Welcome to the BAKIN Halloween 2024 Game Jam

RPG Developer BAKIN is an RPG making tool, developed by SmileBoom, that makes it easy to create games easily. You can create 3D games with it, making it a very capable game engine. A number of games have already been created by some talented and knowledgeable creators.

Don't forget to join the Official RPG Developer Bakin Discord server too (if you haven't already joined).

Dates

The BAKIN Halloween 2024 Game Jam runs from 16 September, 2024 to 30 October, 2024 at midnight GMT (4pm Pacific/6pm Central/7pm Eastern). The judging period will take place from 1 November, 2024 to 10 November, 2024, and the winner will be announced shortly thereafter, which may be extended depending if there are a lot of submissions.

Introduction

Halloween is just around the corner again! And that means a game jam, hosted by me, Companion Wulf. Traditionally, Halloween is associated with ghosts, monsters, and all things spooky. But there is another side to Halloween: its spiritualistic aspect.

This time of year is often associated with death, where the wall between the physical and spiritual words are thinnest, so it's a great time for remembering and respecting those who have passed away or as a reminder of those closest to you who are no longer with you, or as a time of introspection and reflection.

The theme for this game jam, therefore, is The Afterlife.

The game jam is open to all participants - both new and veteran developers - who have RPG Developer BAKIN. Please read the rules and requirements to submit (below).

Ideas for the Theme

With the theme being "The Afterlife", you are free to interpret this however you wish and choose whatever genre you want. Some examples might be:

• The Cycle of Death and Rebirth: Is death is the end or the beginning of a new cycle? Some cultures believe in reincarnation, so perhaps the hero dies and comes back in a different form.
• Life After Death: What happens after death? There are plenty of interpretations, from Norse mythology (heroes travel to Odin's resplendent halls of Valhalla or the meadows Folkvangr, ruled by the goddess Freja) to movies (Beetlejuice or Ghost). What's your interpretation?
• Losing A Loved One: This could be a personal journey after losing a loved one and dealing with their deaths. Perhaps this could be a psychological thriller going through the stages of grief or not being able to move on after major loss.
• The Rising Dead: Yes, zombies! Perhaps the trope of post-virus zombies appeals to you. Or some evil necromancer raises the dead for whatever dark reason.
• In the Shadows: You could have a horror game exploring the darker emotions and aspects of the psyche or "things" that lurk within the darkness.

Game Jam Rules

There are six rules your submission must follow to participate and submissions must be games only.

1. Games must be created with RPG Developer BAKIN.
   
   ¶ Submissions NOT made using RPG Developer Bakin will be disqualified.

2. Submissions must be original games created for the jam itself and must not be published anywhere else or previously submitted to another game jam.

3. You must either own or have permission to use all of the assets in your game.
   
   ¶ All of the assets that come with BAKIN, official DLCs, and your own customized assets are acceptable. With third party asset packs, make sure you have the permission or license to use them.
   
   Games using any form of copyrighted materials (assets, images, and music or sound) will be disqualified. With music and sound, they must be allowed to play on YouTube (i.e. the tracks won't require additional licenses for sharing on YouTube).

4. Your submission must be free and available to download and play.
   
   ¶ You can submit free demos with the intention of creating a paid game after the game jam.

5. Agree that your game will be showcased on YouTube.
   
   After the game jam is over, I (and possibly others) will upload gameplay on YouTube. Or maybe livestreaming them.

6. Do not use AI to create images or sounds.
   
   ¶ While I am neutral regarding AI generated materials - to a degree - in fairness to those who disagree with it using AI is not allowed.

Judgement & Winners

Judgement will be conducted by a panel of judges. The winner will be decided based on several criteria:

• Game Design measures how well the overall game is designed and thought out, including any system it has in place.
• Narrative and Plot is how well-written the plot is, how engaging its storyline or narrative is, and how interesting the game is.
• Theme Presence is how close to the jam's theme the game is. The topic or genre doesn't really matter as long as its focus is something to do with "life after death" in some form or another.

Who Are the Judges?

The judges so far are:

• Me (Companion Wulf)
• AmalgamAsh
• Ophidian Ren
• Jagonz
• Melon Toucan

To quote Ash's Discord comment "The more judges, the more nuanced the feedback!" We have five judges, which might be enough for that "nuanced feedback". If, however, you'like to judge the submissions for this jam, apply in the Discord's game jam thread channel.

Prizes

This game jam is meant to be just for fun! However, there are prizes!

Sponsored Prizes

• One DLC of the winner's choice (sponsored by SmileBoom)
• $10 Steam gift cards for the top 3 submissions (sponsored by 8pancakes4lunch)
• Ultra Time System OR Flying & Paragliding System Plugins (sponsored by Knifish Games)
• A unique model for all participants, with the winner receiving a gold variation (created by Companion Wulf)

If anyone else would like to sponsor this game jam, it's not necessary, but feel free to message me in Discord and I'll update this section accordingly. There have been some truly amazing games created for other game jams, deserving of their prizes.

FAQs

Can I submit unpublished games?

Yes, although I encourage that new games created for the Halloween 2024 Game Jam are submitted. If a game has not been published anywhere else or submitted to any other game jams, you can submit to the jam.

Do games need to be completed?

No. Games can be demo versions, proof-of-concepts or unfinished. Of course, if you do submit a complete game, kudos to you!

Are non-English games allowed?

Please submit games in English only. (Using translation methods, such as Google Translate or DeepL, is fine as long as the end result is English.)

Are group submissions and collaborations with others allowed?

Yes, and they're encouraged. Each person in the group or collaboration can also submit their own game.

Can I use third-party assets (including graphics, models, music, plugins, etc.) in the game?

Yes, provided that you have permission to use them. Read the terms for each asset, where explicit permissions and license terms of use should be given. CC0, CC-BY or MIT licenses are probably the safest to avoid copyright issues, but if you're not sure ask me in Discord.