By submitting, all participants agree to the terms of the CC BY 4.0 Deed

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Facilitator's Handbook

Before the Game Jam

Create a new account on Itch.io

Go to Itch.io (https://itch.io/register) to create a new account for your hub, if you haven’t already. Be sure to edit your profile (https://itch.io/user/settings) with some general info about your hub (icon, name, profile).

Create a new jam on Itch.io

Go to Itch.io (https://itch.io/jams/new) to create a new Game Jam. Fill out the form as follows.

Title

Each game jam should adhere to the following format – with a fixed formula, a progressive number, and the mention of the hub –  in order to be more coherent: 

EPIC-WE Cultural Game Jam #00: Hosted by “Your Hub”

Example: EPIC-WE Cultural Game Jam #01: Hosted by Aarhus Cultural Hub

Upload Cover Image

Upload an image which represents the game jam on the Itch.io platform. Avoid too much text—recommended size: 630x500 pixels.

The image should include these fixed elements: 

• A picture illustrating the theme of the game jam
• EPIC-WE logo
• EU logo with disclaimer

Example:

 

1. Short description

Provide a one-line summary of the game jam and ensure it includes:

• The hub
• The date
• The cultural focus of the event
• The EPIC-WE mention

Example: Aarhus Cultural Hub hosts an EPIC-WE Cultural Game Jam on February 2-3, delving into the intersection of game making and gender equality. 

URL

Choose a simple, yet useful, format for the URL, following the format:

Epic-we-00-yourhub

Example: https://itch.io/jam/epic-we-01-aarhus

The format should be consistent, making it easy for participants to understand and remember. It also includes essential information like the initiative name, event number, and hosting hub, providing context within the URL itself.

Kind of jam

Here, you can choose whether your game jam will have any kind of ranking. We recommend selecting 'Non-ranked' if the games won't undergo any voting process. However, if entries will be subject to voting or ranking, please choose 'Ranked' and provide the necessary information (Who can vote on entries? Is there a rating queue?).

Start date

 When games can be submitted. In your local time. 

End date

Set a deadline for submitting games in your local time. If you have chosen a Ranked game jam, voting will start once the deadline is reached.

Content

The "Content" field is where you can shape the narrative of your jam page. This section constitutes the essential details about your game jam, including cultural topic, event agenda, rules, specific criteria for participants, and any additional information you want to share. It can be edited even after the jam is created, allowing you to adapt and refine the content as needed. 

The page should include these fixed elements:

• A picture illustrating the theme 
• EPIC-WE logo
• EU logo with disclaimer
• A disclaimer “By submitting, all participants agree to the terms of the CC BY 4.0 Deed”
• Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 Deed link or logo

Feel free to add other details and customize the appearance of your page to reflect the unique identity of your game jam. 

Submission details

In this section, you should include the provided submission guidelines. This information will be displayed at the top of the submission dialog box as participants add their games. 

If you have already created a new project and it’s published, you should see it in the dropdown menu below. Select it and complete the recommended fields. Follow your submission checklist and refer to the facilitator if needed.

Fields

The "Fields" section enables you to tailor the submission process by creating custom fields, allowing entrants to provide additional data along with their submissions. It's crucial to maintain consistency in responses; therefore, it's recommended to avoid changing fields during the submission period. Please note that fields cannot be modified once the submission period concludes. 

Below, you will find mandatory fields, but feel free to enhance customization by adding some of your own, if desired. This feature empowers you to collect specific and relevant information from participants while ensuring a streamlined and organized submission process.

- Cultural Value(s) – required Tell us the cultural value(s) you have integrated into the game.

- Contact Info – required Please designate a team member as a representative and provide us with their email contact for any further information we may need.

Here’s how the fields are customized from the backend.

Cultural Value(s)

• Type: Single choice
  • 1, Human dignity, The real basis of fundamental rights,
  • 2, Freedom, Freedom of thought religion assembly expression and information,
  • 3, Democracy, Every adult EU citizen has the right to stand as a candidate and to vote in elections to the European Parliament,
  • 4, Equality, Equal rights for all citizens before the law,
  • 5, Rule of law, Law and justice are upheld by an independent judiciary,
  • 6, Human rights, The right to be free from discrimination,
• Required: No
• Private: No
• Tell us the cultural value(s) you have integrated into the game.

Note 1: If you wish to customize the list, please be aware of the correct “grammar” of the entries (do not use any commas in the description):

• 1.First Entry, First Description,
• 2.Second Entry, Second Description,
• 3.Third Entry, Third Description,

Note 2: Even though the field is required (and teams should be asked to complete it), “Required” must be unselected due to a platform bug. See screenshot below.

Contact Info

• Type: Multi-line string
• Required: Yes
• Private: Yes
• Please designate a team member as a representative and provide us with their email contact for any further information we may need.

Twitter hashtag

After submitting, each team will be prompted to tweet including your suggested hashtags. These are mandatory, but you can also add your own:

#EPICWE #CulturalGameJam

Tags

If the Cultural Game Jam is not listed on Itch.io, nor open to online submissions, this step can be ignored. Tags only play a crucial role in the discoverability of the game jam on the Itch.io database.

Options

Configure the following options to tailor your jam experience:

• Enable community: Activate a message board for your jam, accessible directly from your jam's page. 
• Lock new uploads: Restrict participants from adding new files to their submissions during the rating period. After the jam concludes, uploads are unlocked. 
• Hide results: Keep the results of the jam hidden from the public, even after the rating period ends. Use this feature to manually control when the results are made public.
• Hide submissions before the end: Conceal the submission list from your jam's page until the submission period concludes. Individual submission pages can still be accessed via direct URL or from the project's page. 

Customize these options according to your preferences to create a seamless and controlled experience for your participants.

Visibility

The radio button options control the visibility of your jam on the Itch.io platform. By default, your jam is only visible to you and other administrators until you choose to publish it. When set to "Published," the jam becomes visible to the public, indicating that it is ready for both submissions and ratings as appropriate. 

On the other hand, selecting "Unlisted" ensures that the jam remains off the itch.io jams page, providing a level of privacy and control over its visibility. Choose the option that aligns with your intended level of exposure and engagement for your game jam.

Customize your jam page

After completing the initial setup, click on the "Save Jam" button to secure your Game Jam details. Once saved, you can check your Game Jam page to ensure that the information is accurate and displayed correctly. 

Edit Theme

To personalize the visual experience of your Game Jam page, click on "Edit Theme" at the top of the page. This feature allows you to adjust colours for the background, text, and links. 

Additionally, you can upload a banner image (960x690 pixels) that serves as the focal point at the top of the page, setting the overall tone for your cultural game jam. 

The banner image should include these fixed elements:

• A picture illustrating the theme 
• EPIC-WE logo
• EU logo with disclaimer

Edit Jam

Click on "Edit Jam" to access the comprehensive backend, where you can fine-tune every detail of your Game Jam. Within the backend, you have access to several key sections for thorough management:

• Analytics: Review data and statistics related to participant engagement, submissions, and other relevant metrics.
• Participants: Here you can see all the people who have joined the jam and whether they've submitted anything.
• Submissions: Monitor and manage the submitted entries, ensuring compliance with rules and guidelines.
• Hosts & Judges: You can add other Itch accounts to this jam as Contributors to give them special permissions. Here are the contributor options:
  • Host — Shown on the jam's page as being a host
  • Admin — Allowed to edit the jam and any submissions just like the original creator
  • Judge — Always allowed to vote on entries, even if they didn't submit. You can limit voting to only judges from the jam's edit page.
• Email: You can contact those who have joined your jam by writing an email. You can only send at most one email per day.
• Promo Images: Additional images used for displaying your jam.
• Moderation: User reports for submissions to this jam are displayed here. As a jam host, you can decide how to process each report, including dismissing the entry or ignoring the report.

This comprehensive backend provides you with the tools to efficiently manage and optimize every aspect of your Game Jam on Itch.io.

References

Gain inspiration for your game jam page by exploring how others have creatively customized their spaces, such as the AU Game Play Design Summer School 2021 and the Cultural Heritage Game Jam. 

Teams Checklist

Make a copy of the Teams Checklist and customize it with your information (facilitator’s name, game jam URL on Itch.io, link to personalized instructions for the Game Log), and either print it or have it ready for the teams.

During the Game Jam

Facilitators play a pivotal role in ensuring a smooth and successful game jam experience for all participants. At the start of the jam, your primary responsibility is to guide each team in creating their Itch.io page. Emphasize the importance of initiating this process early, allowing teams to progressively compile and refine their pages throughout the jam rather than relying on last-minute efforts. Be available to address any queries or uncertainties teams may have about the platform, ensuring they feel confident in showcasing their work.

Language

Each hub has the flexibility to decide whether English should be promoted as the preferred language. If a game is not in English, the hub is responsible for translating crucial information present on the Itch.io game page and any in-game text. 

Itch.io Team Profile Account

To streamline participation, each team is required to create an Itch.io account under the team name. Subsequently, navigate to the jam page on Itch.io and click the "Join Jam" button. Following this simple process ensures that the jam is easily accessible for the team at any time. By visiting the link https://itch.io/jams, teams can effortlessly locate the jam under the "Your Jams" section at the top of the page. 

Note: If a team wishes to change their username on Itch.io, they have the flexibility to do so by navigating to "Account settings" > "Profile" > "Change my username / URL". The same option is available for adjusting the Display name. You should encourage teams to promptly choose their names at the beginning of the process, assuring them that these can be modified later if necessary. This flexibility allows teams to focus on their projects initially, with the option to change their Itch.io identity as needed throughout the game jam.

Itch.io Game Page

After the team creates their own Itch.io account, they should 'Create a new project' (https://itch.io/game/new) and publish it. Each team will edit the game page during the game jam. If the page is public, you can check their entries remotely. If some information is missing before the end of each phase of the jam, prompt the team to finalize it correctly.

Before the end of the jam, make sure that each team completes the game page with all the necessary information, as outlined below:

• Title
• Short description or tagline
• Cover image (Recommended: 630x500 pixels)
• Screenshots (at least 1 image, recommended 3-5 images, sketches are also welcome)
• Gameplay video or trailer (Provide a link to YouTube or Vimeo)
• Release status (Set: Prototype)
• Pricing (Set: No payments)
• Description (Highlight your game's key features and goal in a summary – max 3 sentences. Add a list of team members and credits for the game)
• Devlog
• Upload files

Devlog

In the game dashboard, each team has access to a Devlog section. The cultural game jam is structured in 4 phases (Experience, Play, Imagine, Create): for each phase of the jam, the team will be asked to create a Game Log, so make sure they create a Devlog entry and monitor it remotely. Intervene if asked for help or if you don't see the entry as published. 

These are the expected Game Logs, along with their post titles:

• “Game Log 1 – Experience” Visual and/or text documentation of the 'Experience' phase and Ideation Wheel in the game log on Itch.io, based on provided instructions, guiding text, and questions.
• “Game Log 2 – Play” Visual and/or text documentation of the 'Play' phase, including the Expert Council presentation, feedback, and reflections in the game log on Itch.io. This should be based on the instructions, guiding questions, and feedback received during the Expert Council session.
• “Game Log 3 – Imagine” Visual, text, and/or video documentation of the 'Imagine' phase and Playtest in the game log on Itch.io.
• “Game Log 4 – Create” Visual, text, and/or video documentation of the 'Create' phase and the Pitch, showcasing the delivery of the game. This log on itch.io should also include the revision of the full log, providing a comprehensive overview of the team's game jam journey.

Upload

Before the end of the jam, each team must upload a prototype on the Itch.io game page. When the upload is complete, Itch.io asks for the category of each file you are uploading, as follows:

• Executable: This category is for game executables or any files that can be directly run to experience the game. If the team is submitting a digital game, this is mandatory;
• Soundtrack: Music or sound files associated with the game;
• Source code: This category is to share the code of the game. If the team is submitting a digital game, this is highly recommended;
• Book or Document: For any written materials, such as game design documents;
• Video: Gameplay videos or trailers. If the team has already uploaded their video on YouTube or Vimeo as instructed above, this step is not necessary;
• Mod: If the submission is a modification or addon for an existing game;
• Graphical assets: This category should be selected for visual elements like images, sprites, or other graphical resources;
• Audio assets: Similar to graphical assets but for audio files;
• Documentation or Instructions: For any supplementary materials explaining how to play or understand the game. If the team is submitting a tabletop game, this category is mandatory and should include rules, boards/cards, and any printable materials necessary for playing the game;
• Other: Any files that don't fit into the above categories can be placed here.

Once the files have been uploaded, and the game page is compiled, each team should change the visibility of the page to “Public — Anyone can view the page” to ensure it is selectable in the following step of submission.

Submit the Game to the Game Jam

The last and most important step is to submit their game to the jam. On the game jam Itch.io page, the team can click on the “Submit your project” button, select their game (which will appear in a dropdown menu, but only if the game page is published), and proceed with the finalization process, providing the following information:

• Cultural Value(s) – required Tell us the cultural value(s) you have integrated into the game.
• Contact Info – required Please designate a team member as a representative and provide us with their email contact for any further information we may need.

Team Support / Monitoring

Throughout the jam, facilitators must remain accessible to provide ongoing support to teams navigating the Itch.io platform. Encourage open communication and let teams know that you are readily available to assist them with any challenges they encounter.

As the jam progresses, one key responsibility is to monitor the completion of all required fields on each team's itch.io page. Regularly check and verify that essential information, including contact details, is correctly entered. Facilitators should proactively engage with teams to address any missing or incomplete information, ensuring that each submission is comprehensive and meets all requirements by the end of the game jam. By maintaining this level of attentiveness and support, facilitators contribute significantly to the overall success and efficiency of the game jam.

At the conclusion of each phase and before the conclusion of the game jam, ensure that each team's Devlog is checked, and their files are uploaded. Confirm that the game page and the Devlog are published.

EU Values

Human dignity

Human dignity is inviolable. It must be respected, protected and constitutes the real basis of fundamental rights.

Freedom

Freedom of movement gives citizens the right to move and reside freely within the Union. Individual freedoms such as respect for private life, freedom of thought, religion, assembly, expression and information are protected by the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.

Democracy

The functioning of the EU is founded on representative democracy. A European citizen automatically enjoys political rights. Every adult EU citizen has the right to stand as a candidate and to vote in elections to the European Parliament. EU citizens have the right to stand as a candidate and to vote in their country of residence, or in their country of origin.

Equality

Equality is about equal rights for all citizens before the law. The principle of equality between women and men underpins all European policies and is the basis for European integration. It applies in all areas. The principle of equal pay for equal work became part of the Treaty of Rome in 1957.

Rule of law

The EU is based on the rule of law. Everything the EU does is founded on treaties, voluntarily and democratically agreed by its EU countries. Law and justice are upheld by an independent judiciary. The EU countries gave final jurisdiction to the European Court of Justice - its judgments have to be respected by all.

Human rights

Human rights are protected by the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. These cover the right to be free from discrimination on the basis of sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation, the right to the protection of your personal data, and the right to get access to justice.

After the Game Jam

After the end of the game jam, facilitators play a role also in the post-event phase. Their responsibilities extend to reviewing and ensuring the completeness of each submission, they should make sure that all the game submissions are visible on the Cultural Game Jam page on Itch.io.

The facilitators are required to submit a brief report to MEET, including the following details:

• Game Jam URL on Itch.io
• Number of game submissions
• URL for each game submission Ensure that both the game pages and Devlog entries are set to public visibility. 

If the game or game page includes text not in English, the hub should provide a translation within two weeks from the conclusion of the jam. This information is crucial for effective coordination and evaluation.  

Moderation

While we hope that all submissions will align with our guidelines, please be aware that, in extreme cases where a submission is deemed problematic or violates our ethical guidelines, we reserve the right to take necessary actions, including disqualification or removal directly from the game jam dashboard.