GAMERella is the world’s longest-running annual game jam and workshop series focusing on supporting marginalized game creators and aspiring game makers. Our next edition is planned for November 15-16, 2025.

Hundreds of people have made their very first game at GAMERella with the support of our amazing industry mentors, live and video workshops, and a low-stress environment. NOW IT IS YOUR TIME! 

For news and updates, follow us on Instagram!

As always, GAMERella invites women (cis/trans), trans men, non-binary/genderqueer and 2-spirited folks, LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, and any others who feel they haven’t had a chance to make a game, to join GAMERella in a weekend of fun game-making on November 15-16, 2025.

WHERE IS THE JAM?

You can jam from anywhere! Sign up on our Eventbrite and we will invite you to our Discord, where you and your team will be able to watch our keynote, access our mentors, find other teammates, and interact with the community.
Our online support package is available HERE.

In-person location: Concordia University, Montréal
If you have an in-person ticket, you will be sent the exact address.

WHEN IS THE JAM?

November 15-16, 2025

The jam will start Saturday at 10am and wrap up at Sunday 6pm. However, we think sleeping is more important than making games, so we will ask every participant to take a break and have a good sleep at night's sleep!

All participants will be invited to submit their game here on itch.io!

NEED A TEAM?

If you have a team already, you can skip this part! Just show up and jam the jam!

But if you are looking for a new team member or a whole team you can post in our team-search channel on our Discord server.  Unfortunately only in-person participants can participate in our team-making session Saturday morning. 

HOW TO PREPARE?

1 . Sign up! We can't wait to meet you!

2 . Look through our FAQ, list of mentors, and values on our website before starting the jam!

3 . Don't have a team or missing a team-member? Don't worry! Participants can look for team-mates on our Discord server. 

6 . Still unsure about something? Send us a message! We want to know if there is anything else you might need to make this weekend less stressful for you!

THEME

Macaroni art, a hot coffee on a cold morning, an inside joke- this year’s theme is:
i made this for you
As GenAI claims to be the future of the creative industries, this theme emphasizes the human, the “i” who makes things, and the hard work that goes into producing creative works. It also welcomes jammers to embrace the beauty of making something a little rough around the edges! It comes with the territory of making something from scratch, especially for the first time. It doesn’t have to be all hand-knit scarves and cookies out of the oven. Perhaps it is an elaborately crafted trap, or the beginning of a villain arc. We look forward to seeing whatever you make at this year’s GAMERella Jam! 

KEYNOTE

Inspiration, life lessons, context for the theme, and jamming tips will be delivered by this year's amazing keynote speaker:
Meagan Byrne 

Meagan is an Apihtawikosisân (Fed: Métis of Ontario) game designer, interactive digital media artist, writer, and philosopher. Her most recent work is the Indigenous cybernoir detective game Hill Agency: PURITYdecay. Her works explore one of two streams: expression of childhood trauma and Indigenous futurism (specifically Land Back utopianism).

HEALTH & SAFETY FOR IN-PERSON PARTICIPANTS

At GAMERella, we want to continue to exercise caution, approaching public health measures from a place of mutual care and in ways that ensure the well-being of all our participants. Our location is very well ventilated. But we are also amplifying ventilation with a large HEPA air filter. We encourage all participants to wear a surgical or higher-quality mask. KN94 masks and COVID rapid tests will be provided free of charge to all participants. Furthermore, please ensure that you wipe down your workspace after use using the cleaning supplies we have provided.

If you have COVID symptoms leading up to/during the jam, or test positive, please remain/return home and immediately notify the organizers. Thank you!

WE WOULDN'T BE HERE WITHOUT...

GAMERella 2025 is supported by EA Motive Studio and Behaviour Interactive.

Our partners include Milieux Institute for Arts, Culture and Technology, and our host: D3 Innovation Hub.