Transforming a Game Jam Project into a Full Release: A Developer's Journey

Participating in game jams is a common way for developers to gain experience and create successful games. Many notable titles, such as Baba is You, Goat Simulator, and Celeste, originated from game jams. Eyes in the Dark: The Curious Case of One Victoria Bloom is another example of a game that started as a game jam project. Under the Stairs, a Croatian game development studio, released Eyes in the Dark, a striking black and white roguelite, with the help of Gearbox Publishing. According to Vladimir Bogdanic, the founder and director of Under the Stairs, the project began as an accident. He had enrolled in a game design course and participated in a game jam, where he and his team created a simple prototype called "Light and Dark". The key to a successful game jam project is to keep things simple, but also unique and engaging. Bogdanic emphasizes the importance of finding a concept that can resonate with players and be expanded into a full game. However, not all game jam projects have the potential to become full-fledged games, and it's essential to be cautious of "gimmicky mechanics" that may not withstand longer gameplay sessions. Bogdanic's journey with Eyes in the Dark was not straightforward. Due to limited funding, the project was put on hold for about a year, and the original team disbanded. However, one of the programmers from the game jam remained with the project, and Bogdanic eventually found a way to continue working on it. Game development is a business, and it's crucial to understand the industry and its requirements. Bogdanic used his experience running a web development company to fund his game development endeavors, but he soon realized that the business model of game development is vastly different. The biggest challenge was to keep the burn rate low and give themselves time to figure out the pitch deck, investment, and publisher expectations. The initial prototype of Eyes in the Dark was developed in 2014, but it wasn't until 2016 that the team could work on it again, and not until 2018 that they secured enough funding to work on it full-time. The game was eventually pitched to publishers, and Gearbox Publishing showed interest. Bogdanic stresses the importance of not crunching and pacing oneself during game development. He believes that working in a relaxed environment allows for more creative problem-solving and better results. He also advises against putting too much pressure on a single project, as it may not be the big breakthrough. Once a project has gained some traction, it's essential to showcase it at events and gather feedback from investors and publishers. However, it's crucial to have all the necessary elements in place before approaching them. Recurring events provide an excellent opportunity to test and refine the project. Bogdanic reflects on the experience and advises developers to cut down their scope, focus on core mechanics, and get the pre-production part of the game done as best as possible. He also emphasizes the importance of iteration and taking advice from others to improve the project. In hindsight, Bogdanic would have done things differently, such as putting more things on paper and having a clearer understanding of the scope of work involved. However, he is proud of what the team has achieved, and the positive reception of Eyes in the Dark has been a significant boost for the studio.