Emotions and challenges during game creation: Evidence from the global game jam

Abstract

The Global Game Jam (GGJ) is an annual worldwide event that brings together game enthusiasts of different backgrounds, motivating them to create games collaboratively under a common theme in a 48-hour timeframe. The constraints on time and theme, as well as the social nature of the event, often leads to an emotionally intense game creation process. This paper examines the emotional experiences of the attendees, specifically collecting data from GGJ participants from five different jam sites in three European countries (N=42). A self-report, open-ended questionnaire gauged respondents' emotions during and after the game design process, their reasoning for reporting these emotions, and the challenges they faced throughout this event. The qualitative analysis of the responses confirms that the creation process is laden with emotions, emphasising the importance of the 'team' and social relationships in how emotions are experienced. Participants referred to time limits and team coordination as the main challenges of the experience. The results are presented through the lens of Positive Psychology, focusing on Positive emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Achievement. Results indicate that (collaborative) game creation can shelter positive emotional and social experiences that can contribute to an individual's sense of growth and well-being.