With Global Game Jam 2011 over I thought it would be good to reflect on the things that I believe one should learn from attending this and similar events.

Though I am not a seasoned designer by any means, I do have enough experience and know how to be able to accurately describe the reasons why this initiative exists.  So lets begin…

HAVE FUN
The point of the Jam is for like-minded individuals to get together, make games, and have fun!  I know this is sometimes hard to remember when you have only slept for 4 out of the total 48 hours, are high on caffeine, smell like you haven’t showered for the past 48 hours (cause you probably haven’t!), your code isn’t compiling, and your 3D modeling software is on the fritz, but damn it, this is what you love and that is why you are here right?  So keep reminding yourself to relax, and have fun.

MEET OTHERS
The point of the Jam is to get people together and to meet new people and network.  So go out and make new friends, work with new people, with new talents, from different backgrounds.  Don’t work with the same people every time if you have the chance to.  Be social, don’t cram your face into your monitor, drown out others with loud headphones, and code/model/paint without looking at what your neighbors are doing.  Get up, walk around, comment (say good things of course!), BE SOCIAL!  You might end up making a life long friend, at the very least be remembered as the nice guy/gal who got along with everyone.

TRY SOMETHING NEW
Everyone knows you are the next Linus Torvalds, Rembrandt with a Wacom pen, Michelangelo with 3D Max, and Will Wright’s little brother.  This does not mean that you should be afraid to get out of your comfort zone.  Heaven forbid you might learn something new.  Trust me when you do things that you are uncomfortable with, you not only learn something new, but also gain a better understanding of all the crap the other guy/gal probably goes through on a daily basis.

FINALLY, RESPECT OTHERS!!!
I cannot over state this enough!  No matter how smart you think you are, I promise, there is someone out there that is smarter.  So if you think you know everything and everyone else’s idea is stupid you are in for a rude awakening.

It might not affect you during the JAM, but it will in life.  No matter if you have an IQ greater than Einstein, you still need to be able to work within society.  That means with other people.  The people that you treat poorly now could one day be on the other side of that interview table and could one day be your boss.

So LISTEN to others (without judging and creating a reply in your head at the same time, to prove them wrong!) and give them credit for their ideas.  At the end of the day we are nothing more than the ideas we create and the actions we take.  So if you use someone’s idea, even if it is just the concept, CREDIT him or her for it.  It is not yours to begin with.   Give others a chance, they have good input as well, you just have to listen and not judge.  Why not take that great idea and make it a better one?  At the very least try to meet people half way.

Don’t judge or assume others don’t know what they are talking about.  There are probably people there that have 10 times more experience than you but they are just humble enough to not brag about it.  Plus you will never know if you shoot down every thing they say.  Have a respectful tone; people are the masters at knowing when they are being talked down to.

If you don’t do these things, I promise and guarantee it will cause bitterness between you and others in all situations, and people will slowly start to dislike you.  You may like being the rebel loner, but trust me we all need friends in one way or another, even serial killers have been known to come out of hiding cause they eventually became lonely.

So, be careful, tread carefully, and don’t burn bridges, build them.