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Press release:
São Paulo, Brazil (May 11, 2021).
GameJam+ (a yearly video game development marathon established to foster and mentor new independent studios and support their entry into the global video game industry) is today very happy and excited to announce the winners of the 2020 edition of the event.

Although there were a multitude of incredible entries from the competitors, only one can walk away with the title of “Game of the Year”. However, in its mission to help nurture and cultivate the amazing talent that participated in the event, GameJam+ has a total of 16 different categories, including “Best Social Impact” and “Best in Diversity”, showcasing the incredible potential of the medium to reach across all channels and impact society.

This year’s big winner came from the State of Amazonas, one of Brazil’s most struggling regions, proving that creativity and innovation — along with passion for game design — doesn’t require a massive budget or AAA studio.

The grand champion of this year’s event was Do Not Disturb, from developers Hollow Harpy, located in Manaus, Amazonas. Do Not Disturb addresses urban and indigenous legends in a setting of tension and mystery. Lara, the main character, travels to an old hotel in search of her friend and finds herself in a completely destroyed environment.

Running away from strange creatures during her adventure, Lara must solve several mysteries at the hotel to save her friend.

Being a truly international event, the 5th edition of GameJam+ featured entries from all over the world. Entries represented 60 cities across 22 countries, 1,100 participants, 800 volunteers, and more than 2,000 hours of lectures, workshops, and individual mentorship. 281 titles made in the first stage alone, with a select 92 making it to the big final.

“It was very cool to see more than 20 countries from across four continents moving within GameJam+ because they believe that all developer communities, regardless of their size, are capable of generating successful games,” said Ian Rochlin, GameJam+ organizer.

GameJam+ 2020 Winners Include:

Game of the Year: Do not Disturb, from Hollow Harpy

Best Gameplay: Tacape, from Really Long Birds

Best Pitch: Feylines, from SadStudents

Best in Diversity: Amazon Cries for Freedom, from lunncreative

Best Social Impact: Have a Good One, from Eva Vital & Isaque Sanches

GameJam+ is also a shining example of what can be accomplished when people work together, as the entire event runs on a shoestring budget of only $5,000 USD.

With some generous sponsors, including Apex-Brasil, Unity, and Clube de Regatas do Flamengo, as well as the dedicated efforts of more than 800 volunteers, GameJam+ is truly living up to its founders’ belief that, “the citizen is the main agent of transformation of his community.” Over seven months, the organizers, sponsors, publishers, and participants worked tirelessly to create games as well as create new partnerships.

The main goal is to connect indie developers with industry stakeholders and transform games into business. GameJam+ brings together indie developers from all over the world for this event, including regions not necessarily famous for game development, and is a huge opportunity for deserving developers.

You can watch Game of the Year Announcement here

Watch the opening of the Grand Final here

Stay connected by following GameJam+ on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter.

About GameJam+
GameJam+ is a game development marathon with a primary goal of fostering the creative economy industry with new games, companies, and engaged communities while uniting the strength and interests of different developer hubs around the world. GameJam+ aims to exhibit the existence of and potential in independent games, further stimulating developers to create and view the concept of video game creation as a business.

Its fifth edition, divided into four stages taking place over seven months, will feature 20 countries, more than 1,000 participants, 281projects — 92 of which will be incubated over 2 months — and 1,000 volunteers. GameJam+ partners with renowned companies such as Sebrae, Nuuvem, Google, Poki, UK consulate, Big Festival, Gazeus, and Unity.

To learn more about GameJam+, please visit the official website: www.gamejamplus.com.