UW-Green Bay: Wisconsin’s largest Global Game Jam hosted by UW-Green Bay in partnership with the Urban Hub

Green Bay, Wis. –  Green Bay is once again a hosting site for the Global Game Jam (GGJ), an annual, international event at which developers and enthusiasts of all skill levels collaborate to make original games over a 48-hour period. After being one of the largest GGJ sites in the state in 2022, organizers have sold out spots for the 2023 event.

The announcement of this year’s theme will take place at the Christie Theatre in the UW-Green Bay Student Union on Monday, January 30, at 5:30 p.m. Starting with guest speakers from the likes of Roar Studios Inc. and Lost Boys Interactive, participants will then have the week to brainstorm their game ideas before the Jam officially begins. Beginning on Friday, February 3, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. CST, participants across the globe will work on digital and tabletop games based on a theme. Local participants will work from the Urban Hub.

Organizing his fifth GGJ site, Roar Studios Gameplay Engineer Dr. Ben Geisler brings veteran game developer experience and creative edge to each event. “I work with a team of game developers of all disciplines: art, programming, audio, design, writing,” he states. “So much of what we do is captured in these game jams.” 

This year, the Global Game Jam is once again being sponsored and held at the Urban Hub, a coworking and programming space for creative entrepreneurs. Urban Hub’s Community Manager Lamarr Banks is thrilled to be a part of this year’s Global Game Jam and highlights the impact it has on the Greater Green Bay community. “The Urban Hub supports the Chamber’s overarching goals by bringing people together in the community to share ideas. Global Game Jam does the same with a focus on game development. New friendships and opportunities within the community are the byproducts of brainstorming new ideas. Both, The Urban Hub and Global Game Jam have the same goals.”

Another sponsor of this year’s Global Game Jam is UW-Green Bay’s Center for Games and Interactive Media (CGIM). Co-directors and UW-Green Bay Professors Chris Williams, Juli Case, and Bryan Carr are thrilled to be sponsoring a gaming event focused on collaboration and creative expression. CGIM prides themselves on their initiatives for community involvement with games and interactable, creative endeavors in which the Global Game Jam promotes and encourages each year. 

“I can’t speak enough for how crucial it is to attend game jams,” says Geisler. “It’s here that we learn how to work with people outside our comfort zone and how to bring our unique skills to the table. The fact we have this opportunity in little Green Bay is amazing.”

To speak with one of the GGJ Green Bay site organizers, please contact Ben Geisler at bgeisler@roarstudios.com or Kristopher Purzycki at purzyckk@uwgb.edu.