Hello all, this is #FFSjam and everyone is welcome! The rules are explained on the main jam page, but here a list of Frequently Asked Questions. If your question isn't covered then please ask below.
Why did you decide to host this jam?
We find game jams are one of the only things that gets us motivated to actually finish something, and we had a few protoypes and half-started games that had been hanging around for years. We wanted to submit them to a game jam, but we don't like breaking the rules - most jams require you to come up with something new based on a theme, so submitting our existing ideas never seemed right. After a few years of looking round for a jam like this, in the end we gave up and decided to just start it oursevles
When is the deadline for the jam?
23:59 GMT on the 31st January. There should be a countdown clock on the main jam page. This was originally Midnight on the 31st, but I realised that I'm an idiot and can't tell the time, so I have corrected it.
Is it OK if my game is mostly finished?
Yes that's absolutely fine, one of the purposes of this jam is to help get you over the line on a long running project
Does that mean I can't start a new game for the jam?
Not at all, the other purpose of this jam is to help you finish a game if you've never managed it. It's no problem if you want to start a new project or redo an old one from scratch
Can I just finish an Alpha or prototype?
Yes, the final product can be whatever you want it to be. If you find it helpful to use the jam to create a prototype then that still counts as finishing something!
Does my project have to be a game?
No, you can submit anything you want, such as a tool, screensaver or interactive art piece.
Can I continue working on my game after the deadline?
Yes absolutely, feel free to use this jam as a starting point for something even better
Can I used royalty free or creative commons assets?
Yes you can, as long as you have the right to use something then that's fine. Just be sure to credit the original creator if they have requested it. There are a lot of Google results for free assets, but some good places to start might be FreeSound.org and OpenGameArt.org
Do I own all rights to my game or project?
Yes completely. Neither itch.io nor any game jam host has any rights to your project, you are 100% the owner and always will be. This is confirmed in itch.io's Creator FAQ Here.
Will there be a ratings phase?
Yes. Although the idea of one particular game 'winning' the jam doesn't really make sense, we thought it would be good if you could get feedback on your projects. This is good for both very long running projects and new game devs who complete their first game. There will be ratings for Overall/Gameplay, Graphics/Design, Mood/Atmosphere, Idea/Innovation and Music/Sounds
The jam seems very relaxed, are there any rules?
This is a mostly an 'anything goes' jam. One thing that is not really in the spirit of the jam is to submit a 100% completed game that didn't need any extra work, but even then you may have finished the game very recently, so we're taking a very relaxed attitude to things.
Are there any plans to repeat this jam in the future?
Yes, if this jam is a success then we will continue to host it every January as long as people are still interested!
How do I share my progress?
There is a sticky thread HERE where you can share your screenshots and progress. You could join the Discord chat, which is discussed HERE. You can also use the hashtag #FFSjam to share updates on Twitter. Follow the @FFSjam Twitter account, which will be retweeting updates throughout the jam.
