Continue Your Game 16

In this jam, you'll have to take that one game you started - probably for a different jam - and FINISH IT. Or at least continue working on it for the rest of the month.

Now, this part is very important:

Itch.io has a devlog feature, letting you share your progress with us in form of development logs. In order to get a good rating in this jam, you will have to use this feature so we can see you making progress.

Unlike most games, your submission won't be rated by how good your game is - and, in fact, you don't have to submit anything playable.

You will be rated by the progress you show in your devlogs.

And when it's your turn to rate others' games, you should do the same. That said, this is a pretty light-hearted jam - there aren't even any rewards yet - so don't take things too seriously.

Happy gamedev, and I wish you all the best in completing your projects!

Jam process

Once you join the jam, you will be required to setup an itch.io page for your game if you haven't already, and keep a series of regular devlog posts on it about your progress.

Once the submission period is complete, your entry will be voted based on your overall progress, devlog consistency, devlog clarity, and how much you learned about game development in the process.

Rules

0. If we find out you've been intentionally circumventing the rules or taking advantage of the non-existence of a crucial rule, we will add it and apply it retroactively on you as we see fit. Don't be That Person. (If in doubt, ask in the community tab or Discord.)

If your game is or will become paywalled before the end of the rating process, you are required to provide unpaid access to the jam moderation team in order to ensure rule compliance.
Enjoy the process and don't take the jam too seriously. I mean, the only prize you're getting is a small amount of exposure (and motivation to finish your game).
Treat your fellow gamedevs and game enjoyers with kindness and respect.
Post at least one devlog during the jam. If you don't post any devlogs, your entry will be disqualified.
Your project, page, and thumbnail are not allowed to contain AI-generated assets in any capacity.
The consequences include, but are by no means limited to: disqualification, a permanent ban from this and future jams, as well as the jam discord.
1. In this context, software is not considered an asset. However, you are required to disclose usage of AI-generated software and, if open-sourcing the code, specify which parts are AI generated.
Keep it SFW. (This rule is open for discussion.)
One entry per participant. If you have multiple entries submitted 5 days after the submission period ends. ALL of your entries will be disqualified. Even if you are legitimately continuing work on all entries at once, it is highly unrecommended to split your focus like that. Pick one of your projects and apply with that one only.
Do not submit projects that have been submitted to more than 3 other concurrent jams (this is to avoid spam submissions).
If writing in a language other than English, please provide a translation so we can understand your devlogs. Same goes for community posts on the jam.

Rating guide

Overall progress: How much progress has been made since the start of the jam. You can consider progress made after the submission deadline too, as this jam is supposed to motivate sticking with game projects for as long as needed.

Overall effort: How much effort has been put into said progress (as opposed to e.g. vibecoding the whole thing).

Devlog consistency: Not to be confused with devlog frequency. One large devlog being consistently updated daily is just as good as one devlog per day. Just make sure the participant

Devlog clarity: Do you easily understand what progress has been made? If so, rate it high.

Q&A

Q: Can I submit the same game I submitted in a previous jam?

A: Absolutely! In fact, I'd prefer that over you starting a new game and abandoning the last one. The whole point of this jam is to get more games finished.

Q: What kind of game is eligible?

A: Any! Regular game, visual novel, even physical tabletop game... if you can play it, you can post it.

Q: I don't want to or can't make my game public yet/at all. Can I still participate?

A: Yes! You just need to post devlogs on Itch. You can make a game page without a game (or with a link to another site if you can't upload your game to Itch).

Q: Should I submit my game page now or at the end of the jam?

A: You should submit the page as soon as possible, if nothing else then so you don't forget to do it later.

Q: How often should I post my devlogs?

A: That's up to you - all that matters is that you do post them, and that you try to do so consistently.

Q: do you copy-paste this text for every jam?

A: lmao yeah