Welcome to EcoPlay Jam: Where Advocacy + Game Dev Meets Climate Action!
EcoPlay Jam aims to educate, empower and inspire players to explore reimagined futures for a sustainable world. 

🌍 What's EcoPlay Jam All About?

EcoPlay Jam is all about harnessing the potential of game development to educate, empower, and inspire players to envision a future where environmental sustainability takes center stage. Through this game jam, we aim to:

• 🌱 Educate: Dive into the world of climate action and sustainability, exploring themes that highlight the importance of a greener future.
• 🎮 Empower: Use your game development skills to create impactful games that raise awareness, encourage positive change, and inspire players to take action.
• 🌟 Inspire: Challenge the boundaries of your creativity by imagining reimagined worlds where sustainable practices drive our future.

🕹️  Who Are We?

We are Old Hara Studios & Happy Human Games - two independent game studios who have joined forces to develop our own eco-games and encourage others to make their very own eco-game as well!

To follow our development journey and find a like-minded community of folks who love games & our planet,  join our Discord. You can learn more about our projects in development, like our VR game about a little Jindo pup and his beloved owner, who is a revered Haenyo diver. Join them on their journey as they face the consequences of climate change on the island of Jeju in South Korea.

If you're interested - you can even sign up to help us playtest thru our Discord as well!

🎮  What Can You Submit?

We're open to a variety of game submissions that align with our mission of raising awareness and driving climate action. Here are some ideas to get your creative gears turning:

• Green Utopia: Craft a game set in a world where sustainability is integrated into every aspect of life, from energy sources to transportation.
• Climate Quest: Embark on a virtual journey to save a planet in peril, showcasing the power of collective action against climate challenges.
• EcoCity Builder: Design and build a sustainable city that flourishes with renewable resources and eco-friendly infrastructure.

📅 How to Participate:

Sign Up: Register as an individual or form a team. 

Submission: Submit your completed game, along with a brief description of how it aligns with the theme of climate action.

• Our judges will evaluate the submissions and select the top choices. For more on this process, see the Judging Criteria & process section below.
• As a note, you may make submissions in any language, though due to the internal team's limited resources we would rely on machine translation to help us evaluate submissions unless there is English and/or Spanish translations available.

💼 EcoPlay Jam: Judging Criteria

Our judging panel consists of experts in the fields of game development, climate action, and education. They are committed to recognizing and celebrating the submissions that best embody the spirit of EcoPlay Jam and contribute to creating a sustainable and impactful gaming experience.

Our judging process for EcoPlay Jam is designed to recognize and celebrate the most impactful and innovative game submissions that align with our mission of advocating for climate action and a sustainable future.

Each submission will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Theme Alignment 
  • How well does the game align with the themes of climate action, sustainability, and reimagined futures?
  • Does the game effectively convey the importance of environmental awareness and positive change?
• Creativity and Originality 
  • How unique and innovative is the concept of the game?
  • Does the game introduce new ideas, mechanics, or storytelling approaches related to climate action?
• Gameplay and Engagement
  • How engaging and enjoyable is the gameplay experience?
  • Is the game mechanics well-designed, and does it keep players motivated to explore further?
• Aesthetics and Presentation 
  • How visually appealing and immersive is the game's design?
  • Does the game's presentation contribute to its message and overall impact?

🏆 Prizes:

• We will determine 3 winners based on highest overall scores. Each winning team and/or individual will receive kudos and a mystery prize(s) - which is TBA, but is hopefully something you find cool & worthwhile!