Last summer, I took on a new challenge in my game development journey by participating in the Brackeys Game Jam 2022.2. And this time, I was joined by my own kids, making it a truly special and unforgettable experience.

The theme of the game jam was “You are not alone,” and we wanted to create a game that would showcase this theme in a unique and interactive way. After brainstorming and discussing different ideas, we settled on creating a tower defense game.

The player would have a moveable character to move around and build the towers. We added a twist to the game by introducing a roaming entity that looked like a shadow. Whenever it collided with the player, we would trigger a full-screen image of a monster with a screaming sound that would play for about a second. This added an element of surprise and tension to the game and reinforced the theme of “You are not alone.”

The development process was intense but also incredibly fulfilling. It was amazing to see my kids’ creativity and problem-solving skills in action. They had a lot of great ideas and were constantly coming up with new ways to improve the game.

Overall, participating in the Brackeys Game Jam 2022.2 was an amazing experience. I’m grateful for the opportunity to team up with my kids and create something that was not only fun to play but also showcased the theme in a unique and creative way. I hope that this experience has inspired my kids to continue pursuing their interests in game development and technology.

This game will run in your browser. You can play it here: https://spacecastle.itch.io/monster-defense
Jam link: https://itch.io/jam/brackeys-8/rate/1677282