So I've been working on my entry and I was wondering if I reuse the exact same panel (for example in a map screen or for conversations) does it count as one panel or multiple panels?
Hello!
I think it makes sense to apply the same rules we apply to wordcount: unique panels across all playthroughs.
So reusing the exact same panel would only count as one panel, regardless of how many times it appears. (But, on the other hand, if there’s a panel that only appears if one specific set of variables is met, that still counts as a panel!)
Does that make sense?
Sorry, I just saw this question!
I think we are using the term in a way that’s non-standard in the IF scene. We technically accept “sequential art” (i.e. comics) that are interactive for the magazine (nobody has ever submitted one), and I think we mean “panel” to be one section of the story–more or less a page.
Honestly it is kind of a confusing way of doing things and I think going forward we’ll probably talk about some other way to count that kind of thing.
For the purposes of this jam, I wouldn’t worry about “panels” unless your submission is primarily graphical in nature, like a comic with illustrations and words. In that case, each illustration that makes up a “page” of the game would count as a panel.
If anyone is working on a visual novel type format–like something in Ren’Py, for instance, I guess each background scene would count as a panel? But again, re-use of a background scene is fine.
Again, we’re not really interested in policing for edge cases, but just want to nudge people in the direction of minimalism for this jam rather than developing elaborate, lengthy games.
Last year we did get one submission that was interactive sequential art, if you want to get a sense for how someone else interpreted that restriction: https://odris-den.itch.io/fill-the-void