Create an Adventure Game in Two Weeks!
We've seen adventure games grow and evolve so much since their humble beginnings. Some might argue it's the puzzles, others might say it's retro graphics, or perhaps the storyline - or maybe even a little bit of everything. An adventure game can mean so many different things.
We want to encourage creativity and trying new things, so with that in mind, we want you to make whatever an adventure game means to you. Text adventures, modern 3D environments, point-and-clicks, hybrids, everything inbetween, or something entirely different. We love it all!
It doesn't matter if you were just introduced to the genre, or have been playing these kinds of games since you were a kid. It doesn't matter if you're already a developer and working for a company, or if you've never even thought about making a game before this moment. Whatever your situation, we're inviting you to join us!
Community - Best Practices - Tools & Resources - FAQ - About Us
Rules:
- There are no themes to follow when participating in Adventure Jam. We only ask that you create an adventure game, e.g. point-and-clicks, text parsers, walking simulators, etc. If you’re still unsure about what is considered to be an adventure game, we recommend checking out the definition on Wikipedia for a good idea. That said, we are not purists! If you would like to experiment and try to communicate what an adventure game can be in an unconventional way, we'd love to see it!
- Constructing the game itself is not allowed until the beginning of the jam date. However, you are allowed to assemble your team (if you choose to have one), write your story/dialogue, and make a list of your game's needs and share it with your team.
- You are free to reuse any assets that you have made in the past, or use freeware or commercially available assets. This includes music, sound effects, models, et cetera. We only ask that you do not begin collecting or creating any assets specific to your AdventureJam entry until the jam begins! (If using freeware or commercially available assets, please credit the original creators.)
- Game submissions must be free on itch.io so that all participants can play your game without money being a barrier for entry. Implementing a pay-what-you-want model with a $0 minimum is allowed, but please refer to the Payment & Pay-What-You-Want section under our Best Practices page.
- We do not allow copies of existing games to be uploaded as entries to Adventure Jam. For example, taking King’s Quest I and changing the title and reskinning the game is not enough to make it your game. We will remove any entries that break this rule. We love seeing participants explore new ideas, and we trust you can come up with something great on your own!
- Use content warnings to clearly communicate what players will experience when they play your game. Sensitive content includes - but is not limited to - violence (including cartoon violence), sexual themes, depictions of abuse, depression and suicide.
- You are allowed to update your game post-jam. The addition of content (new writing, art, music, etc.) should be kept in a separate build during the voting period. We ask that you still keep the finished jam version available for play/download and make it clear in the filenames/description that this is the definitive version that should be played for voting purposes! Updates to fix bugs and add accessibility options do not need to be in a separate build, as these improve the experience for the player and ensure that they can play the game from start to finish.
Voting:
Once the jam has ended, all participants are encouraged to play and rate as many entries as possible. Voting will continue for one month.
Voting Categories:
Atmosphere
Whether graphically or through descriptive narration, how memorable was the environment? How much did you feel transported into the game's world?
Characterization
How memorable were the characters? How engrossing was their dialogue? How powerfully did you connect with them?
Mental Engagement
Whether through puzzles, mini games, or perhaps just a mysterious storyline that kept you guessing, how much did this entry engage the gears of your mind?
Emotional Engagement
Did this entry make you laugh? Tear up? Jump out of your seat? Warm your heart? Did it make your skin crawl? Did it give you butterflies? How much did it emotionally effect you, at a gut level?
Inspirational
Did this entry spark something within you? Are you left imagining where the story might go next? Has it fuelled your own creative impulses?
Overall Satisfaction
How much did you enjoy this entry overall? Do you think it is important, recommendable, or just a lot of fun?