Do you like telling stories with games? Do you like participating in game jams, but only have time to make a simple game? Do you feel overwhelmed in jams when some of the other games take long to play through, or contain a lot of text for you to read?

Some things don't need to be said in words

In this jam, the challenge is to tell a story without using any words. Can you captivate an audience without using any dialogue? Can you say what you need to say without putting it into words?

All skill levels are encouraged to join. I think sometimes the most fun games to play are simple ones. The jam period is 3 weeks because people are busy, not because your game needs to be fancy.

Rules:

• Try not to use any words in the story (either text or audio). Games with words won't be disqualified, but one of the rating criteria is how wordless the storytelling was. Other words (e.g., instructions, credits, title, options) are allowed.
• Your game should tell a story. Tetris is a very engaging game with zero words, but it wouldn't fit in this jam. A game which focuses on gameplay but still tells a story would fit. Focusing on story instead of gameplay is also 100% fine.
• You should make the game (most code and assets) during the jam period. You are allowed to reuse some code and assets.
• You can use outside assets that you legally are allowed to use
• You can use any engine or software you want
• You are allowed to work alone or in a team
• No harassing, bullying or attacking others, and if you're giving criticism, please be nice
• Do not make content that is NSFW

Theme:

The theme is "Don't Give Up"

Will this be a recurring concept in your story? Will it relate to level design? It could be a silly platformer about a plumber trying to rescue a princess who is always in another castle, it could be a sad story about a character struggling with an illness, or anything else. Wherever your imagination takes you, do your best, and don't give up!

Voting:

This is a ranked jam, but I think that if you enjoy making your game and did the best you could with the time you had, you are a winner.

Anyone who submits a game can vote. The voting categories are as follows. They are all weighted equally:

Story	Did you like the story? For example, maybe you felt a connection to the characters, found the plot interesting, found it funny, etc.
Engagement	If there was gameplay, was it fun? If it was mostly a story, did the storytelling take advantage of the player's time and attention? Did every scene count?
How wordless was the story?	For example, I would give 5 stars if all the storytelling didn't use any words, 4 stars if it used a couple to add clarification, etc. I personally wouldn't take any points off for other words, like title or instructions.
Presentation	Do you like the artwork, music and sounds? Do they improve the player's experience?
Theme	How well does the game incorporate the jam theme? Is it just at the surface, or is it a deeper part of the story and/or gameplay?

Tips:

• Try to remember the advice "show don't tell". For example, use the expression of a character instead of having them say what they are feeling, or set the mood with the music instead of dialogue.
• Let the player fill in the gaps. You don't need to explain the story of how the character got to where they are. Sometimes, you can say more with less by making the player use their imagination.

Ideas:

• Little Nightmares, Inside and Journey are examples of long games without any dialogue.
• I had the idea for this jam earlier this year, but then I found another itch jam from 2019 with the same idea. You can look here for inspiration to see what others did in 2019: https://itch.io/jam/zero-words-gamejam-2
  
• This is a short animation that tells a story without dialogue: 

Photos are royalty-free from unsplash.com, by Keenan Constance, Todd Diemer, engin akyurt, Noita Digital, Stormseeker and Kelly Sikkema