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The first Game Jam on mental health in Croatia

Applications for the first Game Jam on mental health in Croatia are open until October 1, 2026 at midnight. The two-day event will be held on October 10 and 11 in Zagreb, and will bring together participants from different professions who will explore youth mental health topics through video game development.

Applications for the first Game Jam on mental health in Croatia are open until October 1, 2026 at midnight.

The two-day creative event will be held on October 10 and 11, 2026 at the Croatian National Theatre 2 in Zagreb, and will bring together students and experts in the field of video game development, psychology, speech therapy, social work and other related fields.

Game Jam is organized by the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia, the Croatian Audiovisual Centre, the Academy of Dramatic Art of the University of Zagreb and the Academy of Fine Arts of the University of Zagreb. The aim of the event is to connect knowledge about mental health with the creativity of video games and to encourage interdisciplinary cooperation in the development of prototypes that thematize the mental health of young people.

Over the course of 48 hours, participants will connect into interdisciplinary teams composed of programmers, designers, artists and experts in the field of mental health and youth work. The focus is on topics such as the balance of digital life, reducing screen time and other challenges of the modern digital environment. The specific topic that the teams will work on will be revealed at the beginning of Game Jam.

Previous experience in video game development is not required. In teams, knowledge of psychology and related fields, experience of working with young people, research skills and creative work, as well as programming, design or development of video games, can make an equally important contribution.

Participants can apply independently or as a team, and the organizers will help individuals and teams who lack collaborators to connect them. The number of places is limited, and the selection will take into account motivation, relevant knowledge and experience, and the possibility of creating teams with different skills.

Game Jam is an educational-creative format focused on collaboration and knowledge exchange. During intensive work, participants will have the opportunity to develop an idea from the initial concept to the prototype and get to know the different stages of the creative and production process of video game development.

The three highest quality projects will receive professional and production support for further development, which will enable the continuation of work on projects even after the end of Game Jam.

Key information

Notifications about the selection results will be sent to the e-mail address provided in the application.

Lunch, snacks and a gift package are provided for all participants.