Introduction

Hology Arcjam is a game design event in which you have 2 weeks to modify and publish your version of a given game template written in Hology Engine and Arcweave. 

Hology provides this predeveloped template. To create your game, you must modify the template's narrative elements using Arcweave to:

• add and modify characters
• write dialogue between them
• create the game's logic using variables and conditions
• create interactions and write responses (like when examining an item).

To play and test your game, you load your story data into the template and—eventually—submit your game as a playable link.

If you wish, you can also use Hology Engine to modify the template's mechanics and expand it by adding functionalities (such as VFX, animations, your own 3D assets, materials, and redesign of the map), with no-code features or TypeScript in the engine.

Prizes for the winners include subscriptions to Arcweave Pro and Hology Engine, as well as Amazon gift cards.

To participate in the jam, you do not need paid subscriptions in Arcweave or Hology Engine.

Modding your game

1. Register your team using this form, filling in their names, project roles, and the email addresses they prefer to use for their Arcweave accounts. This is so we can invite all of you to the jam's dedicated Arcweave workspace.
2. Check your emails (all members of your team) and accept our invitation to the jam's project on Arcweave.
3. Once in your Arcweave project, go to Project Settings > Properties > Project Hash > Click to copy.
4. Run the jam's game template on your browser.
5. At the end of the template's url, add: ?project=PROJECT_HASH#/game, replacing PROJECT_HASHwith your project's hash you copied from Project Settings in Arcweave. 
6. Your game's url will eventually be in the form of https://arcweavegamejam.hology.app/?project=PROJECT_HASH#/game
7. Modify your Arcweave project and whenever you want to see these changes in the game build, refresh the Hology template tab of your browser.

Using Hology & Arcweave

Hology community & tutorials

To participate in the jam, you do not need to alter the template in Hology Engine. If you wish to expand your modding though, you are free to do so by altering assets and environment in Hology Engine:

1. Install Node.js (version 20 or later)
2. Download and install Hology Engine.
3. Open the code editor of your choice install TypeScript
4. Using Git, clone the sample project template (Which will be provided when the game jam starts)
5. Start Hology Engine and open the cloned project in the Hology launcher.

For guidance on how to use Hology Engine, watch the Hology Fundamentals videos on YouTube and read the Docs. Don't worry, we have plenty of no-code tools to help you modify your 3D environment. 

Join our community and ask us questions on level design features and programming, we will answer you here at Hology Engine Discord!

Arcweave community & tutorials

For guidance on how to design games in Arcweave, watch the Basic Tutorial Series on YouTube and read the Docs. If you have questions or feel like contributing to the community, the Arcweave Discord server is the right place!

Submission rules

Collaboration or solo

Hology Arcjam participants can work alone or in teams. Remember, Arcweave offers real-time collaboration, so find the right partners and go for it!

Language

All submissions must be written in English.

Story & audiovisual assets rights clearance

Whether you're using original or someone else's artwork (audio, images, 3D models, etc., including AI-generated material), you have the responsibility to clear rights and permissions for it including crediting appropriately. 

The same applies to your story: if it is based on somebody else's work, you must get their permission to use it for your game and credit them clearly.

Hology, Arcweave, and the jam's organizers hold no liability for any participant using unauthorized material.

Abusive content

Games and comments promoting hate speech and all forms of discrimination (racism, sexism, ableism, ageism, homophobia, transphobia, etc.) against groups or individuals will not be tolerated by the jam's organizers or the itch.io platform. The same applies to bullying of any kind and inflammatory comments (i.e. trolling).

Sensitive content

If your game has sensitive content or/and is not suitable to be played by minors, please make this explicitly clear. Specify the game's age restrictions both in its description on its itch page and its Metadata fields. (See below, under "Submitting your game.")

Submission instructions

1. Register your game on itch.io

To submit your game to Hology Arcjam, first make a page for it on itch.io:

1. Log in on itch.io (or register, if you don't have an account already).

2. On your [Dashboard], choose “Create new project.”

3. Under the [Edit game] tab, fill in the game's info (title, genre, etc), with particular attention to the following:

1. choose "$0 or donate" for [Pricing]. Players must be able to access the jam's submissions for free.
2. under [Details]>[Description], write your game's info and a catchy blurb.
3. in the same Description field, add your game's Hology Engine URL using clear anchor text like "Play it on your browser."
4. if your game has age restrictions, add a detailed warning in the same [Description] field.
5. on [Visibility & access], make sure you save the project as Public.
6. give your game an iconic, killer cover and press [Upload Cover Image].

4. Some fields are irrelevant to the jam, like [Kind of project], [Uploads], and [Release status], so choose whatever suits you. You won’t be uploading files anyway, since a Hology Engine game runs from its own url and not from its itch.io webpage.

5. Under the [Metadata] tab, under [Audience & Content], please specify any age restrictions that your game may have. If your game is not suitable for children of any age, please tick both boxes AND add a detailed warning in the previous section's [Description].

6. Once you submit your game, you'll see more tabs at the top of its page. Under the [More] tab, choose [Admins] and add the itch profiles of your collaborators in the game. They also need an itch account, if they are to vote separately in the jam.

You are now ready to submit your game to the jam.

2. Submit your game to the jam

To do so:

1. On this page, click Join jam and Submit your project.
2. Under [Existing game], choose your game from the dropdown menu.
3. Submit!

Good luck!

After the Jam

Voting

Every participant and their team members will be able to vote for other people's submissions. Voting will open on the jam's closing date and time and it will rank games according to the following criteria:

• Concept: How innovative and original is your game's core idea? Does it offer something fresh or a unique twist on established genres?
• Narrative & Lore: The depth and impact of your game's story, world, and characters. How well do these elements integrate with and enhance the overall experience?
• Dialogue Writing: The quality, authenticity, and emotional impact of your written dialogue. Do conversations feel natural and purposeful within the context of your game?
• Gameplay: The core mechanics and player experience. Is your gameplay engaging, well-balanced, and satisfying? Does it offer meaningful choices or challenges that keep players invested?
• Music & Sound Design: How effectively does your audio design enhance the atmosphere and player immersion? Are sound effects and music thoughtfully implemented to complement gameplay moments?
• Visual Aesthetics & Hology Engine Extras (ranked by the Hology Engine  & Arcweave Teams): Creative and original visual elements implemented through the Hology Engine. Do your visual choices strengthen the game's identity and improve the overall experience? (Can be VFX, extra 3D assets, or materials/textures added, or even creating a new 3D environment in Hology Engine).

Prizes

In addition to the excitement of participating in a game jam, winners will receive the following prizes. First winner gets to choose first, etc.:

• 1 x 1-year subscription for an ARCWEAVE PRO WORKSPACE (up to 3 members) (valued at $540)
• 1 x 1-year subscription for an INDIVIDUAL HOLOGY LICENCE (up to 4 licenses) (valued at $240) 
• 1 x SPECIAL HOLOGY PRIZE: $50 Amazon gift card for the team "that makes the most creative adjustments to the game using Hology Engine." This is independent of the jam's criteria and not a result of the participants' votes.
• 1 x $50 Amazon gift card from Arcweave
• More to be announced!

After the announcement of the winners, each of them must contact the organizers to claim a prize from the pool. If a winner doesn't respond within 3 days of the jam's results, the prize will be transferred to the next highest-rated game. Please note that this only transfers the prize and not the winning position itself; in other words, even if a winner fails to claim a prize, their game is still listed as one of the winning ones.

Hology Arcjam's Hall of Fame

The teams at Hology and Arcweave will also play and review the jam's submissions (but not vote on them, like the participants), selecting standout games to be featured on the Arcweave Showcase and Hology Engine's website, with links to your website, socials, and portfolio. 

The links to all jam entries will always be available to players on the jam's Results page.

FAQs

I don't know how to use Arcweave. How can I join the jam?

Arcweave is super easy to learn. Create a free account and start creating right away. You can even collaborate with someone more experienced with it and, when you feel like trying more complicated things (like if/else conditions), our tutorials are here to support you. Plus, we would be delighted to see you in Arcweave's Discord community, where no question is left unanswered.

I don't know how to use Hology Engine. How can I join Hology Arcjam?

Hology Arcjam does not require you to use Hology Engine; the jam's game template is created in Hology and you can modify it using Arcweave. However, if you want to run the extra mile of modifying the template's 3D environment and code, adding 3D assets, or adding VFX to qualify for the bonus prize category, we are here to help! Hology Engine will be happy to help all experience levels in Hology Engine Discord Community, where we can assist you with VFX, shaders, programming, and more! 

How many people can I collaborate with?

There is a team limit of 8 people max. Be clear with the credits—it's nice to see who does what in a project. Also, all of them should have an itch.io account and join the jam, so they can vote for the games afterward. You may also participate as a solo developer/designer.

So, what are you waiting for? Join the jam now, to stay up to date with news and notifications. Visit Arcweave's Discord channel, to join users' and devs' discussions about everything Arcweave.