It's all about working hard and hardly working.

Skyward Space Project - Exploring ideas surrounding space & communication (or lack of) in virtual reality. Repair a space station in Multiplayer VR Space, communicating through gestures and a drawing wand.

The Clavicle Gazebo - Escape from an asylum for the criminally insane by using their empathic powers to transition between worlds; the real and the unreal in this puzzle exploration game.

The Cleaner - The Cleaner has a big mess to deal with... Play Now! No Download required.

The Paladin with Dark Magic - As a paladin, it's your duty to protect wizards from evil goblins. Unfortunately, you can't save everyone, and sometimes you may only survive if you don't.

If you want to learn more about making games, our Bachelor of Creative Technologies and Bachelor of Software Engineering are still accepting enrolments for 2022. Apply now to begin your road toward creating works of art, challenging puzzles or moving stories that can be universally enjoyed!