Welcome to the second $2,500 Whalepass Game Jam! 

In this game jam, you’ll get to create a game based around a specific theme in just a single weekend! It's a fun challenge where you can showcase your creativity and see how others interpret the same theme!

Why Game Jams are Awesome 

Game jams are a great way to learn new skills, challenge yourself, and most importantly, have fun! Whether you're a seasoned developer or a newcomer, game jams provide a space for creativity, experimentation, and connecting with others who share your passion. Plus, nothing beats the thrill of seeing your creation come to life in such a short time.

Join Our Community

We'd love for you to be part of our community! Join our Discord server here to chat with other participants, share progress, ask questions, and communicate with the organizers. It's also where we'll be sharing important updates during the jam, so make sure to hop in!

Theme

The wait is over! The theme for the $2,500 Whalepass GameJam is:

✨ Retro Revival ✨ Create something inspired by classic arcade or 8-bit games!

It’s time to channel the nostalgia and celebrate the golden era of gaming. Bring your creative twists to timeless styles, mechanics, and aesthetics. Think pixel art, chiptune soundtracks, fast-paced gameplay, and everything that makes retro games unforgettable!

Remember to integrate Whalepass into your game, unlocking new possibilities for features like rewards, assets, and gameplay enhancements. Need help? Check out our Whalepass tutorial for guidance!

We can’t wait to see your incredible creations. Let’s bring the classics back to life with modern creativity!

Let the retro vibes begin! 🚀

👉 Vote here: https://forms.gle/m4ZDAcNZceiyt2fq9

Rules

• You can use any game engine or framework you like.
• Your game must not include any NSFW, offensive, or discriminatory content. We want the games to be fun and enjoyable for everyone!
• You must utilize Whalepass.gg to create a rewarding experience for your players via the API or unity SDK, this integration is required for promoting your game on the Discover.games website. Extra points will be granted for submissions that make excellent use of Whalepass features and capabilities.
• You must utilize the rewards specifically on moonbeam.
• You’re allowed to use assets not made by you, as long as you have the proper licenses and give credit where it’s due. Making everything from scratch is awesome, but not required!
• Teaming up is allowed and encouraged! We recommend teams of up to 4 people for smoother coordination over the weekend.

Important Submission Guidelines:

• Once you’ve submitted your game, do not delete it. Deleting your game will disqualify you.
• Your game must be hosted on itch.io, and linking to external sites for your game files is not allowed.
• This jam will not include a 1-hour grace period for late submissions, so be sure to leave enough time to submit your game. If you find a major game-breaking issue after submission, you can update your game file, but only for critical fixes—not to make additional improvements before the rating period ends.
• Web Build Requirement: The submission must be a web build to ensure it can be integrated within the discover.games ecosystem.

Judging and Results

The judging panel will include esteemed industry professionals, game developers, and indie publishers who will rate and judge the submissions, as well as the community vote that we've introduced specifically for this iteration, results will be released one week after the submission deadline.

Prize Pool

The total prize pool is $2,500, divided as follows:

1st place: ($1,000)

2nd place: ($500)

3rd place: ($300)

4th place: ($200)

Community Vote: ($500)

The top 4 winners will be chosen by the judges, while the community will cast their votes to select a winner for a $500 prize.

• A special section will showcase the finalists of the game jam prominently at the top of the Discover.games homepage, giving their games the spotlight they deserve
• The prize pool will be distributed to the winners via stablecoins or PayPal, based on their preference.
• After a game is selected as a winner, the developer(s) must send their game files to discover.games staff, which includes the web build and all game assets. Only after these assets are received will payments be released to the winners.

What is Whalepass?

Whalepass is a game backend platform that allows developers to add rewards to their games, such as skins, boosters, or any assets they wish. With Whalepass integration, players can use, trade, and own these assets securely, as they are hosted on Moonbeam, and other networks, providing true asset ownership and a more engaging gaming experience. An example of Whalepass integration is showcased in "Where Dreams Take Flight," which won first place in our previous game jam. You can view the game here for inspiration.

We’ve created a comprehensive tutorial to help developers unlock the full potential of Whalepass by crafting and customizing battle passes for their games.

This tutorial covers:

• Configuring Tiers and Rewards: Learn how to set up and manage tiered rewards to keep players engaged.
• Seamless Integration: Step-by-step guidance to incorporate battle pass functionality directly into your game.

👉 Access the Tutorial Here