Game hackathon sans AI

Great to meet you in NYC! Interested in a Game Jam?

Well, that's the subject line from the email Matt Walak sent to me that I completely ignored for 5 days without realizing. I really thought I had responded. I almost missed this fulfilling event! Thankfully he sent a follow up to share his past game hackathons.

Of course I responded that I'm very interested. I do hope to learn Unity too!

Seems like he had orchestrated a great group because how refreshing it was to be introduced to the likes of Jack Wesson, Samuel Johnson and Jacob Fietmann.

We participated in the Ludum Dare online event where games are made from scratch in a weekend. This one's theme was Limited Space. We started on Friday evening and finally submitted today (Monday evening).

Did you work on something not using generative AI? Honestly, we thought about it and did brainstorm on opportunities but, do you really need generative AI when Sam can rapidly sketch and create beautiful imagery like this?

I was fortunate to have beautiful imagery to work with. I wasn't kidding when I joked with them that it usually would have taken our teams weeks to get parts of things like this working.

Of course, the project didn't come without it's nail-biting 11th hour.

Here's last minute debugging from Jack and Matt.

My input? Just the interface and minor UX. I'm surprised we were able to implement them at all. These guys were quick!

The fonts I paired were Luckiest Guy and Nunito.

• Luckiest Guy as a primary font is lively and eye-catching. It adds a fun and energetic element to the game's text.
• Nunito is a clean and legible sans-serif font that can be used for body text and smaller UI elements, providing a nice contrast to Luckiest Guy.

I was also quickly researching games that they were mentioning making me realize I've been in such a bubble for these past years. I mostly play a few mobile games now.

So, what's this game?

"Blowfish Baybies" is a stunning, delightful game where players dive into the world of Winston, the diligent resident sorter at "Baybie" nursery. Winston's love for his serene job, organizing adorable baby bunnies and alligators, is at the heart of this charming experience. However, as the nursery faces a crisis with a flood of baby creatures, Winston takes the vital task of sorting them before they drift away.

What sets this game apart is Winston's unique ability to move within his limited space. Players use their mouse to rotate him by clicking and holding to unleash powerful bubble blasts. This force allows them to maneuver objects in the underwater world creatively.

But Winston isn't just blowing bubbles for fun; he's on a mission to earn points by clearing out krill from the nursery. Players must exercise caution and avoid electrified jellyfish, adding an element of challenge to the game.

With its endearing storyline and fun-filled gameplay mechanics, "Blowfish Baybies" offers players a heartwarming journey into the underwater nursery, where they must use wit, creativity, and strategy to ensure the safety and happiness of the baby creatures. Get ready for an oceanic adventure like no other!

Definitely keep me in mind for any future hackathons!

Check it out here.