UPDATE: JAM COMPLETED!

https://makecode.com/_RH3g69egrLEM

We're thrilled to present the final product of the five second game jam! We've combined all the submissions into one file below, which can be played at the link above, or downloaded onto hardware. It's a fairly large file, but will work on the Meowbit and Pygamer devices. Thank you all for your participation, and stay in touch via our Twitter, Discord or forums to hear news about any future Arcade activities!

WELCOME

Welcome to the first-ever MakeCode Arcade game jam! This is a week-long game jam with MakeCode Arcade, a game engine for retro pixel-art games that run in the browser or on dedicated low-cost handhelds. Check out some existing Arcade games below:

        Darker Duck                                                  Planet Putt Putt                                               Space Destroyer    

FIVE SECOND GAMES

In the spirit of WarioWare, Inc., you'll design a micro-game that can be played in 5 seconds! Afterwards, we'll combine these individual minigames into one game file so your creations can be played back-to-back. There are no restrictions on theme or game mechanics, as long as the game ends in five seconds.

CODE TOGETHER

MakeCode Arcade brings programming to life for students of all ages. Create fun projects, get immediate feedback, and code using either drag-and-drop blocks or text programming!

This game jam is designed to be an easy introduction to making games, even for folks without prior programming experience! We highly encourage parents and educators to work with interested students to bring their five-second games to life. 

GUIDELINES

• Your game must be exactly five seconds long. Please use our provided game template with the timer code baked in. 
• The inputs will be restricted to the directional (up, down, left, right) and A/B buttons. 
• No full screen images. We're going to be combining these games into one large file, so we're keeping a close eye on space. 
• Keep the games PG-13: no NSFW, offensive, or excessively violent content.

Use the template above (save image)
or
import this URL: https://makecode.com/_XbwgehfFC1YM

TIPS & TRICKS

• When designing, keep in mind that Arcade is restricted to a 160x120 16-color screen, and a 4 channel synthesizer for sound. 
• See these instructions for importing images and color palettes into Arcade. 
• Consider displaying one-word or one-sentence instructions at the start of the game, to help players get going.  
• Use randomization to make each playthrough different and compelling! 
• Check out the developer documentation for additional help with developing in Arcade.
• Add the "Share" URL to the description of your game submission to make it easy for others to play.

A quick getting-started guide for making a five second game in MakeCode Arcade!

COME HANG OUT

Join our official Discord community or forums to chat with other participants as well as the MakeCode team. Tweet screenshots, process, and gameplay GIFs, with the hashtag #ArcadeJam so we can showcase your work!

THANKS!

Thanks to the PICOWARE Jam for inspiration, and Philippe Moesch for the Sabo font!