About the Jam
The McGill Game Jam is a student-run hackathon hosted by McGill University — one of Montréal's most prestigious institutions. Teams have exactly 48 hours to design, build, and submit a playable game from scratch around a secret theme announced at the start.
When the theme "Connection" was revealed, Terako got to work immediately. We had a clear vision: a 2D puzzle game where players manipulate literal and metaphorical connections between characters to solve increasingly emotional puzzles.
Game Concept
The game, tentatively called 線 (Sen) — Japanese for "line" or "connection" — placed the player in the role of an invisible thread-weaver. You draw connections between scattered characters on a sparse, atmospheric canvas. Each connection changes behavior, unlocks dialogue, or creates emotional bonds that progress the story.
Mechanically, the game involved:
- Click-and-drag connection drawing between character nodes
- Connection "weight" system — some bonds are strong, others break under stress
- Procedural dialogue triggered by connection patterns
- Minimalist visual style with subtle particle effects on active links
- 5 hand-crafted levels, each escalating in emotional complexity
The 48-Hour Build
We split responsibilities across the team: Riku handled C# scripting and Unity architecture, Mio led visual design and level art in Blender, while Rin prototyped the UX flow and title screen. All three coordinated on narrative writing.
We shipped all 5 levels on time, with a working build submitted with 40 minutes to spare. Post-jam feedback highlighted the emotional resonance of the connection mechanic as the standout element.
The experience crystallized Terako's game design philosophy: mechanics as metaphor. Every system should mean something beyond its rules.