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Jamchester: UK's biggest game jam to take place in Manchester on 20-22 May

Over 200 developers making games across three days

Jamchester: UK's biggest game jam to take place in Manchester on 20-22 May

The UK’s biggest ever game jam, Jamchester, is set to take place in Manchester on May 20-22.

The event will see over 200 developers, in teams of up to four people, working across three days to build games based on a theme that will be revealed on the first day of the jam.

There will be both student teams and teams made up of industry members, allowing young developers to network and gain valuable insight into development techniques used by professionals.

Major sponsors

The event is being organised by Gameopolis and HackManchester, with major sponsorship from Microsoft, Chillingo, and regional business accelerator Tech North.

A HackManchester event held in 2015

The jam also has sponsorship from PlayStation, Unreal, recruitment agency Amiqus, and local game development college SSR, as well as the support of UK trade association Ukie.

“Game jams are one of the best ways for devs to learn new skills, stretch their creative thinking, network within the industry, and ultimately have fun,” said Dr. Jo Twist, CEO of Ukie.

“We’d love to see as many Ukie members as possible taking part in this event, and I look forward to seeing some of the work that is produced!”

A good cause

The games will be judged in the categories of Best Game, Best Audio, Best Graphics, Best Gameplay, Best Tech Achievement, Innovation Award, Best Company Game, and Best Student Game.

All proceeds from ticket sales of the event will go to Special Effect, a charity focused on helping gamers with disabilities.

You can find out more information on the official website.

Editor

Ric is the Editor of PocketGamer.biz, having started out as a Staff Writer on the site back in 2015. He received an honourable mention in both the MCV and Develop 30 Under 30 lists in 2016 and refuses to let anyone forget about it.