To celebrate the beginning of the new abnormal (this is a strokes reference), the theme of Acerola Jam 0 is Aberration.

ab·er·ra·tion

/ˌabəˈrāSH(ə)n/

noun

a departure from what is normal, usual, or expected, typically one that is unwelcome.

A literal interpretation of this theme involves the abnormal outcome of something measurable, such as chromatic aberration (a defective lens causing abnormal refraction), or perhaps an unexpected change in the flow of time, a temporal aberration. The abstract interpretations of this theme are endless of course and I don't think it's possible to take it too far. You could also capture the sinister undertones of this word's definition as a certain piece of media I like describes supernatural beings as aberrations (unwelcome entities you wouldn't expect to exist). This theme is all about defying expectations literally and abstractly, as well as getting really pretentious.

Side note: If your idea is chromatic aberration, you probably aren't going to win unless you're insanely goated.

Acerola Jam 0 is the trial run for Acerola's annual community Game Jam event!

Acerola Jam seeks to put focus on and celebrate the individual. Your skills, strengths and even your weaknesses make you unique, now's your opportunity to strut your stuff and show everyone what you're capable of!

5 winners out of a definitive top 10 will receive $500 each, a trophy and a special discord role. These winners will be judged and chosen live on Acerola's stream. See below for details.

Additionally, the games with the highest community ratings during the voting period will be collected into a poll and voted on by the audience during the judging stream to decide which of the most popular games receives the Community's Choice Award and an additional $500 cash prize.

Who can enter?

- Anyone can enter, regardless of age or location.

- Since this is an American hosted Game Jam, your submission must be in English.

What is the team size limit?

- This jam is all about what you can do, therefore the team size limit is one.

- You may have people play test your game though.

How long will I have?

- The submission period will run for fourteen days to account for the team size limit as well as allow for casual participation by those with busy schedules.

What can I use to make my game?

- You can use whatever method you'd like to create a game as long as it can be built for Windows or the web. This is because I have to be able to play the game. This also means no VR because I do not have a setup.

- You can use whatever tools you have the commercial license for.

- Your game should prioritize single player gameplay.

- Lastly, your game must be made during the jam submission period.

What assets can I use?

- You may use free and open source assets as long as you are legally allowed to use said assets. There is strong preference for what is created during the jam. Working within the bounds of what you can do is a wonderful breeding ground for something truly unique and interesting.

- That being said, ai generated assets are STRICTLY FORBIDDEN. Your game may not contain ai generated art, code (including copilot), music, or anything else that ai can generate by the time this jam starts. AI in this context refers to machine learning, procedural generation is of course okay.

- Lastly, game content must follow Itch and YouTube/Twitch ToS as your game may be shown on stream.

Who will judge the games?

- All games will be played through by a team of 5 judges (including Acerola). A top 10 will be chosen privately and then judged live on stream, with the judges picking 5 of the 10 to be winners.

- Ratings will be public to encourage community participation, and the games with the best community ratings will be polled on stream to decide who receives the Community's Choice award.

What is the judging criteria?

- Games will be judged on 3 separate criteria: Gameplay, Presentation, and Originality.

For any other questions please ask in the community tab or in the Discord server. If you have been banned from the server, you can request an unban in the community tab.

By submitting a game to the jam you give permission for it to be shown on stream or in a video. You will still retain full rights for your game otherwise.