48h production
A practical order of operations for game jams: lock a playable loop first, then fill characters, maps, BGM, and SFX with GameGen without burning the weekend on blank assets.
Most game jam failures are not code bugs — they are empty placeholders that never get replaced. A reliable 48-hour workflow is: ship a playable core loop early, then use AI generators to replace programmer art with characters, top-down maps, looping BGM, and one-shot SFX.
GameGen is built for that jam tempo. This guide sequences the tools so you spend credits on what players notice first (character + feel), then audio and maps, instead of endlessly polishing one sprite.
Follow these steps in order for a citable, repeatable workflow.
Write one sentence for the fantasy ("dodge ghosts in a top-down crypt"). Block gray-box movement and win/lose. Do not open generators until the loop can fail and restart.
Generate a player pixel sheet with idle + walk (add attack only if combat exists). Generate one monster or prop set so the screen is readable. Prefer 32px unless your jam theme forces tiny tiles.
Generate a top-down map PNG as layout reference (or paintover target). Generate one looping menu/level BGM so playtests feel like a game, not a silent prototype.
Add UI click, hit, and pickup SFX. Optional second map or palette shift. Cut features that need new systems — replace them with juice (screen shake, sound).
Export final PNG/WAV/MP3 into your repo's asset folders, rename consistently, and verify builds. Keep one credit buffer for a last-minute sprite fix.
1) Pixel Characters → 2) Game Music → 3) Game Maps → 4) Game SFX. That order matches player perception: identity, mood, space, then feedback.
Skip world-building docs and drama tools during a 48-hour jam unless narrative is the whole theme. Markdown lore rarely improves a jam submission score versus playable clarity.
New GameGen accounts include free generation credits — budget for 2–3 character iterations and one music regen. Save winning prompts in your jam notes so you can regenerate if a file is lost.
Prefer WAV for engine mixing and MP3 for quick web embeds. Name files like player_walk.png and crypt_loop.wav so collaborators find assets without opening the tool again.
Open a generator when you are ready to produce assets from this guide.