Game jams are all over the place these days. Some take place in a fixed location, while others are more of a global (ie. online) thing. What makes Train Jam so special is that, well, it’s neither, taking place on… a moving train! Yup. A train, of all things, set to depart from Chicago’s Union Station next February, arriving in Emeryville, California later that same month.
Now, first things first: unlike previous outings, this time, an entire train has been booked, making plenty of room for jamming, resting, dining, and all that good stuff. Three coach class cars, two sleeper cars, one restaurant car, and two observation cars in total, so make sure they’re put to good use, eh? Oh, and don’t forget to get some game-making done while you’re busy taking in the sights and/or enjoying the ride. What? Just saying…
Train Jam is a collection of developers traveling via train to the Game Developers Conference and creating games during the ~52 hours it takes to arrive in San Francisco from Chicago.
While February is – obviously – still several months away, tickets will actually be going on sale in just a few weeks – at 4 pm CET on November 24, 2016, to be exact. And since there’s only room for so many people, might not be a terrible idea to be an early bird for this one. Tickets, please!
On top of that, ya know that little yearly event known as GDC? Yeah. All submissions will be playable at the official Train Jam booth at GDC 2017! How’s that for an increased coolness factor? Note that you don’t have to attend GDC to have your submission playable at the booth, although I’m sure it wouldn’t hurt. Also, GDC is quite a big thing, generally speaking. So there’s that.
As for the dates… departure is scheduled for February 23, 2017, with an arrival set for February 25, 2017. So a couple of days on the road – or tracks – as it were, making games, having fun and perhaps even socializing with like-minded individuals. Very groovy.
(Source: Train Jam 2017: Announcements!)