KUCHING: The Sarawak Game Developer’s Community (SwkGDC) successfully concluded its fourth annual SwkGDC Game Jam, held from August 30 to September 1 at TEGAS Digital Village here.
This year’s event was made possible with the support of TEGAS Digital Village, Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC), Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), and PlayStation Studios Malaysia.
The Game Jam kicked off with a speech by MDEC’s Head of Games/Interactive Media, Amir Azlan, who highlighted the organisation’s ongoing efforts to grow and empower Malaysian game developers, indie creators, and gaming communities across the country.
He revealed that the theme for this year’s Game Jam was ‘Change’, which motivated participants to develop their digital game prototypes within a 48-hour time frame.
“Throughout the event, participants received guidance from a roster of industry mentors from across Malaysia. On the final day, the Game Jam featured a series of presentations and sharing sessions, which were open to the public,” he said.
Twelve teams presented their prototypes to a crowd of spectators, along with a panel of six judges who ranked each game.
The panel of judges included representatives from PlayStation Studios Malaysia, Twilight Foundry Games, Metronornik, Sarawakian developers Nerdook Productions and 7th Beat Games, and the emerging Sarawakian tech hub, Kenyalang Dev.
The winning prototypes and teams were announced as follows: ‘CubeCat’ by Team Zerose, ‘Fracture’ by Team Custom, and ‘Unseen’ by Team MADEVS.
“For four consecutive years, we’ve proudly supported the SwkGDC Game Jam, and it has been remarkable to witness its growth and impact.
“Each year, the programme receives an encouraging number of applications from both university students and passionate game enthusiasts,” said TEGAS’ Chief Executive Officer, Udin Bujang, who shared his enthusiasm for the event.
“What excites us most is seeing the creativity, innovation and dedication that participants bring to the table.”
As part of the prize, the winning teams will showcase their games at Level Up KL 2025, hosted by MDEC, which will take place from October 6 to 8, at the Connexion Conference & Event Centre (CCEC) in Kuala Lumpur.
SDEC will sponsor the teams’ travel and accommodation costs, giving them the opportunity to explore new opportunities and gain invaluable experiences.
Before the event wrapped up, Studio Operations and Development’s Senior Manager at PlayStation Studios Malaysia, Bazil Akmal Bidin, delivered an insightful talk titled ‘Career Guide for The Games Industry’.
All prototypes submitted to the SwkGDC Game Jam can now be played for free at https://itch.io/jam/swkgdc-game-jam-2025.
