1. This will surprise some, but I spent about 3 weeks creating my game. And that's without brainstorming. I set my scrivener document with tasks of exactly what I needed to do and kept that updated. I didn't work on the game everyday, making sure to take breaks and most doing of the finalizing on the weekends. I wanted to release it much earlier but I forced myself to take my time and make everything just the way I needed it to be. Slow and Steady for the race.
2. I had to learn quite a bit about pamphlets and mock-ups (I'd never used a mock-up before. In fact, I didn't know that what they were called). I also think I learned a bit about cutting things. I left content out of the game, and ironically I think that content would only have given it more dimension.
3. I hate typography SO much, lol. But I had a specific vision in mind for the logo lettering that I couldn't just download my way out of - which forced me to do something that ended up for the better. That's in terms of promotion and marketing, which I also put a lot of work into, and in a way it paid off. I also learned that the pamphlet format comes with it's own pitfalls. It's visually gripping but also LIMITING. Still, I really wanted to try it. So I really challenged myself for this one and the results were good! All we can do is learn from the process and take what we can from it.
4. I spent a bit of time before and after submitting my entry ensuring I commented on as many projects as I could that "spoke to me". And especially if I could say something nice or constructive - if all I had were criticisms or what I had to say felt to critical then I erased what I'd written and moved on. So, I don't want to shout out a game - I want to shout out the other creators at there who took the time to do the same, not just for me, but for other participants as well. You make jams like this such a welcoming and wonderful experience and it was an absolute pleasure to get your responses back. You guys rock!