Welcome to the 9 Day Metroidvania

Metroidvanias are some of my favorite games, and by the success of games like Hollow Knight, Ori and the Blind Forest, Axiom Verge, Dead Cells, and Sundered I would guess that others would also agree! That makes it a prime choice of theme for a GAME JAM!!!

What is a Metroidvania?

Metroidvanias can be complicated, they have lots of factors, and of all the genre's I can think of, Metroidvanias are the hardest to pin down.

That being said looking at existing Metroidvanias, there are a few features most games considered Metroidvanias have:

• Large interconnected maps that encourage exploration.
• Progression via Items or Unlocking abilities.
• Obstacles that need specific abilities or items to bypass.

About the 9 Day Metroidvania

The goal of the 9DMV is to make a game in the style of a Metroidvania, and to use all your game development skills to produce a game in 9 days! 

The Rules

• Follow the jam concept/theme. The game should be a Metroidvania!
• Game assets, unless Public Domain(CC0), must be created during the jam.
• Show common sense and common decency towards others.
• Have fun!

Remember!

• Watch your scope! The game should be a full game, not just a gameplay prototype!
• Don't stress too much! Remember you have 9 days!
• Don't overwork yourself!

Discord

You can hop over to The Game Jammers Discord! To chat and talk about game development! Use #9DMV on Twitter to share screenshots and updates!

Crowdforge

There's also a Crowdforge page! Head over there to find some team members and do the jam as a Group!

FAQ

• Can I work with a team?
  • Yeah go for it! That's what the Crowdforge and Discord are for!
• I'm in a team, can my team rate other games as well?
  • Yes. Just make sure they're listed as Contributors on your game.
• Does my game have to be a platformer?
  • No, although MANY Metroidvanias are platformers, and there is some debate around it, for this jam we consider anything that fits the description given in the 'What is a Metroidvania' section as a Metroidvania
  • By This description we consider the following as Metroidvanias due to their open worlds, progression via unlocks, upgrades, and items, and the need for those to bypass obstacles:
    • Metroid Prime
    • Batman: Arkham Asylum
    • Dark Souls
    • Okami
    • Darksiders
    • Most Legend of Zelda games