Organized by the Department of Digital Game Design with the contributions of the İKÜ OTG Club (Game Design and Development Club), Spring Game Jam 2026 was held between April 3–5, bringing together students for three days of creativity, collaboration, and game development.
Throughout the event, participants had the opportunity to develop both digital and tabletop games, showcasing their creativity, technical skills, and teamwork. From idea generation and prototyping to visual design and gameplay development, students experienced the excitement and challenge of producing games within a limited timeframe.
Spring Game Jam 2026 was not only attended by students from the Department of Digital Game Design, but also welcomed participants from other departments, including Computer Engineering and Cartoon and Animation. This interdisciplinary structure created a dynamic production environment where students from different backgrounds could collaborate, exchange ideas, and contribute their unique perspectives to the game development process.
One of the defining aspects of the event was the presence of the jury throughout the jam, not only as evaluators but also as mentors who actively guided students during the development process. Through continuous feedback and support, participants had the opportunity to refine their ideas, strengthen their projects, and gain insight into the iterative and collaborative nature of game design.
The mentoring jury consisted of Head of the Department of Digital Game Design Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zeynep Koçer Göztepe, Dr. Lecturer M. Orhan Göztepe, Lecturer Serra Güzeller, Lecturer Şeyma Nur Tahmaz, Research Assistant Yavuz Erhan, part-time instructor of the Department of Digital Game Design Dr. Tunca Zeki Berkkurt, and departmental industry stakeholder and game artist Kadir Berat Akdemir. Their guidance throughout the event provided students with valuable academic and industry-oriented perspectives.
At the end of the three-day jam, teams presented their completed projects during the final jury session, where they had the opportunity to share the outcomes of their hard work and creative efforts. The games developed during the event stood out with their original concepts, creative mechanics, visual approaches, and gameplay solutions.
In addition to producing games, students also gained valuable experience in teamwork, time management, creative thinking, interdisciplinary collaboration, and project development. Spring Game Jam 2026 provided participants with an inspiring and productive environment in which they could directly experience the realities of the game development process.
The event was also supported by several sponsors, including Terra Pizza, Red Bull, GurmePack, and Goblin, whose contributions helped create an enjoyable and motivating atmosphere for all participants.
Held through the collaboration of the Department of Digital Game Design and the İKÜ OTG Club, Spring Game Jam 2026 offered students a strong sense of community centered around creativity, learning, mentorship, and game production.
