Welcome to the first ever IGOTW Game Jam! Indie Game Of The Week is a humble award given to amazing small indie games & developers! We write articles and showcases about the incredible games we discover and interview the superb studios behind them. We firmly believe that game jams present an opportunity for true innovation, competition and creation, so we decided to run our own on our 1 year anniversary!

UPDATE: THE JAM WILL NOW LAST 16 DAYS IN TOTAL, THE SUBMISSION PERIOD HAS BEEN INCREASED TO 9 DAYS WITH A FOLLOWING 7 DAYS FOR VOTING, RATING AND FEEDBACK.

The game jam consists of 2 sections: The Competition and the Voting Period. The actual game jam lasts 9 days. In this time, teams and individuals will have to create a game from scratch using a game engine of their choice or none at all.  The game jam will have a predominant theme that should influence what teams make, however we heavily encourage a generous interpretation of the theme, and the most creative and innovative games are often the most successful.

Games must be submitted before the Submission period ends. Once the games have been submitted, there will then be a voting period during which the games can be rated and reviewed. This is arguably the most important part of the game jam as it offers critical and constructive feedback on what you've submitted and celebrates the amazing work you've put into your project. The final placements will be dictated by the votes themselves, however Indie Game Of The Week will also select their favourites from the bunch!

Games will be rated under the following categories:

• Overall
• Innovation
• Charm
• Aesthetic
• Sound
• Story
• Theme

Note: We'll still be keeping an eye out for the most creative and independent submissions, even if they don't receive many ratings.

To follow along with the Game Jam, our favourite submissions, and more:

Join the Discord server!

Check out our Twitter!

Stop by IndieGameOfTheWeek.com!

• All materials, assets, sprites and other components used in the game jam must be your own and created within the 49 hour Jam period. No templates, frameworks or pre-made games.

Note:  Asset packs and other additional components sourced externally (i.e. the Unity Asset Store or GitHub) must be declared on the game's page and in the credits. Always double check the license! We really encourage you to be inventive and try and make as much of your own game as you can.

• Games must be be distributed in an executable format (or playable in browser). We recommend building for web as it allows for easy universal access to what you've made.
• Be inventive. What you submit should be original and a unique take on the theme, rather than a re-hash of an existing game.
• Maximum team size: 4 contributors. Everyone involved must be credited appropriately.
• No false marketing. Advertising, screenshots and descriptions must adequately describe and display what you've created. 
• Rate & review honestly and kindly. Do your best to provide constructive and helpful feedback. No hateful or abusive speech comments.

❝ Can I use pre-existing code? ❞

Yes, to an extent. Games made for the Jam are allowed to use pre-existing code such as libraries and function. We also highly encourage the usage of online resources such as stack overflow or other relevant forums. We would ask that no code is made in advance specifically for the game jam. The vast majority of code for a submission must be written during the submission period.

Note: Please do always use your own best judgement as appropriate and embrace the spirit of the challenge. Great games aren't made by searching for loopholes! (Ethan insert joke here: I think knot)

❝ How do I submit my game? ❞

1. Upload your project to itch.io just as you would with any other game. Add an appropriate title and description but also make sure to upload some screenshots and a trailer to help with visibility. We highly recommend uploading a web version!
2. When pricing the game, make sure that it is set to free or an optional payment.
3. After polishing up the game's page, come back here to submit your game! Select the existing game and fill out the questions. 
4. You're good to go! When the submission period is over, you won't be able to change the game until voting ends. Make sure to leave time for it. 

If you need any help or more information, join the Discord server!

Anything made and submitted during the IGOTW Jam is your property. Indie Game Of The Week (IGOTW) claims no rights or ownership of your game.

IGOTW will use screenshots, videos and quotes from all content associated with the Game Jam. This includes comments & reviews. (This is so that we can write an article on the game jam once it is over). Your content may feature in an article or video without your express permission.