JEDDAH: A game development marathon wrapped up in Jeddah on Saturday with the creation of eight new Saudi games in just 48 hours.
Global Game Jam (GGJ) is run by an international non-profit based in California, with a mission to foster game design, game education and stimulate collaboration through events. It takes place around the world and is organized simultaneously in more than 800 locations. This year marks the 12th annual GGJ.
“Think of it as a hackathon focused on game development,” GGJ’s Jeddah organizer Mashael Abul-naga told Arab News. “It is where creative people sit down at one table together and create something that none of them would have done alone.”
Abul-naga has organized the event for the third year in a row, and her goal is to establish a platform for Saudi-based game enthusiasts to gather, share their experiences and inspire each other. “This event is one of the most beautiful things I have been working on for the last couple of years, and every year I feel so excited doing it again,” she said. “This year we had over 110 participants, including designers, developers, animators, artists, 3D designers, programmers, voice actors and producers.”
The three-day event took place at Vibes Offices, a coworking space in the city, and started Thursday. This year’s theme was “repair.” Participants formed their teams once the theme had been announced, then brainstormed and began working on their games. They finalized their games and uploaded them to the GGJ website at the end of the event. 
“Hard Broken” is about a girl who has to fix a robot, which is really her father, by finding pieces in a junkyard. Players in “Dheyaa” are alone in a castle and have to fix lights so they can see monsters, kill them and progress to the next level. The star of “Retro Virus” is an an engineer tasked with repairing a spaceship that will evacuate the human survivors of an apocalyptic battle.
“Instead of making presentations, this year we are making the teams test their games through allowing guests, gamers, and non-gamers to try the games and give the teams their feedback,” said Abul-naga.
She added that the event allowed people to learn from each other how to collaborate, delegate tasks, and work collectively. They also earned international recognition and enjoyed an adventure that was a mixture of education and fun.
Some people at GGJ had prior experience in the field while others were trying their hand for the first time, but Abul-naga explained that the most important part of the experience was people leaving their comfort zone and being visible on the local and international game development scene.
Abul-naga, who has a background in HR and has been fascinated by video games from a young age, is keen to build public awareness about the games’ industry as well as motivating people and channeling their potential.
“I have seen extremely creative people (at GGJ), introverted, but still trying to leave their comfort zone and I am doing my best to give them a chance.”
Tarek Mukhtar, the founder and manager of Riyadh-based Gamedev Corners, traveled to Jeddah for the event. “It was evident to me that Jeddah would be the most vibrant and have the biggest turnout for GGJ 2020 in the country,” he told Arab News. “I took part as an animator and background developer. It’s not a competition, it’s just for fun.”
The GGJ event also included workshops on game engines, 3D design, as well as building a CV and beginning a career in the games’ market. 
Zahraa Al-Halis, 20, took part as a game developer. “Although it wasn’t easy to do in one day, still, the feeling of accomplishment is amazing,” Al-Halis said.