Cover art by: Jepsen "PK King" LaGuerre
A game jam in collaboration between Black in Gaming and the Melanated Game Kitchen.
Watch the Jam Kickoff Here:
Creative Theme (Must Use): Collective Power
Theme Ingredients (Optional):
(Ingredients are additional ideas related to the theme to help focus your creativity. )
- Curry Powder - Make a Pikmin-like type of game inspired by Nintendo’s Pikmin series. Take the core idea and do something different.
- All-spice - Use a Non-violent form of power in your game
- Apple Cider Vinegar - Make an experienced with a narrative or gameplay focused around environmental solutions or social impact
- Turmeric - Explore Climate Futures and pull from the Solarpunk genre to create your game’s world.
Consider using Turmeric in your game and also submitting your game to the in-progress, Just Play Jam. A game jam hosted by our friends exploring Climate Futures. The grand prize is a 10k cash prize!
Food Dish: Beef Patty
Inspired by Jamaican patties, there's so many different types of patties based on the filling type of flour used - chicken, veggie, ackee, mushroom, etc. Beef patties are a staple across the diaspora.
Rules & Key Info
What platform can I use? This jam is open to both digital and analog interactive experiences – choose the medium that excites you!
Important!
- All games submitted to the jam are required to be made within the time frame of the jam. We will not accept games made prior.
- All participants must follow our Code of Conduct (see below)
Who Can Participate?
This jam is for creators of all relevant skills and experience levels, regardless of whether you have made interactive experiences before or not. Writing, art, design, music/sound design, programming, playtest expertise, etc. There will be mentors in the discord that can help out when you need.
We highly recommend submitting your in-progress game even if you don't finish over the course of the jam, as you can always submit a more complete version later. And we love to learn more about what everyone worked on! We hope to share everyone's progress, regardless of full game completion, during our closing showcase stream.
How to Participate?
- We highly recommend you join our Discord to find team members, work together, share resources, and discuss the theme! Collaboration is a key part of our culture. Most community conversation for this jam will happen via the MGK Discord
- We encourage you to jam with new people or on a team, but it is not required. We will be providing resources for team forming at the jam kickoff and throughout the jam timeline.
- During the Showcase/Feedback Session, constructive feedback and positive reinforcement will be the focus. Building for the future and collaboration are about lifting everyone up together.
Discord Link: https://discord.gg/cbVpD5mkrd
Code of Conduct
We will not tolerate sexism, racism, or discrimination of any kind. This means, in our community and in the games you create.
Prizes
- $500 Prize Pool
- Feature and interview on Jams and Joysticks game development podcast
- 1 piece of custom original music content by Jabari
Judging
We will have professional developers play the games and select their favorite games for our prizes and prize pool. Winners will be announced through our social media channels and the discord server.
What will the games be judged on? Games will be ranked against the following criteria: Overall Quality, Relation to Theme, Creativity/Design
We will also have participant voting to determine Player's Choice winners.
Players Choice Voting
For one week after the jam ends, people will be able to rate your game against the three criteria: Overall Quality, Relation to Theme, Creativity/Design.
Everyone is eligible to rate games. Games will be available to play on the itch.io page after the jam ends.
Those who submitted or contributed to a game will be able to judge whichever games they like. Others can vote, but it will be random voting.
Jam Schedule
We will be hosting online activities to support jammers in meeting and preparation. This list will update over time.
Pre-Jam
- Sunday, April 14: Theme Discussion 1
- Saturday, April 20: Tech Prep + Theme Review - day to prepare tech tools
During Jam
- Friday, May 3rd: Jam Kickoff Day!
- via YouTube @ 6pm pst - Jam Kickoff, Theme Reveal & Team Forming
- May 6th - May 31st: Mentor Office Hours - Twice a Week (Dates To Be Announced in discord)
- Friday, May 10: Co-Work Session @ 6pm pst
- Saturday, May 13: Co-Work Session @ 11am pst - until
- Friday, May 17: Mid-Jam Mixer and Check-In @ Time TBD
- You’re halfway through the jam! Meet-up with jam participants and check-in on your progress in the mid-jam hangout session.
- Saturday, May 18: Co-Work Session @ 11am pst - until
- Friday, May 24: Co-Work Session @ 6pm pst
- Saturday, May 25: Co-Work Session @ 11am pst - until
- Sunday, June 2: Submissions Due @ 3pm pst
- Sunday, June 2: Showcase Session @ 4pm pst - Location: Youtube (Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3NBasGNihY) with watch parties on both the Black In Gaming nad Melanated Game Kitchen Discord servers
- Showcase games and quick interviews with jam teams.
Want to help out? - Volunteers & Mentors SIGN-UP HERE
Theme Works/Resources
Readings
- Tusslers, Beatdowns, and Brothers: A Sociohistorical Overview of Video Game Arcades and the Street Fighter Community DOI:10.1177/1555412017727687
- Labor Law for the Rank & Filer: Building Solidarity While Staying Clear of the Law
- Ecosystem Map for Social Change - https://dviyer.medium.com/from-chaos-to-ecosystem-a-tool-for-social-change-b3a3b045b501
Videos
- Laurel Community Spotlight: Xanadu Games Grand Opening - March 30, 2018
- Inside the World of Fighting Games | RESET
- God of War | Raising Kratos | "Making Of" Documentary
- FGC: Rise of the Fighting Game Community [FULL MOVIE]
- Transition Cities - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyZHXADwQn4
Works
Recipes
- Beef Patty Recipe - https://www.africanbites.com/jamaican-meat-piejamaican-meat-patty/
- Chicken Patty Recipe - https://www.africanbites.com/jamaican-chicken-patties/
- Ackee & Callaloo Recipe - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sMht4gHBd6QtXJn-Jd4Rk2-uzJM76nnV/view?usp=shari...
General Cultural Works
- https://thewagaduchronicles.com/ - An upcoming Afrofantasy Online RPG & DnD Setting by Twin Drums
- https://motherlandsrpg.com/ - POC focused sci-fi RPG on twitch
- https://www.organizingforpower.org/ - In-Depth site with resources, tools, and readings for anyone that is interested in creation positive social change.
- https://nmaahc.si.edu/learn/talking-about-race/topics - The National Museum of African American History and Culture’s site detailing in-depth learning resources related to the history of race in America and how that affects our society now.
- www.knarrative.com - Web platform for the largest African Studies courses in the world. A great resource for learning history through an Pan-African lens.
Recommended Tools/Engines/Platforms
Here are some common tools/engines:
- Digital
- Unity
- Unreal Engine 5
- Game Maker
- Godot Engine
- RPG Maker
- Twine
- Storyspace
- Bitsy
- Pico-8
- Analog
- Tabletop RPG
- Board Game
Resources
Visit our Game Jam Guide to see find even more tools, resources, and free assets. See a sample below as well.
Game Jam Guide + Resource List
Art
- OpenGameArt (2D + 3D)
- Kenney (2D + 3D)
- Game-Icons (2D)
- Textures.com (Textures)
- Poly.pizza (3D)
- TheBaseMesh (3D)
Audio
- Incompetech - Royalty Free Music (Music)
- Free Music Archive (Music)
- lmms
- Freesound (SFX)
- OpenGameArt (Music + SFX)
- Kenney (Music + SFX)
- Soniss (SFX)
Tools
- BitFontMaker2 (Fonts)
- Photopea (Art)
- Paint.NET(2D Art program)
- Asesprite (Sprite Creator)
- Krita (2D Art Program)
- Blender (3D Art Program)
- sfxr (SFX Generator)
- Chiptone (SFX)
- Tiny Tools (More!)
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