DeconRecon 2 is a game jam in which participants deconstruct the elements of a classic video game and reconstruct it into something new. When the jam begins, participants are presented with a classic retrogame and are given a breakdown of its salient elements. Over the course of the following week they incorporate those elements into a new game - recognizably using those elements, without directly recreating the original game.
Participants can work solo or in teams, but all assets for the jam should be created within the week allotted. Using commercial, public domain, or pre-existing assets is fine as long as you have the rights.
The goal here is not to create a perfect 1:1 clone of the jam’s inspirational game, but to use it as a recognizable starting point and make it your own. You do not have to incorporate ALL of the game’s elements, how how many you’re able to and how well you execute them is a primary ranking criteria.
Rules:
- You have a week to create a game that incorporates the chosen elements of a classic old game without directly recreating that game
- You can work alone, or create a team.
- Make sure your game exists in a form that people can play. A web export is best in terms of getting judges to play it.
- Do not infringe upon others' trademarks and copyrights; make sure your game looks distinct enough. No sprite rips/flips
- Files are *locked* at the end of the submission period. Make sure you've changed anything you need to change, and give yourself a cushion in case you have difficulty uploading your finished game to the site.
Ranking Criteria:
Games will be rated based on how well they incorporate the base game's element, and how creative they are in its application.
- Concept: How well does the game incorporate the jam elements into a cohesive whole?
- Technical: How well was the concept executed? Is it bug free?
- Gameplay: Is the game fun to play? Does it work as ‘a game?’
The Game:
Lunar Lander!
Lunar Lander was a game initially designed on DEC mainframe computers as a turn-based sim in 1969. Later remakes added graphical and real-time elements, culminating in Atari's 1979 vector arcade port, and modern versions are still be produced for mobile devices.
It's a simple game. For our purposes, it's characteristics are:
- The player is trying to land safely on a surface.
- Controls are thrust and orientation
- Landing too fast or on an unsuitable surface destroys you
- You have limited fuel, consumed by thrusting
Remember, the goal here is not to recreate or upmake Lunar Lander. It is to create a new game using the above four elements. For this jam, your game can be graphical or textual, real-time or turn-based.
Good luck!