Jammin’ Jars Q&A with Push Gaming Art Director

Published: March 1, 2021

“We always look to create something different for our players to enjoy, and that’s not only when it comes to game mechanics, but in our creative concepts too”

Push Gaming is known to be one of the most unique game developers. Now that the company has confirmed the launch Jammin’ Jars 2 in June this year, it is time to revisit the original slot and ask the experts about the effort that went into the development process. After all, Jammin’ Jars turned out to be one of the most popular releases of the last decade!

To tell us about the inspiration behind the game and the creative process, please see the Q&A with the Art Director, Kajal Verma, including some exclusive images of the early concepts.

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Jammin’ Jars has been an exceptional release for Push Gaming. Could you tell us a bit about where the idea for the game came from, and how this came to life through the art?

Kajal Verma (KV): It certainly has! Little did we know that it would turn out to be such a sensational hit when we started working on it, and it’s been immensely rewarding to see how well it’s been received.

When we first started the art process, our initial focus was always on fruits, as we wanted to create something playful. The use of fruits also allowed for a good variety of symbols, and tend to be quite popular with players, particularly after the huge success of popular match mobile games at the time, which were part of our initial inspiration.

This design shows an exploration of different fruits and symbols that we felt would work best for a cluster style game.

As the research process developed further, we started to experiment with jam jars. The different shapes and sizes for these, seemed to naturally complement the variety of colours that we wanted to incorporate throughout the game.

When the creative reached a more advanced stage, we then wanted to challenge ourselves even further, by adding our unique twist on a popular fruit-themed game. Those who are familiar with our titles, will know that we always look to create something different for our players to enjoy, and that’s not only when it comes to game mechanics, but in our creative concepts too.

Further exploration of the traditional looking jam jar with their own fruits, that then evolved to the more modern and multi-coloured jam jar that we have today own.

We were set on giving a modern twist to the game, but one that also created a narrative of fun and excitement. After several iterations, the disco theme came to life, and we couldn’t be happier with it. We think that this really brought an edge to the game, and gave it that funky-fresh feeling that so many players still love till today.

This shows how we kept the juicy fruit theme alive throughout all our design elements. So it is not just about the fruits and jars themselves, but our choice of font design also reflects that juiciness, and the disco ball helps depict that modern theme.

What was the art process like from inception to completion? Was the vision clear from the very start, or did the concept evolve along the way? If so, how?

(KV): We believe it’s extremely important to brainstorm and experiment thoroughly throughout any creative process in order to bring out the very best ideas. This generally means that we start our work with a more open approach, and not with ideas that are immediately set in stone.

That being said, we were set on a cluster game from the beginning as we had seen how well players took on to this. With this in mind, we felt that using fruits as well as jars – along with the variety they bring – seemed to work well and be a natural fit for this style of game.

1st option before rainbow jar, then adapted when the jar was designed.

At the start of our creative experimentation, we actually went down a very different route and tested out pastel-coloured fruits in an orchard setting. So this was definitely a lot more mellow than what we actually ended up with!

The switch over to the high-energy disco theme came about when we were trying to think outside the box and really do something original and innovative as we always strive to do.

The jar symbol is truly iconic. Is there a story to this character and how it was developed to fit with the rest of the game?

(KV): We really love our jar symbol and are really pleased to see how well players have taken on to it.

This shows some of the many creative designs that we had from the beginning. At times, when the details of the game get refined further, some symbols will, in turn, need to also be removed and not make it to the final version.

We had started out by experimenting with various types of jars at once, but then decided to narrow it down to just one jar to be even more impactful. Due to the game narrative, we always envisioned this symbol to be a standout one, so we set out to make it the star of the show by characterising it immediately.

Final jar and fruit symbols.

We wanted to create a high-energy jar that would bring about a positive vibe, and playfulness for players to connect with throughout the game. In order to achieve this, we had to work hand-in-hand with our animators and sound to really bring this feeling across and are thrilled with how this turned out, and how much everyone loves this eye-catching jar.

Final designs of Jammin’ Jars.

Thank you!

 

The original interview was done by Japanese Casino Review.