Yeehaw! Get ready to saddle up and dust off those old boots 'cause it's time for a good ol' fashioned code rodeo! 

This year SXSW Sydney is running its first ever Game Jam as part of the 2024 Games Festival. We want to hone in on the creative spirit of game developers and feature the incredible work within the games industry. 

Teams will be provided with a theme to develop their game and asked to develop this over 30 days. Ten projects shortlisted from among the entries will each win two Games Badges to attend SXSW Sydney.

The shortlisted games will be showcased one night during the SXSW Sydney Games Festival which runs 16 October - 20 October 2024.

The SXSW Sydney 2024 CowboyJam will be run remotely between August 1- August 31 2024.

THEME

The theme of SXSW Sydney 2024's CowboyJam should be obvious, but in case you need it spelled out for you, the theme is: 

🤠👉👉 COWBOYS 👈👈🤠

You can interpret this how you like! You could treat it as wild western theming, recontextualise a cowboy to a new setting or even just put a cowboy hat on something. Have fun with the theming and use it to inspire something unique  and left of field. 

CRITERIA & JUDGING

Entries for the 2024 SXSW Sydney Game Jam will be scored on the following criteria:

• Innovation: Is your game mechanically interesting or explore gameplay in an innovative way? 
• Polish: Does your game feel smooth and intuitive? Does it look and sound great? 
• Execution of Theme: Does your game meaningfully or creatively interpret the theme? 

Based on this criteria, shortlisted games will be hand-picked by our fabulous guest judge Siobhan Dent in conjunction with the SXSW Sydney Games Team. 

RULES & ELIGIBILITY

Applicants for the SXSW Sydney 2024 Game Jam must be over the age of 18. Outside of this one restriction, we encourage creators from all backgrounds and skill levels to participate. 

• Your game must be created entirely between August 1st and August 31st.
• Your game must be playable on a Windows PC.
• You are not expected to spend the entire month working on your game, you can start at any time, so long as it is submitted in time.
• Any assets used should be created by your team. If you use any existing asset packs or libraries, please credit them in your project. 
• Use of generative AI to create assets or write code are forbidden.

WHAT IS SXSW SYDNEY?

SXSW Sydney is built on the singular vision of helping creative people share their ideas and achieve their goals. Across seven days annually, SXSW Sydney gathers the world’s most inspired thinkers, creators and innovators for an agenda-setting exploration of the best in Tech and Innovation, Games, Music, Screen and Culture. Industries and audiences converge in a melting pot of new connections and unexpected discoveries across more than 1,000 conference sessions, showcases, screenings, networking events, parties and exhibitions. Learn more here

FAQS

Is there a discord? 

There sure is! Join our unofficial SXSW Sydney discord to chat with other jammers and share WIPs. Be sure to cowboy react the post in either the guidelines or announcements to gain access to the game jam channel. https://discord.gg/GHv8gkndpD

Is there a prize? 

Each shortlisted entry of the Game Jam will win 2 Games Badges to attend SXSW Sydney 2024. The shortlisted games will also be showcased during the festival.

Can I submit a previous project for the Game Jam?

To be eligible for the Game Jam, you must build the entire game from scratch between 1 August and 31 August 2024. 

How many people can I have in a team? 

You can have as many as 5 people in the team for the Game Jam. Please keep in mind that if shortlisted, only two Games Badges will be awarded.  

If shortlisted do I have to attend/showcase? 

If shortlisted, you are not required to attend the festival or manage your game while it is being showcased. You are of course absolutely welcome and encouraged to attend the showcase event (details TBD)

When do the winners get announced?

The winners for the Game Jam will be contacted in mid September via the email provided when submitting your game.