This jam is now over. It ran from 2024-04-29 12:30:00 to 2024-05-20 07:30:59. View 28 entries

WELCOME GAME MAKERS, CREATIVES, ARTISTS, AND VISIONARIES!

Welcome to Cinereach's Just Play: A Game Jam for Climate Futures, a game jam event produced by Anima Interactive, and powered by Dreamspace. This global games competition is on a mission to challenge video game developers to explore themes of climate futures in creative ways to open minds and inspire new perspectives.

Finalist prototypes will be celebrated at the Closing Night Party of the Hollywood Climate Summit in the Samuel Goldwyn Theater at the headquarters of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and will be eligible for the opportunity to participate in a Cinereach-run workshop to further develop their prototype. One grand prize winner will receive a $10,000 cash prize. See official rules for details.

GAME JAM TIMELINE

APR 29, 2024 - MAY 19, 2024 - SUBMISSIONS OPEN

MAY 20 - 28, 2024 - JURORS WILL EVALUATE SUBMISSIONS

TBD - FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

JUNE 28, 2024 - CLOSING NIGHT PARTY AT HOLLYWOOD CLIMATE SUMMIT WITH JUST PLAY ACTIVATION

We believe games can be powerful tools to address crucial issues, and we invite you to offer your unique voice! With Just Play, we are excited to bring to the game development community insights that emerged from Cinereach’s research with Good Energy.

Your challenge: produce a compelling game that creatively incorporates principles from our narrative toolkit. We’re looking for impactful games that can potentially inspire thought, conversation and even action. Games can be either in development or completed. Submissions can be varied in technique, subject matter, and approach, but most importantly they must be impossible to ignore.

Please check out our website for the official rules, or read below.

THEME OF JAM

Climate Futures

JAM RULES

The submission window opens Monday, April 29, 2024. Submissions are due no later than 11:59 pm PT on Sunday, May 19, 2024. Please refrain from making games centered around violence, blood, abuse, or topics that can be negatively triggering. In participating in this jam, you commit to creating a functional and polished demo that can serve as a pitch for competing within the prize pool.

LEGAL

Anything you make during or for Just Play is your property. Cinereach and Anima claim no rights or ownership over your game prototype submission. Cinereach will provide a first look to certain finalists to be considered for its workshop programs and potential further development financing (see “what do finalists receive” below).

If you are chosen as a finalist, you agree that your game prototype, with credit to you, will be displayed by Cinereach during the Hollywood Climate Summit currently scheduled for June 24, 2024 - June 28, 2024 in Los Angeles, including but not limited at the Closing Night Party, and grant Cinereach a limited royalty-free license to do so during the Hollywood Climate Summit 2024l and in press releases honoring the finalists, the Just Play website, the Cinereach website and other press and promotional materials in connection with Just Play game jams.

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?

Anyone 18 and older can participate in the jam.

WHAT PLATFORM CAN I USE TO MAKE MY GAME/EXPERIENCE?

We are accepting submissions across multiple platforms (PC/console, mobile, XR).

To qualify for the finalist pool, you must port your game to Android or Windows. You may also choose to port for Mac. We will not accept analogue games, games created in proprietary platforms or games that require an emulator to run.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

For PC/console/mobile prototypes, your Submission must be uploaded to Itch.io by the submission deadline. By submitting, you agree to be bound by Itch.io’s Terms of Service.

You may only submit your own work. By submitting your prototype project, you are representing and warranting that you (and your team, if applicable) have not plagiarized, forged or copied anyone else’s work and that no generative AI was used by you or your team in the creation of your project. Any violation of this representation will be grounds for automatic disqualification, upon the discovery of such violation, and the rescinding of any award or prize.

The assets contained in your Submission must belong to you or be used under an appropriate license, which you agree to provide to the Organizers upon request.

Your Submission must include the name and title of each person on your team.

You may not impersonate another person or submit anything on another person’s behalf without their written permission, which you agree to provide to the Organizers upon request.

You may only submit one Submission to the Jam.

WHAT ASSETS CAN I USE?

Any assets that you have made, purchased, or downloaded with proper licensing are permitted. Assets developed or derived from generative AI technologies are prohibited.

WHO WILL JUDGE THE GAMES?

The judging panel will be comprised of professional game developers, narrative change experts, and other creatives working across various media. Judges will play games and select finalists between May 18th - May 28th.

WHAT WILL THE GAMES BE JUDGED ON?

Judges will be asked to evaluate submissions based on the following criteria: 1) Narrative storytelling, 2) creativity and artfulness, 3) entertainment value, and 4) incorporation of the climate themes and integration of the Cinereach workshop toolkit principles.

WHAT DO FINALISTS RECEIVE?

Your prototypes will be displayed at the Closing Night Party of the Hollywood Climate Summit currently scheduled to take place the evening of June 28, 2024. In addition, Cinereach may potentially offer certain finalists the opportunity to participate in virtual workshops to further develop their prototype some time during fiscal year 2025 (July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025). Workshop participants would be provided an honorarium for their time. Based on alignment with Cinereach’s mission and goals and on the results of those workshops, at Cinereach’s sole election, finalists may potentially be eligible to be considered for further development financing from Cinereach, subject to further terms to be negotiated between the parties in good faith.

WHAT DOES THE GRAND PRIZE WINNER RECEIVE?

Out of the finalist pool, there will be one grand prize winner selected to receive a $10,000 USD cash prize, which will be paid in two installments: $5,000 at the awards’ ceremony and $5,000 during fiscal year 2025 (July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025). If the winner is invited to participate in a Cinereach workshop, the second payment will occur after the completion by the winner of the workshop process.

IS THERE A DISCORD I CAN JOIN?

Yes! Please join the Discord server. A channel for the game jam will be open for you to use on April 29th. You'll be able to talk to other jammers to brainstorm, form teams, and receive feedback or help.

Use #JustPlayGameJam on socials to share your progress!

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?

The game jam is open to anyone 18+. We welcome participants of all kinds and strongly encourage marginalized creators to participate. No previous game development experience is required.

HOW DO I JOIN?

Register by clicking “Join Jam” on our itch.io page. When your game is ready, submit it through this Typeform!

IS THERE A PRIZE?

Out of the finalist pool, there will be one grand prize winner selected to receive a $10,000 USD cash prize, which will be paid in two installments, $5,000 at the awards’ ceremony and $5,000 after the completion by the winner of the workshop process which will occur some time during fiscal year 2025 (July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025).

CAN I SUBMIT AN XR GAME?

Yes. Please follow the instructions on the submissions page.

HOW DO I FIND A TEAM?

Team up with friends/colleagues, or meet new folks in our Discord server! We have a channel called #looking-for-team, where you can connect with other folks looking to make a team. You can use this template: