Hehe! Alright, let's get this over with....Day 1

It was the 21st of September, 2024, five days into the game jam. The theme had been announced, teams were assembled, everyone was excited, and work was well underway. But there I was, completely stumped, unsure what to build for this jam. Meanwhile, my semester exams were nearing completion, but I still had school projects and assignments piling up. The pressure of balancing it all—between school and the game jam—was weighing heavily on me. 

To my left sat a friend of mine. We had just finished preparing for an afternoon exam, and he decided to unwind by playing the popular match-3 game, Candy Crush. He quickly got swept up in the thrill of it, and as I watched him play, a thought sparked in my mind. Could I make a match-3 game for the jam? But then, doubt crept in—how on earth could I tie a match-3 game to the jam’s theme, 'Roots'? It seemed like an impossible connection to make. So, like many fleeting ideas, I tossed it aside in search of what I thought were 'better' options. Lost in thought, I boarded the bus that would take me from school back home, after the exam. As I sat there, a conversation between a few passengers caught my attention. They were discussing how ancient Igbo warriors were feared, not just for their skills in battle, but for the intensity of the masks they wore. One person said, 'The sight of those masks alone was enough to make a culprit confess to things he’d done—and even things he hadn’t. That’s how terrifying they were.' Their words painted a vivid picture in my mind of the power these masks held, not just as physical objects but as symbols of strength and fear.

Now, I wanted to create a game that incorporated African masks in some meaningful way. Could I make an action-packed RPG? I wondered. Maybe the player could go on various quests, vanquishing enemies along the way, with the masks playing a vital role in the game’s lore. The idea excited me—an immersive journey filled with mystery and power. But then reality set in. With limited time to deliver on this project, and knowing I was the only developer on my team, it was clear this would be an ambitious and risky task. The game jam was already well underway, and I had to be realistic.

What should I do? I asked myself. And then it clicked—what if I made a match-3 game? But instead of swiping candies or gems, the player would swipe masks. The idea seemed simple yet creative enough to fit within the jam's theme and timeframe. Knowing this, I said to myself, 'You realize this means no more sleep during the course of this jam—at least not until the core gameplay is completed and you have a functional prototype.' Determined, I went home and shared my idea with my teammate. We immediately began brainstorming, searching for inspiration and ways to bring the concept to life. I focused on the game’s logic and backend development, while my teammate took charge of the UI/UX design, aiming to make the game visually compelling and charming.

But as we dove deeper into the project, I began to sense that things weren’t going to be as smooth as I had hoped. Unexpected challenges started to emerge, and soon enough, the situation took an unexpected turn. Not only did I find myself taking on the task of creating the UI with a different teammate, but I also had to let go of my original one. It felt like everything was spiraling out of control, and suddenly, the pressure wasn’t just about finishing the game—it was about surviving the twists and turns that I hadn't seen coming. Little did I know, the real test of the jam was only just beginning.