Welcome to the first official NT Game Jam competition!  

Calling all NT Game Designers, we challenge you to make a game based around a theme in just three weeks.
After submission, your game gets voted on by the judges but course you get to play and comment on all the other games too!

Don't worry if this is your first jam, or if you are only starting out on your game developers journey - give it a go and see what happens! No one is expecting a polished product, and it's all about stretching yourself! Best bit is, at the end of the competition you will have learnt a lot, made some friends and have finished a game! 

Because this event is sponsored by TWO amazing game organisations there are plenty of places to go if you need help or just want to chat out ideas! 
The NT Game Designer's Discord server or Next Tier's Discord server, they both have a space to chat about this game jam! Both are great places for any notifications about the jam and to meet other participants and make more friends! After the jam starts you can also share your progress in the game jam channel!

Lastly, you may notice this jam is actually happening at the same time as the famous Brackey's Game Jam... This is by design! We want you have TWO jams you could submit your finished games to for MOAR LEARNING AND NETWORKING!! The difference is we have given you slightly more time to build out your game for the NT Game Jam.
You're welcome. 

This event is proudly sponsored by Larrikin Interactive and Next Tier Gaming and Esports.

Make sure you've signed up here before you go any further! 

The theme reveal is here!

 The battle of the tropics, Wet Season vs Dry Season!

Think of the theme as inspiration... You can interpret it in any way you want! Game mechanic, art, sound, feel... 

There are only two rules.
The first is that your game must not include any NSFW and offensive/discriminatory content. We want all the games to be playable by everyone!
The second is that to be in the running for the prizes, you must be currently based in the Northern Territory.  But if you still want to join and don't care about the prizes, that's totally fine! We welcome you!

Apart from those 2 rules, you are allowed to use any game engine or framework, you can also use assets not made by you, but make sure you have the proper license to use them and crediting is of course encouraged! Making everything from scratch is not mandatory, but if you do you get to be extra proud of yourself at the end!

Teaming up is allowed, and encouraged! Our recommendation is that you stick with 4 people maximum, otherwise you'll have a hard time coordinating.

There are 3 prizes: Best Overall Game, Most Innovative Game and Dinky-Di Design. 

The categories are broad, on purpose! It means no matter what you make, from a narrative game in Twine to a top down shooter in Unity - there is room to shine. The only category that is unique is the Dinky-Di Design. This category specifically rewards those who expertly weave elements of the Northern Territory into their game. 

Generally speaking, the judges will be looking at the following:

• Innovation - Have you done something new or different? A classic mechanic in a different way or perhaps a new art style... 
• Game Play - How does a game feel to play? Hard to quantify and yet, immediately noticeable...
• NT Representation - Have you told an NT story, cameoed our flora and fauna or recreated a recognisable landmark...

After the submission period is over, judges will have 2 weeks to rate the games. During this time you should be playing the others' games, chatting in Discord and generally feeling pretty damn good about yourself. Remember that in a Game Jam, winning is not the goal! Participation and improving is!

The following prizes will be awarded:

• Best overall game - $300 Visa Debit Gift Card
• Most innovative game - $300 Visa Debit Gift Card
• Dinky-di design winner - (an award for games that cleverly reflect the Northern Territory) - $300 Visa Debit Gift Card
• Plus 5x $20 ($100) Joyce Mayne Darwin gift cards awarded to participants of the finals event.