GameJam+ has announce the winners for this year’s event! Although there were a multitude of incredible entries from the competitors, only one can walk away with the title of “Game of the Year”. However, in its mission to help nurture and cultivate the amazing talent that participated in the event, GameJam+ has a total of 16 different categories, including “Best Social Impact” and “Best in Diversity”, showcasing the incredible potential of the medium to reach across all channels and impact society. This year’s big winner came from the State of Amazonas, one of Brazil’s most struggling regions, proving that creativity and innovation — along with passion for game design — doesn’t require a massive budget or AAA studio.
The grand champion of this year’s event was Do Not Disturb, from developers Hollow Harpy, located in Manaus, Amazonas. Do Not Disturb addresses urban and indigenous legends in a setting of tension and mystery. Lara, the main character, travels to an old hotel in search of her friend and finds herself in a completely destroyed environment. Running away from strange creatures during her adventure, Lara must solve several mysteries at the hotel to save her friend.
Being a truly international event, the fifth edition of GameJam+ featured entries from all over the world. Entries represented 60 cities across 22 countries, 1,100 participants, 800 volunteers, and more than 2,000 hours of lectures, workshops, and individual mentorship. 281 titles made in the first stage alone, with a select 92 making it to the big final.
“It was very cool to see more than 20 countries from across four continents moving within GameJam+ because they believe that all developer communities, regardless of their size, are capable of generating successful games,” said GameJam+ organizer Ian Rochlin.
GameJam+ 2020 Winners Include:
— Game of the Year: Do not Disturb, from Hollow Harpy
— Best Gameplay: Tacape, from Really Long Birds
— Best Pitch: Feylines, from SadStudents
— Best in Diversity: Amazon Cries for Freedom, from lunncreative
— Best Social Impact: Have a Good One, from Eva Vital and Isaque Sanches
GameJam+ is also a shining example of what can be accomplished when people work together, as the entire event runs on a shoestring budget of only $5,000. With some generous sponsors, including Apex-Brasil, Unity, and Clube de Regatas do Flamengo, as well as the dedicated efforts of more than 800 volunteers, GameJam+ is truly living up to its founders’ belief that, “the citizen is the main agent of transformation of his community.” Over seven months, the organizers, sponsors, publishers, and participants worked tirelessly to create games as well as create new partnerships. The main goal is to connect indie developers with industry stakeholders and transform games into business. GameJam+ brings together indie developers from all over the world for this event, including regions not necessarily famous for game development, and is a huge opportunity for deserving developers.