_48 Hour Games

Every year, the Nordic Game Jam attracts hundreds of video game developers, designers, sound artists, and enthusiasts. Here the rules are simple, but the task is not: gather your team, receive the theme, and design an awesome video game in only 48 hours. The extreme pace and real passion of the participants makes the event a perfect choice for documentary storytelling, but the creators of 48 Hour Games went a step further, encapsulating the game-driven subject of the story in a video game-inspired interactive format.

The full-length film splits into several branching story arcs, which viewers traverse through a series of unfolding choices: Which character would you like to follow? Will you listen in on someone’s private thoughts, or go back to work on the game? Decisions are crucial. In keeping with the “choose your own adventure” style of storytelling, in 48 Hour Games, there is no going back. The project interface also employs classic game mechanics to drive viewers through the piece: certain film clips are tagged as “Graphics,” “Concept,” “Code,” “Keyhole,” and other special finds amidst the labyrinth of materials, spurring a hunt for treasures viewers can unlock as they watch. Seamlessly integrated into the experience, these extras take the form of additional video, soundtracks, and game sketches that heighten the sense of immersion in the world of the Nordic Game Jam.