Global Game Jam Builds Indonesia’s Sustainable Game Industry

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – Vice Minister of Creative Economy Irene Umar highlighted the strategic role of Global Game Jam (GGJ) as a platform for testing ideas, fostering collaboration patterns, and laying the foundation for the development of Indonesia’s game industry. Speaking at the opening of Global Game Jam 2026 Jakarta held at LYTO Games, Sunday  (1/02/2026), Irene emphasized that the game jam creative process is essential in training developers to go beyond technical and visual aspects, while also considering the sustainability of their creations.

“Never remove passion from a game. But at the same time, developers must learn to read data and understand the market. From there, we can determine the right genre, strengthen storytelling, and adapt our work to remain relevant in the global market,” Irene said, as quoted from an official statement.

Global Game Jam is an annual global-scale event that brings together game developers from diverse backgrounds to create game prototypes within 48 hours, based on a theme announced simultaneously worldwide. In 2026, GGJ in Indonesia was held offline in 14 cities and one online location, totaling 17 jam sites with a target of 1,290 participants. The event was initiated by the Asosiasi Gim Indonesia (AGI) in collaboration with local game developer communities.

In Jakarta, GGJ 2026 took place at two locations with complementary ecosystem characteristics. LYTO Games served as a collaboration hub for game developers, providing workspace facilities and mentorship. Meanwhile, LaSalle College Jakarta offered a creative education environment that opened participation opportunities for students and young talents. This approach expanded access while bringing together diverse skill sets in an intensive creative process.

During the event, Irene also personally tried several games created by participants, including both digital games and board games. She engaged in discussions with developers on creative processes, narrative development, visual quality, and future development opportunities. According to her, the participants’ achievements within a limited timeframe reflect the strong capacity of Indonesian talent to produce works with solid foundations.

The Vice Minister encouraged that projects born from GGJ should not stop at the prototype stage, but continue to be developed into competitive intellectual property (IP). She stressed that the game industry requires a complete ecosystem—not only technical developers, but also roles such as community managers, quality control specialists, and other ecosystem supporters—to ensure sustainable growth.

As a reflection, Global Game Jam 2025 in Indonesia, which was held in 12 cities, successfully produced hundreds of game projects, demonstrating the consistency and enthusiasm of the national game developer community. Through Global Game Jam 2026, the Ministry of Creative Economy continues to strengthen talent development, collaboration, and local game growth to support the creative economy as Indonesia’s new engine of growth.