Brandon's Biggest Game Jam!

(In-Person and Remote)

This event is possible thanks to the support of New Media Manitoba, and the Assiniboine College.

For in-person jammers, please know we're aiming for a B.Y.O.D (Bring Your Own Devices) event. However, if you need equipment to jam with, let us know in our Discord!

Details:

The theme is... SURVIVE

This game jam will start on August 16th at 5PM CDT, at the Assiniboine College - located at 1430 Victoria Avenue, in the Centre for Creative Media.

The theme of the game jam will be decided via a randomized Game Jam theme generator. Once the theme is decided, it's game on! The theme will be posted to the West Jam Discord, for all to see. Participants can feel free to work on their game jam projects from home, or at the Assiniboine College while it is open.

Friday, August 16th, the event is from 5PM-10PM. After hearing the theme, it's an evening of brainstorming and conceptualizing, and maybe getting a head start on making your game!

Saturday, August 17th, the event is from 10AM-10PM. It's a full day of creators making games to their hearts content - solving problems, playtesting solutions, and being creative. 

Sunday, August 18th, the event is from 10AM-7PM. The jamming finishes up at 6PM, for an hour-long show and tell! Games, finished or in-progress, will be shown at the Assiniboine College and Discord simultaneously, during a live screenshare call.

Submission Rules:

Participants can submit to this jam until the following Monday, July 24th, to make any last changes they'd like! Games are not limited by genre and don't need to meet a certain interactive threshold to be shown off. Other individual creations, such as songs, 3D renderings, or artworks, are also welcome to be shown individually by creators.

We are a'okay with the use of preexisting video game templates and assets, so long as the submitted video game has creative input from its Game Maker. (i.e, you can take a template of Space Invaders, and swap out enemies and sounds to make it your own).

The most common submissions we receive for jams are WebGL projects that can be played in web browsers, or launchable .exe files that can be played on Windows computers.

FAQ:

What is a Game Jam? A game jam can be described as a short period of time dedicated towards making a video game - typically related to a theme. In the case of West Jam Eleven, participants will have just a weekend to make a video game.

Are Games Ranked? No. Participants are encouraged to experiment / learn about game development. In that spirit, submissions are not judged in a ranking system. 

Where is this Game Jam? West Jam Nine will be held at the Assiniboine College, in its Centre for Creative Media space. The campus is located at 1430 Victoria Avenue East. Alternatively, this jam is also held virtually over our Discord. Here's a map to help you out!

If you're new to the campus, here is what the building looks like!

When is this Game Jam? West Jam Eleven takes place from Friday, August 16th at 5PM CDT, to August 18th 7PM CDT, 2024. Games can be submitted until the day after - August 19 at Midnight!

Will Computers Be Available In-Person, Or Do I Bring My Own Rig?  The general rule of thumb for this jam is B.Y.O.D (Bring Your Own Devices). New Media Manitoba has offered to provide resources in the form of mice and laptops to use, making it easier for someone to bring their rig, without the whole setup. The college will also have some resources to use. The venue has plenty of outlets to plug in devices. Attendees can choose to leave their devices at the venue overnight, which will be locked - West Jam and Assiniboine are not responsible for personal devices.

Can I Call Dibs On Equipment to Jam with? For sure, just shoot an email to Dallaswith@gmail.com or let us know in the West Jam Discord, and we'll do our best to arrange equipment for you to use. First come, first serve!

Can I Choose Where I Make My Game? West Jam Eleven participants are welcome to work fluidly between in-person and remote workspaces. Any devices provided by the event / venue must remain at the venue. (i.e, a New Media Manitoba mouse/keyboard, or an Assiniboine desktop, cannot be taken home).

I've Never Made A Game, But Want To Participate. Will Someone Help Me? West Jam Eleven won't be a workshop or class with an instructor guiding people step-by-step - which is what's part of the fun! At West Jam, we welcome Game Makers of any level to participate in our event. In that spirit, newcomers are encouraged to use existing template projects (such as those found with Unity, Game Maker, or Unreal Engine), and/or follow tutorials on YouTube / the Internet, and lead their own project development. We believe anyone can make a great game! 

Can I Participate With A Friend? Absolutely! Collaborations are awesome for Game Jams. The event is open to Game Makers of all ages. Teams can be comprised of both in-person / remote people. We recommend pairs have at least one person to work the Game Engine they use.

Can I Be Assigned To A Game Jam Team? We will do our best to help creatives find teams, but we recommend teams be made prior to the event, given the size of our growing community. 

Can I Present Something That Isn't Really A Game, At The End of the Event? For sure! We welcome those who would like to present digital creations such as sprites, 3D models or renderings, custom sound fx, music, etc., at the end of the event. Given how games consist of many different types of digital creations, we'd be stoked to see what you make!

Can I Eat / Drink Water/Soda At The Event? Yes! The venue will have an open hallway where people can feel free to sit and chow down on their meals. Outside of the main space, there are microwaves for those wanting to heat up their food. There will also be some free food available at the event, but it is recommended that in-person attendees plan on bringing their own food, or taking breaks to dine nearby. We and the venue ask that attendees eat or drink in the hallway space, away from digital devices.