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8 Bits to Infinity presents MASHUP JAM, a week-long game jamming challenge (May 2 - 9, 2019) to create a prototype combining mechanics from two classic card, arcade, or board games.

What is 8 Bits to Infinity? A community of game developers, creatives, streamers, and gamers dedicated to refining creative skills through honest criticism and rapid iteration. We host a game jam every month! Check out past jams here.

Join us on Discord to form teams, discuss the jam, and generally have a good time. :)

Looking for a team? That's another thing you can do on Discord, or see the Crowdforge page. 

Rules

Failure to abide by these rules, or submitting a game with no clear relation to the jam premise (see Requirement below), will result in your game being removed from the jam. Please be extra sure that you are crediting external assets correctly.

1. You may enter one game (or unfinished prototype!) which is original work for this jam. Don't work on the game before the jam starts, except for general-purpose code.
2. For judging, the game must work on a normal monitor in Windows (no VR or unusual peripherals required - although you can implement them as an alternative). Web builds are fine. Remember to create additional builds (Mac, Linux) if you can, so more people can enjoy your game.
3. All non-code assets (game design, art, fonts, audio, narrative, etc.) must be made during the jam, or freely available and credited in-game.
4. Code from before the jam may be used if it's (a) from any freely available source (similar to rule #3) or (b) from your own stash of code, provided it's general purpose and not made specifically for the jam.
5. You must include attribution for all assets either on the jam page or (preferably) in the game so that it is accessible without completing the game. For instance, you can have the credits on the title screen, when the game starts, or in a "Credits" page accessed via the title menu.
6. You may work solo or in a team, but the maximum team size is 4.
7. You must answer all submission questions completely.
8. No NSFW content. This includes sexual content (including language), nudity, or excessive realistic gore/violence.

Requirement

Choose two of the classic arcade/board/card games from the following list and create a mashup! You can pull as many or as few elements from each of the two games you select, but make sure they are recognizable as part of the game.

CARD

• Blackjack
• Crazy Eights / Uno
• Poker (any version)

ARCADE

• Pac-Man
• Frogger
• Pinball

BOARD

• Battleship
• Chess
• Monopoly

Want a quick overview of the mechanics for these games? Check out this super helpful summary/analysis by stephenkairos/Teban100.

Keep in mind you should avoid using copyrighted or trademarked names and characters (Pac-Man, Frogger, Monopoly, etc.) but go ahead and steal liberally from game mechanics.

Have a question about this requirement? Check the FAQ, then ask on Discord or in the Community. We're glad to help.

Easter Egg

The Easter Egg is an optional "challenge" to hide a specific thing in your game, enticing players to explore every corner of the experience. This won't affect your rating directly, but the joy of finding a common secret may bump up the fun factor.

Protip: Don't say where you hid it on your game page, and don't spoil other people's Easter Eggs!

The challenge for Mashup Jam is: Hide a mushroom or mushrooms in your game.

FAQ

About the Requirement

Can I make a card/board game?
Yes, but you have to present it in a digital form (as a video game).

Can I mash up more than two games from the list?
Absolutely! But be sure your influences remain clear, as that's a major piece of the Requirement score.

Can I pick two games from the same category (Card, Arcade, Board)?
Yes! Pick any two (or more).

Other Questions

I'm awful at music. How can I still have cool background audio in my game? 
Get free royalty-free tunes from Joshua here or from various other websites such as OpenGameArt (where you can also find Joshua's stuff). Simply google "free to use music" or "free royalty-free music" and you're sure to find something.

What about other assets, tools, and engines? 
See this list of game dev / audio / art tools for things you can use.

Should I build a Windows/Mac/Linux/web/[insert system here] version? 
The more builds you have, the more people will be able to access your game. Some people also prefer web versions (because running software can be spoopy) while others prefer a download (such as Joshua, who likes to keep the games archived and often struggles with web versions).

If you're using something like Unity, export versions for all systems! Most of the time, they'll work fine without any testing.

I didn't finish. Should I still submit? 
Yes! A solid prototype could still win the jam, and it's worth showcasing your work to get feedback.

How can I get more people to play my game? 
Play the other submitted games and leave quality feedback. Be sure to politely ask the dev to play your game, so they know you want feedback.

Can I make a multiplayer game?
Yes, but include AI opponents to be safe. Judges may not be able to play with others during the judging period, and if the game cannot be judged appropriately, we may have to disqualify it.

Can I make a 2D/2.5D/3D [insert genre here] game? Can I use [insert engine/tool here]? 
Yes!

Can I enter other jams with the same game?
Absolutely, as long as you follow all of the rules and time limitations for each jam. Note that we lock submissions, so you won't be able to upload new files after you submit to this jam.

Where can I ask more questions? 
Ask away in the community or on Discord.

Judging

Games will be rated by a panel of judges with differing views but a shared interpretation of star values and voting categories. Judge entries and disqualified submissions will not be rated. Judging will be on the following criteria:

• Requirement: How well the two (or more) source games are represented.
• Fun: Enjoyment of the game. Are the mechanics interesting? Do I want to play more?
• Innovation: How cleverly are the game concepts mashed together? Are there interesting original concepts?
• Technical: Complexity of implementation. Does the game push technical boundaries? Does it scream "wow, this was done under jam constraints?" Does it have special tech that makes it stand out?
•  Audio: Auditory presentation. How well does the music/sound fit the game? Maximum 4 stars if external assets are used.
• Graphics: Visual presentation. How clean/consistent does it look? How fluid are the animations? Is there a clever use of color, contrast, and other visual skills? Maximum 4 stars if external assets are used.

Streams

These awesome people are streaming games from the jam to provide feedback. Follow them on Twitch to get notified when they go live, and be sure to check out the VODs (recordings) if you miss the streams!

• Joshua: Starting May 13 (however many days are required) at 12 noon ET
• YourBr0ther: Wednesday, May 15 at 7pm ET

Prizes

We will produce a video for the 8 Bits to Infinity YouTube channel featuring the top three games from the jam.

In addition, the winning team (if they so desire) may choose a game for Joshua to showcase on his stream after the voting period. He will play the game for at least four hours. The game must be commercially released and either in his collection, available for free, or gifted by the team.

Twitter Prize

A "Tweeter of the Jam" will be selected from Twitter. To win, share the jam and your experience using the #8bitstoinfinity hashtag.

The winner's Twitter handle will be displayed on Joshua's stream until the next jam begins, with a link to their Twitter placed among the chatbot's random messages.