Welcome to Table Realms Jam #1!

We want to see the best games you can make that use the Table Realms platform. For that reason, we’re applying some fairly relaxed rules to the jam to encourage participation and the highest level of polish you can muster in the span of 72 hours. That means: keep it simple, and set your scope appropriately!

Jam rules

• This is a physical-space jam, which means all team members are required to be at The Nexus, Randburg, for at least the first day of the jam.
• You are free to work as a team or individually. Should you wish to join a team during the jam, we suggest you start mingling as soon as you arrive.
• You may use any tools or libraries, including code and art assets, for your game, provided you have the legal right to do so. You must provide attribution for any content that you use which you did not create yourself.
• You own the rights to your submitted game, and are not required to submit source code.

Jam submission requirements

• The game must be multiplayer. Everything beyond that is up to your interpretation. Want to make a 1v1 asymmetrical competitive co-op game? Go for it. Infinitely scalable PvP arcade shooter? No problem. Perpetual PvE server with drop-in/out support? Brilliant!
• The game must use Table Realms for player interaction – no keyboard, mouse, or touch screen support on the host device must be required for players to participate. The host device should function as the primary viewport, and should display all of the relevant gameplay that each player needs to participate. We call this Console Mode. 
• You are permitted to show specific information/interactions on individual player devices, such as the first player to connect being able to choose game mode/map/etc. You can take this even further and choose to show select information to certain players, e.g.: Werewolf/Mafia/etc. 
• You must submit your game on the official itch.io Jam page by 9am South African Time on Tuesday 6th August. You are free to submit a web-based or downloadable game.

Judging criteria

The submitted games will be judged by an internal team from Celestial Games, Nexus, and/or Red Oxygen. There are two main categories in which games will be judged and prizes awarded:

• Most innovative use of Table Realms (R8,000): Does your game do something cool with Table Realms? Is it inventive? Does your game do something that you wouldn’t be able to do without Table Realms?
• Best overall game (R8,000): Is your game fun? Does it leave a lasting impression with players? Does it have beautiful art, audio, or narrative elements?

Judges will use their discretion to determine which criteria should be applied when judging the submissions. For example, if a game has no story, and has no need for a story, we won’t hammer it on lacking one. The same could be said for audio and art, but be aware that any of these factors may influence how enjoyable a game is. 

Bear in mind that, although we permit the use of third-party assets and libraries, we will inevitably be impressed by games that use assets created by the participants during the jam.

Judging will take place from the 6th to the 20th of August, at which point we will announce the winners and contact them directly.

Small updates and bug-fixes are permitted after the submission date, but you must stipulate if you have done so.

Important bits

• The jam starts at 9am at the Nexus, so aim to be there a bit before to set up and get comfortable. The theme will be announced at the start of the jam!
• You must bring your own equipment, including PC, monitor, peripherals, and anything else you require. Chairs, tables, and networking equipment will be provided.
• Very important notes about equipment: 
• At present, the Table Realms IDE (the software you use to build your Table Realms controllers) only runs on Windows PCs. 
• At present, the Table Realms app only runs on Android devices.
• If you don’t have an Android device for use during the jam, please let us know in advance and we’ll try to accommodate you.
• Sleeping at the venue is permitted on Saturday evening - we’ve set aside a quiet space for you to nod off should you require.
• The venue closes at 5pm on Sunday.
• Snacks and beverages will be provided for you throughout the jam. Cat’s Pyjamas will be open during their normal trading hours to serve meals and drinks at your own expense, and you’re free to bring or order your own food/etc.
• Security will be provided, but we ask each participant to ensure the security of their own belongings.
• There will be an outside area for smokers. No smoking or vaping is permitted while inside the building.
• While you retain the rights to all content you create and submit, we may capture photographs/screenshots/video for promotional purposes. By participating in the jam, you agree to allow us to use your likeness and jam entry in any marketing material for Table Realms.