This jam is now over. It ran from 2019-03-01 23:00:00 to 2019-03-03 23:00:00. View results

GULL JAM SPRING 2019

The SU Indies are hosting Salisbury University's flagship Game Jam for the second year in a row! From 6:00PM on Friday, March 1 to 6:00PM on Sunday, March 3, student participants will have those 48 hours to make either a board game or a video game from start to finish either by themselves or as part of a team. The game will be required to fit a certain theme which will be announced when the jam begins!

BE SURE YOU HAVE SIGNED THE GOOGLE FORM AT THIS LINK!

If you would like to work as part of a team but do not have a team to work with, we will try to provide one for you. Be sure you fill out the Google Form Linked above!

First Game Jam-

This Is Great Advice That Everyone Participating Should Watch (Made For a Different Game Jam)

Here Are Examples of Games That Are Possible in 48 Hours

Theme -

The Curb-Cut Effect

Ever notice how the sidewalk smoothly transitions to a ramp at street corners? That’s a curb-cut. They were originally designed to benefit people in wheelchairs, but, they actually help everyone. Cyclists, skateboarders, delivery people pushing carts, families pushing strollers, and many others benefit from Curb-Cuts. When we design for the benefit of the few, we often find that we have designed at the benefit of the many.

Make a game that’s designed with a possible barrier to enjoyment in mind.

To fit the theme, your game must fit AT LEAST ONE of the following descriptions:

Can be played and enjoyed with only one hand, or no hands.
Can be played and enjoyed with no sound.
Can be played and enjoyed without distinction of color, or without any visual elements at all.
Can be played, enjoyed, and taught with no written or spoken language. (This includes in your game’s description at submission.)

Note: Your game may be playable without fitting any of these descriptions, but it must also be playable and enjoyable while fitting at least one of these descriptions. I.E. If you make a game that is completely playable and enjoyable without sounds, you can include a toggle to turn sounds on if you would like. If you make a game that is playable and enjoyable without distinction of color, you may include colors in your game, so long as they are not required to be able to play and enjoy the game.

Jam Rules -

ALL JAM PARTICIPANTS MUST FILL OUT THE GOOGLE FORM FOUND AT THE LINK ABOVE OR HERE
All submissions, assets, and code must be created/implemented after the Jam begins. We'll expect this rule to run on an honor system.
Any use of licensed materials may be unable to projected at the Fulton Art Gallery. Any royalty free, open source, or otherwise freely available material is perfectly fine so far as all credit is given to the original creators.
Any submissions disparaging others or the work of others will be disqualified, and the participants banned.
All participants will be allowed to vote on submissions to the Jam after it ends.
To be displayed on the art gallery's main projectors and voted on, a game must be minimally playable with a mouse and keyboard.
You may sign up to make a game by yourself or as part of a team of up to 3. If you do not have a team, we will do our best to match you with one.
You can make any kind of game you want, so long as it fits with the theme and can be presented to others. Board games, card games, platformers, racing games, text-based adventures, etc.

Judging Criteria (Borrowed from GMTK Game Jam 2017) -

Submissions will be judged based on five categories, each worth 20% of a total score.

Innovation — "The unexpected. Things in a unique combination, or something so different it’s notable." –Ludum Dare
Theme — How well an entry suits, subverts, or otherwise creatively approaches the theme
Aesthetics — The effectiveness of the visual and/or audible style
Feel — Juice, tight controls, ambiance, or anything else that provides an experience with feeling
Overall — General impressions of the submission as a whole

Some Helpful Do's and Don't's -

DO be sure to get plenty of rest both before and during the event. Take breaks when you need to and get some sleep. DON'T try to work straight through the 48 hours at any cost. This is supposed to be a fun event. DON'T burn yourself out for the remainder of the Jam, or for class on Monday. You'd be amazed how much more efficiently you'll work if you're well rested. And some problems are much easier to solve if you've walked away from them for a bit. DO take care of yourself.
DO feel free to start thinking of ideas or practicing techniques you want to use in the Jam. It doesn't hurt. DON'T start actually making anything until the Jam starts on the 13th. You won't know the theme until then, and it's against the spirit of the Jam anyway.
DON'T be afraid to ask for help, even from other teams. Everyone is trying to work towards the same challenge and learn what they can, and everyone is bringing different experience and ideas to the table. DO be respectful of others' time though as they have their own game to make. And be sure to give them credit where you can.
DON'T try to make Super Player Unknown's Smash League of the Call of the God of Halofield Kart 64: Breath of the Zero Underdawnwatch Wars... Revelations. It would take more than two years to make that game. You have two days. DO keep your game manageable. Everyone would rather play a game that's really good but too short, than a game that's really not but too long.
DO test everything you make early and often. Test to see if it's fun and test to see if it works. If you are doing any programming for the first time, this is especially important. DON'T wait until one hour before your game is due to find out that something that will take hours to fix isn't working.
DON'T spend too much time brainstorming. Settle on an idea that will be feasible to complete in the 48 hours and get to it. You want to make a game, not plan a game. DO record your ideas in a separate document or in a notebook. Anything you don't use this time, you can add to the game after the jam, or add to the sequel, or add to something you make later.