Games provide a sense of self-efficacy that a society needs to develop its ideals and make it a fair and diverse place for all people.
In cooperation with the Cologne Game Lab of the TH Köln University of Applied Sciences the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung e.V. is organizing the "Game Jam for Democracy" from 31 May to 2 June 2024. Participants are invited to develop games with which we can strengthen and promote our democratic community.
Who we are addressing:
What you need to bring:
What we offer:
See here for a program schedule. (subject to change)
We would like to accommodate as many participants as possible. If you have a place to stay, please let us know when you register.
Participants are cordially invited to present their projects at a "Digital Symposium on Serious Gaming in Political Education". (planned)
The official language of the Game Jam is English.
Mona is Lead Game Designer at Paintbucket Games, a Berlin-based indie studio developing political and historical games. She is currently responsible for the realisation of The Darkest Files, which deals with the legal prosecution of Nazi crimes in post-war Germany.
Mona studied at the Film University Babelsberg and the Cologne Game Lab, as part of which she researched video games in Holocaust education. Before joining Paintbucket Games, she was project lead of the "Remembering with Games" initiative of the Stiftung Digitale Spielekultur.
I am one of the founders and the Creative Director of Torpor Games. With a background in visual communication design and a focus on game design and narrative design, I strive to blend my passion for storytelling and politics to create thought-provoking games, such as "Suzerain," which received acclaim, earning the Best Expert Game at the German Computer Game Awards, the 2021 Games for Change People's Choice Award.
Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung
Godesberger Allee 149
53175 Bonn
If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact
digital(at)fes.de
The Game Jam is organized in cooperation with the Cologne Game Lab of the TH Köln.
Registration form
Please use the registration form on this website to register.
Registration confirmation
After your registration you will receive a confirmation.
Program
The current program can be found on the event website. We reserve the right to make changes to the program at short notice.
Documentation and use of the Game Jam projects
The results of the game jam will be documented in writing and audiovisually and made available on this website. If there is a possible further use of projects/prototypes that are created during the game jam, we will explicitly address the participants afterwards. The rights to the games lie with the developers.
Travel costs
Travel costs are not covered by the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung e.V. and are to be borne by the travelers themselves. You can travel to the Game Jam with the Deutsche Bahn event ticket. Further information on the conditions can be found here. We will send you the link for booking after registration.
Overnight stay
We will try to provide overnight accommodation for all participants. When registering please indicate whether you need a place to stay overnight or whether you can offer overnight accommodation.
Technical requirements
You will need your own work equipment with the development environment you require.
Cancellation of participation
If you are unable to attend the Game Jam please send us a written cancellation by e-mail so that we can offer a place to those on the waiting list who are interested.
At a Game Jam, participants design and develop a game in a short space of time. People with different skills and areas of specialisation (including developers, sound designers, graphic designers) work together to develop a prototype, usually on a specific topic. The focus of a Game Jam is on teamwork and experimenting with different game ideas.
Society shapes video games: Games like "Chants of Senaar" (Focus Entertainment | 2023) show us the importance of cohesion, even when we are separated by language barriers. "The Last of Us" (Sony Computer Entertainment | 2013) makes gamers think about what we are willing to sacrifice to save humanity.
However, video games are also changing our society: For example, a bug in the game "World of Warcraft" (Activision Blizzard | 2004) caused the spread of a health condition among the players that has been used as a comparative model for the course of pandemics. Digital playgrounds such as "Minecraft" (Microsoft | 2011) are used to teach programming skills.