Happy Birthday (Almost)!
It's my birthday in a few months, and what better way to celebrate than with some sweet games?
Rules:
The objective of this jam is for everyone to create a game that includes at least one (1) party, and one (1) cake. The party and cake don't have to be central to the game, heck they don't even have to actually appear, as long as they are mentioned. Other than that, just go wild!
Like my previous game jam, this jam is not a contest, the objective is FUN. The games will be unrated, there are no prizes, and I'm not going to complain that a game is too short or not "gamey" enough. Game quality and length are unimportant, just do what you want and have fun!
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Resources:
BEGINNERS ARE ENCOURAGED!
Sortingh.at is a great site if you want to get into game development, but have no idea where to start.
Game Jams are a wonderful way to start learning how to make games! If you've never made a game before but are still interested, Twine is entirely text-based (though you can add pictures if you like), and is a great way to make a very simple interactive story. Here is a simple tutorial that I've used in the past, but you can find more comprehensive ones on Google.
Another option is Inform 7, which has an in-built tutorial. Again it's text-based, though more complicated than Twine, but also far more versatile. I learned it from scratch in a few weeks for a contest, and it's simple enough to make a very short game in if that's what you want. These tutorials really helped me a lot too. Inform 7 is the program I'm the most familiar with, and that's what I used to make Impetum Maleficus and Endless Sands.
If you're wanting to make something with graphics, I've messed around a little with Unity and GameMaker, and while they seem pretty intimidating at first they're pretty versatile and there are plenty of tutorials online. The full versions are really pricey, but they both have free versions which are pretty good too.
I've personally never used programs such as Construct 2, RPG Maker or Adventure Game Studio, but I understand those are also popular options for game jams. I believe they all have free versions too. Use whatever you like!
You are welcome to work either individually, or part of a team. The only issue is that you'll have to nominate one person to upload the finished project. Just make sure everyone is credited though, and it should be fine.
EDIT: Because it was a good question and something that everyone should know, there is no need to make everything from scratch for this Game Jam. If you have some assets, whether they're art or code or whatever pre-made, you're welcome to use those. Just make sure you use stuff you're legally allowed to. Anything you made or you have permission to use is fine (this includes a lot of the free resources available for use in the programs listed above). But just stealing stuff is NOT okay, obviously. If you're using someone else's resources, please credit them somewhere. Even if you have their permission to use them, they should still get credited.
Here are a few free resources that look handy:
Open Game Art (for art assets). A good place to start would be looking at the "cake" tag!
Incompetech (for music assets).
Make sure you check the respective websites for the correct way to credit the artists.
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If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me on Twitter, I'm @ZombieHam.
Good luck, and take as much cake as you like! Please, there is so much cake.
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Cover art by Philadelphia Hanson-Viney. Used with permission.