Welcome to BULLET HELL JAM!
This is the THIRD annual bullet hell jam - spend 10 days cramming as many bullets as you can into a short game, and get a ton of great feedback at the end. Oh, and did we mention that there's a little prize?
THEME: CONFINED
Prizes/Free Stuff!!!!
For the duration of the jam, Wayfarer Games is making the unity asset BulletFury free to use (usually $25). The top three games in the "Overall" category will get a Unity Asset Store key for it, too. You do not have to use BulletFury, or Unity! The asset is designed around performance, plus you won't have to think about spawning bullets, but it is entirely optional.
The winner in the "Overall" category will get a shiny role on our Discord server, too!
Guidelines
- You should incorporate some aspect of the bullet hell genre, or projectiles, into your game.
- There will be a separate, optional theme, announced when the jam starts.
- You’re allowed to jam by yourself, or in teams, and there isn't a limit on the size of the team (but it'd be pretty hard to manage like 500 people so probably don't invite your entire school into a team)
- Preferably a playable Windows or WebGL build, however supporting other platforms is encouraged, such as macOS and Linux.
- English is required for major text in your game, however supporting other languages is encouraged where possible.
- If your game contains disturbing or otherwise NSFW content you must add appropriate warnings.
Ratings
Ratings will be based on:
- THEME- How well does the game fit the theme? Or maybe it uses the theme in an interesting and unique way.
- VISUALS- Graphics, atmosphere, and overall look or aesthetic of the game. Is it consistent and nice to look at?
- AUDIO- How well the music and sound effects fit in with the overall environment of the game?
- APPROACHABILITY- How easy were you able to get into the game? Was the game intuitive or did it have a good tutorial?
- CREATIVE- How creative was the idea that the game took on? Was it unique? Did the team try something new or take on a different approach to a bullet hell game?
- FUN- How fun was it to play? Did the game have the right amount of challenge? Did you enjoy the experience?
- OVERALL- Your overall score for the game, taking into consideration your general impression of it after all of this ^^.
Q&A
Can I use [x engine]?
Yes! Absolutely, use whatever engine you like. Unity, Godot, Unreal, your own custom engine - everything goes.
Do I have to use BulletFury?
Nope, not at all. I made the asset, it fits the overall aim of the jam, so I thought I'd make it free - that's all 😁
How "bullet hell" does my game have to be?
You'll be fine as long as you loosely incorporate bullets/projectiles or some aspect of bullet hell games into your project.
Can I use premade assets, scripts, or ideas?
Yes! When it comes to assets you can use them as long as they follow these guidelines.
- The asset is general purpose. (Things like character controllers )
- You have the rights to use them.
- Write which assets were made before the jam in your description.
- Credit any assets you don't own in the description.
As for ideas, you are free to plan out your game before the jam starts, and also remember the theme!
Can I submit my old game or start working on my game before the jam starts?
The majority of your game should be made during the jam, premade assets are an exception to this and can be made before the jam starts, following the guidelines stated above.
This is my first time making a bullet hell, where do I start?
You can start with the resources and tutorials listed here.
How much time do we have?
You have 10 days to create your game and submit it to the jam. After that there will be a rating period that will last another week before we announce the results. During the rating period, submissions will be locked - no bugfixes allowed. This is a game jam, it's not supposed to be perfect!
Where can I ask more questions about the jam?
There are 2 main places. You can ask on OUR DISCORD SERVER, or you can go to the community tab right here on itch and ask there! There will be plenty of people willing to help! Lots of people are new to game jams here, and if you are one of them, there are a bunch of experienced jammers who can answer any doubts or questions related to participating in game jams in general.
Previous Entries
This is actually our third bullet hell jam, so we have quite the backlog of awesome games for you to take inspiration from, here's just a few examples:
Want to become a Featured Content Creator?
If you would like to stream during the jam please fill out this form so that you can be listed:
Twitch Streamers:
Youtubers:
Other Creators:
miharbico (2D and 3D Graphics Designer on Behance)
KSousAudio (Instagram Sound Designer)