...So you've made a game jam game before. Great! But what's the next step?

Get ready to ship it with the B.O.A.T. Jam!

How does the B.O.A.T. Jam help with that? And what's with those periods, anyway? Is it some ham-fisted attempt at an acronym? 

You bet your dinghy it is!

B.O.A.T. stands for:

Better 

Optimization

And

Testing 

After all, making games is an iterative process. Why not practice that oft-overlooked skill? B.O.A.T. Jam is taking another 48 hours to improve a game you've previously made. Those improvements can be to art, code, or clearing up design. It could be to take the chance to add those sound FX and music that you ran out of time for with your last jam. It could also be about raising awareness on social media to get more people testing and providing feedback on your game.

* * *

"A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor" - Franklin D. Roosevelt

Making games is difficult for sure. But often the best practice is to fix and review what isn't working.  Whatever you do to improve your existing game during the jam, you win!