8 Bits to Infinity presents Easy Jam, a week-long challenge to create an "easy" game which is still engaging and fun.
Thanks to LineartLemur for the awesome logo!
See results below!
8 Bits to Infinity is game development community improving creative and technical skills through rapid iteration and honest critical feedback. Visiting our website for more information and join our community on Discord.
We host a new game jam every month here on itch.io! Our previous jam was was Duality Jam and you can play the entries here.
First-time jammer? Read through or listen to these articles on our website for tips.
Struggle with art and/or music? Check out Joshua's free royalty-free music and OpenGameArt for stuff you can use in your project.
Support the 8 Bits to Infinity community and my (Joshua's) other projects through my Patreon. Perks include extended feedback on any game you make.
Results
Judges Choice
See the full results here, including results by category: https://itch.io/jam/easy-jam/results
- 1st Overall: Interstellar Fishing by waltergk, damian1ilin
- 2nd Overall: DRIFT by steb
- 3rd Overall: Cards - A Mystery Story by returntosender
Developers Choice
A three-way tie for second place! This one was close.
- 1st: Moon Golf by Ben James
- 2nd: King's Adventure by TheBigM
- 2nd: LoveBird by Jessymphony
- 2nd: The Forgotten City by RicardoLuis0
Community Choice
Goodies
Everyone who joins the jam will receive:
- Up to ten minutes of feedback on Joshua's stream following the conclusion of the jam. (A recording will be posted to your game page, so don't worry if you can't catch it live!)
- A zip file with Creative Commons 4.0 BY assets as a "booster" for the jam. Using these is completely optional.
Schedule
| Theme Suggestion Fri 27 Mar 2020 at 1PM ET | Theme Voting Fri 03 Apr 2020 at 1PM ET | Jam Start Fri 10 Apr 2020 at 1PM ET |
| Jam End/Judging Start Fri 17 Apr 2020 at 1PM ET | Joshua Stream Sun 19 Apr 2020 at 1PM ET | Judging End Fri 1 May 2020 at 1PM ET |
Rules
Entries which break rules or have no clear relation to the Requirement will be removed.
- 1-4 members per team, one entry per team.
- Credit everything in your entry, including Creative Commons 0 assets and your own work. This must be accessible from the start of the game (in the title or a credits menu).
- Answer all questions on submission completely and honestly.
- Must work in Windows 10. Web builds are fine.
- Cannot require unusual peripherals (allow keyboard and mouse as a backup).
- Make the game during the jam time frame. This means you can make general-purpose stuff beforehand, like a character controller, project template, menu functionality, AI library, etc.
- You may use any freely available assets including open general-purpose source code but see rule #2 about crediting. Note that using external assets means you can only get up to 4 stars for a given category on judging (such as Music/Sound or Graphics/Animation).
- No NSFW content. This includes sexual content (including language), nudity, or excessive realistic gore/violence.
- All participants must be at least 13 years of age to submit a game.
Requirement
Create an easy game.
What does "easy" mean? It could mean:
- Advancement is essentially guaranteed (Cookie Clicker, AdVenture Capitalist)
- Death doesn't undo any of your advancement (Just Cause 2)
- More focus on narrative advancement than obstacles (Dear Esther, Her Story, Firewatch)
- The player cannot die, but is penalized some other way (Kirby's Epic Yarn)
- Failure is part of the journey (Kerbal Space Program)
- No real "lose" condition (Stardew Valley, SimCity/Cities: Skylines, Euro Truck Simulator)
- The game has an endless loop with no (or minimal) hostility (Harvest Moon, Stardew Valley)
If you have any more examples or interpretations of "easy" then go for it! Join us on Discord to discuss your ideas.
Challenge
Looking for an additional challenge? Join the 8 Bits to Infinity Challenge #002 which adds more limitations to this jam.
Be sure to submit here first. You're given an extra hour to submit to the challenge after the jam is done.
Judging
A panel of judges with differing views rate the games using a standardized interpretation of star values and voting categories. Judges may enter the jam, but are neither rated nor eligible for prizes. For this jam, we will judge on the following criteria:
- Fun/Design: Enjoyment of the game. Are the mechanics interesting? Do I want to play more?
- Technical Implementation: Polish and complexity. Does the game push technical boundaries or have special tech to stand out? Are there few, if any, bugs and typos?
- Music/Sound: Audio presentation. How well does the music/sound fit the game? Max 4 stars if external assets used.
- Graphics/Animation: Visual presentation. How clean/consistent does it look? Are animations fluid? Is there clear understanding of color, contrast, and other visual skills? Max 4 stars if external assets used.
- Theme/Limitation: Implementation of jam theme and limitation. Is the theme prevalent? How unusual is the interpretation? How strictly does the game follow the requirement? Out-of-the-box thinking on the theme (not taking it literally) will score more points.
Prizes
We will recognize three winners: Judges' Choice, Developers Choice, and Community Choice.
- Judges' Choice will be the highest-ranking overall game in the jam.
- Developers' Choice will be a closed vote among everyone who entered the jam.
- Community Choice will be an open vote by the community and anyone else interested in playing the games.
All winners receive the following:
- A choice of two games from a list of several available Steam keys.
- (Optional) Showcase of a commercially released game you choose on Joshua's stream after the voting period. The game must be in his collection, available for free, or gifted.
- Priority feedback from Joshua on an updated version of your game with at least two weeks notice. The game will be streamed to completion (defined at Joshua's discretion).
Each entry qualifies for one prize, regardless of how many categories they win or how many members are on the team.
In addition, winners will be added to the list of 8 Bits to Infinity Jam Winners.
FAQ
What tools/engines can/should I use?
You are welcome to use anything you like, although we recommend using familiar tools for a productive game jam experience. It's best to spend time during the jam creating rather than learning new software.
We also recommend using a proper game engine to save time - something like Unity, Godot, Construct, Game Maker, etc.
Not sure what to use? Check out this in-progress list of free tools for game development.
I'm awful at music/art. How could I ever make a game?
Our jams allow the use of premade assets as long as you credit them appropriately. We insist on crediting everything, even if it's under a Creative Commons Zero or Public Domain license. If you use external assets but don't credit them, your game will be disqualified.
You can find art stuff to use on websites like Open Game Art. The Community Manager for 8 Bits to Infinity also has free, royalty-free music available on his website.
We are working on a centralized resource to help locating free-to-use assets. Look for it soon!
I don't know how to program. Can I still make games?
Absolutely! Many systems require very little programming, such as Construct or Game Maker. The best way to learn is to get your feet wet, and a game jam is a wonderful no-risk way to try out new tech.
Should I build a Windows/Mac/Linux/web/[insert system here] version?
Yes! Build for as many systems as you can so more people can play your game. We recommend finding someone with the target system to test your build long before the jam ends so you can be sure it works.
I didn't finish my game. Should I still submit?
Yes! Game jams are about creating prototypes. A finished game takes years. You can still win the jam with a cool idea, even if the experience is super short.
How can I get more people to play my entry?
Play games from the jam and other games on itch.io, then leave quality feedback. Ask the dev politely to play your game, so they know you're looking for feedback. There's also a new feature on itch.io that shows your entry when you comment on the game's jam page so be sure to do so there.
Can I make a multiplayer game?
Yes, but it's not recommended because it's difficult for most judges (not to mention developers) to test.
Can I make a 2D/2.5D/3D game?
Yep! There are no graphical limitations to this jam.
Can I enter other jams with the same game?
Absolutely, as long as you follow all rules and time limitations for each jam. Note that we lock submissions, so you won't be able to upload new builds during this jam's judging period.
Where can I ask more questions?
Ask in the community for this jam (see link at the top of the page) or on Discord.
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