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What happens when you need to make a game, but you only have ten hours to get it done? Oh, and you’re solo. Can you make anything good? Can you make anything AT ALL?

This spring I hopped into the Saint Louis Game Developers’ 2025 Spring Game Jam. I was subject to quite a few constraints, as I kinda decided to jump in at the last minute. Even though the jam was a week long, I was still pretty busy with Crashlands 2 development, so I didn’t have too much time to spare – just a few hours here and there. My normal jam buddies at Bscotch were all busy as well, and I didn’t want to rope in a new teammate because of my chaotic schedule.

So I decided to FLY SOLO like a BALD EAGLE! Or… a bald guy, anyway.

As a programmer with no artist, I had to go all the way down to the fundamentals of game jamming. I had to follow… THE BSCOTCH RULES OF TURBO FAST GAME CREATION.

Game jams are where creativity, chaos, and collaboration collide. This year’s Spring Game Jam challenged teams to build games virtually in just ten days. From artists picking up new tools to programmers juggling ambitious ideas, participants walked away with hard-won lessons — and more excitement for their next jam.

We collected insights from many developers who took part, and their reflections reveal the key ingredients (and pitfalls) of a successful jam. Whether you’re a veteran jammer or considering your first event, here’s what they learned:

The game development scene in St. Louis is more active, more creative, and more supportive than ever before! March and April have been an absolute whirlwind of events, talks, and get-togethers – giving local developers bunches of opportunities to grow, share, and step out of their comfort zones. Whether you’re new to the scene or a seasoned dev, there’s never been a better time to get involved!

Catching Up On Talks

Members from our community have been giving talks and sharing their expertise!

Now that it’s been a few weeks and the dust has settled after Global Game Jam 2025, we’d like to take a moment to reflect on the experience of organizing the event.

This was the 15th Global Game Jam we have run locally, and at least our 28th Game Jam event (so many we’ve kind of lost count)- although it was the first time for a few of our team members.