Have you ever wanted to make a boss rush in a month? Then you should join this jam! You have one month to create the best boss rush in the Boss Rush Jam! After that, submitters and contributors will have seven days to vote on their favorites!
A boss rush is a game where there's one objective -- kill as many bosses as possible. There's no finding the bosses, no exploring the whole level, no going through obstacles, none of that, only bosses. For this jam, we're willing to be pretty loose with the term "Boss Rush" so feel free to add elements of other genres, such as roguelike, RPG, tower defense, and even survival if you can figure out how to go about it, so long as the game is still mainly a boss rush. This is the Boss Rush Jam, after all.
Your task is to make a game where the primary game mode is boss rush. Create fun boss fights, slap 'em one after another, and have fun!
Feel free to tweet your progress with the hashtag #BossRushJam2024!
Discord Server: https://discord.gg/uzKPF4NjfJ
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EXCHANGE
From as simple as an exchange of money to as complicated as alchemy’s exchange of elements. From swapping to sacrificing to changing to shuffling, we’re super excited to see how you interpret the theme and play all the games you make!
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The Sponsors Who Made the Prizes Possible:
Say hello to Playroom, a lightning-fast backend Multiplayer Kit for web games -- available for Unity, Godot, Playcanvas, Pixijs, Phaser, Kaboom, React, and more! You can build and scale games effortlessly, with zero server setup and no maintenance required. Completely free for non-commercial projects (Like this jam!)
Playroom: https://docs.joinplayroom.com/
Templates: https://docs.joinplayroom.com/templates
Discord Server: https://discord.gg/KxFQETRPcw
PlusMusic is the creator of the Adaptive Music Platform (AMP) for game devs. With AMP, you can generate interactive music for your game in minutes. AMP is an intelligent music ginsu that automatically slices music mixes into layers and dice tracks into segments to match gameplay modes.
You can choose music from a 375k+ songs Music Library of handpicked, artist-created, non-generative, original tracks in a wide range of styles. Users get access to an easy-to-use web DevPortal and free plugins for Unity and Unreal engines.
PlusMusic will be providing free, time-limited subscriptions to the Adaptive Music Platform, including licenses 1 music track for all Boss Rush Jam participants!
Stay tuned for more details on how to get access code access before the jam starts.
PlusMusic: https://www.plusmusic.ai
PlusMusic Discord: https://discord.gg/DZrrgZXprT
Cartoon Coffee’s ever-expanding VFX packs make creating stylish, juicy games more accessible to indie game developers.
Great VFX can instantly bring game moments to new heights - boss battles can blaze wildly, and shiny loot can captivate the player's eyes. Rather than crafting VFX from scratch, utilize these professionally made VFX assets so that you can spend time doing what game developers do best. Crafting memorable experiences for your players.
Check out his itch.io page here: https://cartooncoffee.itch.io/
And his FREE asset pack here: https://cartooncoffeegames.com/bossrushjamfreevfx/
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Games will be rated on the following criteria:
1. FUN -- How fun is the game?
2. BOSS DESIGN -- How well-made and exciting are the bosses?
3. USE OF THEME -- How well was the theme implemented in the game? Was its take on the theme original or exciting?
4. CONTROLS -- How well-made are the controls? Are they tight and responsive, and do they complement the gameplay?
5. SOUNDS/MUSIC -- How good are the sounds and music, and more importantly, how well do they complement the game?
6. ART/VISUALS -- How good are the visuals, and more importantly, how well do they complement the game?
*Make sure to add all team members to your project as contributors so they can vote! Only Jam participants and contributors can vote!
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JUDGE'S CHOICE (From Top 30 in the Community Vote):
1st Place: $750 USD
2nd Place: $500 USD
3rd Place: $250 USD
PLAYROOM AWARD (Web build required):
Best Use of Theme with Playroom Multiplayer Toolkit Award: $300 USD
PLUSMUSIC AWARDS (Web build required):
Best Use of PlusMusic Award (requires use of PlusMusic): $100 USD
Best Overall Soundtrack Award: $100 USD
Make sure to check the rules to make sure that your game is eligible for prizes!
CARTOON COFFEE AWARDS:
Best Overall Art Direction Award: $100 USD
Best Use of VFX Award: $100 USD
+ 1 Cartoon Coffee VFX MEGA PACK per Top Place is also added to the prizes.
+ 1 Cartoon VFX Deluxe Pack per these 2 awards.
HONORABLE MENTIONS (x3):
3 Games chosen outside of the Awards and Prizes above to receive $100 USD each
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Breaking these rules won't disqualify you from the jam, but they will keep you from being eligible for prizes. Ineligible games that make it into the Top 30 will be treated as though they don't exist -- so, for example, if the game in 3rd place in the community vote is ineligible, then the game in 31st place in the community vote becomes eligible.
1. The theme is mandatory and will be a factor in voting.
2. You cannot work on your game before the jam starts.
3. You are free to submit your games to other jams.
4. All games must have at least one boss, but 3 or more are recommended.
5. The majority of the code must be made during the jam. Art, shaders, music, and sound assets made before the jam can be used as long as you have the rights.
6. Teams are allowed and encouraged!
7. NSFW games (specifically games with nudity) must include suitable warnings in the game's title (e.g. "(18+)" at the front) and cover (e.g. a large "18+" label in a corner), and must have the NSFW checkbox checked in the game's metadata.
8. A Windows or web build is required to be eligible for the main prizes. A web build is required to be eligible for PlusMusic and Playroom exclusive awards.
9. We won't be very lenient on late submissions, as the jam lasts a month. We highly recommend submitting early so that you don't accidentally miss the deadline. You'll still be able to update your game up until the deadline of the game jam, even if you submit early.
10. Anything you make during the BR Game Jam is your property. We claim no rights or ownership of your game.
11. Any game submitted to the BR Game Jam may appear in material/media covering the event without your express permission.
12. You must own the IP of your game. No fan games.
13. Genre mashing is allowed! If the game is still mainly a boss rush, feel free to introduce roguelike/RPG/etc elements!
14. To be eligible for the cash prizes, you must have Paypal, Venmo, or some other way for us to get our money to you, such as a bank account. You must also supply a Discord account or email so we can contact you.
15. Games made or heavily contributed to by judges are not eligible for the prizes. Games made by judges will be treated as if they do not exist - for example, if there is one judge game in the Top 30, then non-judge games that placed 1 to 31 will all be eligible rather than 1 to 30, to not take any opportunities away from non-judge participants.
16. Use of PlusMusic is optional for all prizes and awards except for the "Best Use of PlusMusic Award".
17. Use of Playroom is optional for all prizes and awards except for the "Best Use of Theme With Playroom Award".
18. Individuals can only join one team, thus only 1 submission per team.
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If you'd like to join the Boss Rush Jam discord, join it here:
Previous Jams: