Deadlines are without a doubt one of the most popular horrors among creators. Some deal with them better than others, but they're always watching over your shoulder, influencing the way you go about creating.

I, for example, like making games (besides editing videos and films). Releasing a couple of games, shameless plug: Fishy Bouncy on Android/PC, and ThINKER on PC. However, I've only been able to release games that had a certain deadline. When I am not given a deadline for something I tend to either get bored of it or I simply forget about. Building up to a glooming doom of unfinished projects.

Originally I was going to join a game jam, an event in which developers are challenged to make a game within a certain timeframe, with a specific theme and restriction. Unfortunately, I only found this contest during their last few hours. Having missed it didn’t stop me from thinking “What if I was on time? What would I have made?”. With that in mind, I started brainstorming anyway.

I came up with an idea and decided to make a prototype, but here is the challenge: I’ll make a fully functioning game in 12 hours, whereas the actual game jam was 72 hours long. This required me to work fast, with precision and with creative energy enough to make a simple yet exciting game in only 12 hours. The adrenaline was kicking in.

The great thing about creativity on a deadline is that it can result in some of the best work. Don’t be afraid to try new things when given a deadline. You’ll be surprised by what your brain can do when given a tight clock.