About

This is a non-competitive, unranked, beginner-friendly, virtual game jam. The goal is to create a four-player local-multiplayer game targeting a fantasy console such as PICO-8, TIC-80, or quadplay✜.

Dates

The jam was launched on February 25th 2024, in honor of Black Square Day, because... a square has four sides, I guess? Look, don't get weird on me with the details.

The submission deadline is April 4th, 2024, because a) month-long jams are much easier on folks with jobs/families/social lives/etc., and b) how could I not end a 4-player jam on 4/4?

I hope to arrange a post-deadline showcase stream of all the submissions; details TBD.

Jam Guidelines

• All submissions must target a fantasy console (see below for examples). No pure web games or native executables (though, note that all the suggested fantasy consoles support exporting to one or both of these formats).
• All submissions must be playable by up to four players simultaneously. Support for fewer players (including a single-player mode) is fine -- and much easier to test during development! -- but entries without a working four-player mode will not be accepted.
  • Co-op multiplayer is fine.
  • Competitive multiplayer is fine.
  • Asymmetric multiplayer is fine -- one "main" player plus 1-3 optional "helpers" with a different role.
  • "Hot seat" multiplayer (four players taking turns sharing one set of inputs) is fine.
• No restrictions on genre.
• Remakes/demakes of existing games are allowed, so long as there is a substantial original contribution & all relevant copyright laws are respected.
• Submissions and community interactions should be rated PG-13.
• Solo and team submissions are both fine.
• This is a noncompetitive event.

Fantasy Consoles?

A fantasy console is like an emulator for an imaginary game console that never existed. They mix modern software development techniques (integrated development tools, high-level scripting languages, etc.) with tight artificial technical constraints. The result is an approachable platform for retro-style game development , whose limitations often serve as the inspiration for creative solutions to gamedev problems.

The following popular fantasy consoles all feature four-player support and are suitable for use in this jam. If there are others I'm not aware of, please let me know!

quadplay✜

Quadplay is a free, open-source fantasy console which targets a slightly higher virtual hardware spec than the others on this list; think 2.5D late-stage SNES / early PS1 titles. Games are written in PyxlScript, a custom Python-like language with extension gamedev-focused standard library, using the provided quadplay IDE. Art, map, and music tools are strictly BYO; it imports a variety of image, map, and audio formats created by your favorite tools.

TIC-80

TIC-80 is a self-contained fantasy console + IDE, conceptually similar to PICO-8. It targets a similar virtual hardware spec (with slightly more generous technical constraints), and allows games to be written in a wider variety of languages (Lua, Fennel, JavaScript, Scheme, and more). It uses an extremely similar API/stdlib to PICO-8 with a slightly different set of conveniences; most Lua code for one platform works on the other with only trivial modifications. It's free and open-source; if you're familiar with PICO-8 and are looking for an excuse to try something new in the same vein, I suggest taking TIC-80 for a no-risk spin!

PICO-8

Arguably the most popular fantasy console & the least likely to need an introduction, PICO-8 gives you an entire development environment in 128x128 pixels, including tools for programming in Lua, creating and editing sprites, drawing tile-based maps, and building music and sound effects.

PICO-8 is a closed-source, commercial product; you'll need to pay $15 USD for a license to the development tools.

Game/Genre Ideas

If you're looking for inspiration, here are some great 4-player games to consult:

• Side-scrolling beat-em-ups such as the arcade classics X-Men, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, or The Simpsons.
• Any game created for the NES Four Score or NES Satellite peripherals would likely be of suitable scope for a fantasy console. Some of my favorites include World Cup Soccer, Swords & Serpents, and Super Off Road.
• Co-op dungeon crawlers such as Gauntlet , Zelda Four Swords Adventures, or Rogue Heroes: Ruin of Tasos.
• Competitive brawlers such as Super Smash Bros, TowerFall, or Zelda Four Swords' "Shadow Battle" mode. 
• Chaotic cooperative party games: Overcooked, Moving Out, Very Very Valet, etc.

FAQ

TBD