Shikha Sreenivas
The Global Game Jam (GGJ) — the world’s largest game creation event that takes place at various physical locations — will happen tomorrow, 20th January, until the 22nd. If you’re wondering how it works, everyone usually gathers on a Friday afternoon to watch a short video with well known game developers giving advice. Soon after, a secret theme is announced: all sites around the world are challenged to make games based on that same theme, in two days (the game has to be completed by Sunday afternoon).
Last year’s GGJ secret theme was Ritual. It’s when Padmini Ray Murray, Joel Johnson and KV Ketan made fun of the completely absurd ways in which women are stopped from entering temples when they’re menstruating through their GGJ game, Darshan Diversion. The game came about after the number of incidents of priests at Indian temples not allowing women to enter unless they followed an absurd list of rules including elaborate dress codes. In Darshan Diversion, it’s woman vs priest — a realistic version of ‘Temple Run’, excuse the pun.
You can find details about Global Game Jam here. You can also download Darshan Diversion here.