DSU hosts Global Game Jam site

January 23, 2024

Dakota State University is hosting a Global Game Jam site at The Beacom Institute of Technology from January 26-28.

Global Game Jam (GGJ) is an event designed to bring people together for 48 hours to create a game from start to finish. These can be video games, board games, or card games, as long as they are related to a central theme chosen annually.

“Everyone who attended last year had a great learning experience and can’t wait to kick it off,” said Erik Pederson, Assistant Professor of Game Design.

While about 50 attended last year’s event, about that many have already registered for this year’s festivities.

“It’s looking like it will be a record breaker,” Pederson said.

In addition to students in the program signing up, a team from the University of Minnesota will attend DSU’s GGJ site. The event is open to the public, meaning faculty, staff, alumni, and anyone age 18 and up..

“It gives the participants a hands-on experience with a confined crunch and a hard time constraint,” he explained. “It is something that everyone will experience in a work setting at some point in the future.”

Pederson recommends the event for all students, whether they are in the Game Design program or not.

“There are so many roles within a game design team that require a wide range of skill sets and abilities that there are always places for new input and experience levels,” Pederson said. “Again, it is a valuable experience that can be leveraged into any program and can be applied to any résumé.”

To register to attend DSU’s site, visit Global Game Jam’s website.