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Jam Rules! (README.txt) Sticky

A topic by 🕹️swagshaw created Sep 23, 2024 Views: 4,532 Replies: 124
Viewing posts 1 to 41
Jam Host (3 edits) (+2)

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 20 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 21st 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. The majority of code and assets must be made during the jam.

2a. Premade assets (e.g., art, shaders, music, etc.) are allowed as long as you have the right to use them and were not specifically made for the jam.

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. Game engines are allowed.

6. Teams are allowed and encouraged! No max size.

7. Games with mature themes are allowed, but games with explicitly sexual content are not.

8. A Windows or web build is required to be eligible for the main prizes. Sponsor Awards may require a web build and/or use of sponsor API.

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 BRJ is your property. We claim no rights or ownership of your game. 

11. Any game submitted to BRJ 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 20, then non-judge games that placed 1 to 21 will all be eligible rather than 1 to 20, to not take any opportunities away from non-judge participants.

16. Individuals can only join one team, thus only 1 submission per team.

17. No use of AI-generated content. Only licensed material is allowed in this jam.

18. Hosts and Moderators reserve the right to disqualify any malicious actors from the jam using discretion and common sense to apply rulings on a case-by-case basis.

What is the maximum number of people in a team? 

Jam Host

No max on teams. Thank you for asking
I'll update the rules to better reflect this

does it matter what engine is used?

Jam Host(+2)

It does not -- feel free to use any engine you see fit!

I want to say that, for common sense, while you can use anything, this should exclude stuff like Roblox, Fornite, and Mario Maker, which require purchases or external downloads to play. But we haven't had anyone try that yet.

For argument's sake and to expand my answer for you. 
If some did make a game in another game, we wouldn't want to ban them or exclude them from the jam; we just most likely wouldn't be able to play it to judge, and the public voting period wouldn't be able to play easily either.

Than can I just join this jam made in roblox?

Jam Host(+1)(-1)

You can. I don't recommend it as people probably won't see it, and it won't be eligible for prizes.

But yes! If you want to make a Roblox game, go ahead.

(1 edit)

Could I make a game in scratch? It is a simple game engine than you dont need to download, and can use any code made with it on the website www.scratch.mit.edu

Jam Host

you can use scratch, but you do still need to make the majority of the game yourself

Alright thanks!

Submitted
                                                                                                                              Is or isn't?

hey so does this look like the Terraria boss the "eye of Cthulhu" because its not but after many of my friends and family saying it looks like it i just want to verify on your opinion and if so will change the character for *copyright laws.

Jam Host

This is fine!

(1 edit)

HI! I hope you are doing well. This is my first jam. So, i would really appreciate it if you can guide be by giving me some of your time.

Jam Host

I'm happy to help guide and push you in the right direction, I could also do a short call. I think the best place for this conversation is in the discord!

There's a ton of super wholesome people that want to see your growth.

Hmu I'm swagshaw there as well

Maybe I'll do an event where people can ask questions.

https://discord.gg/uzKPF4NjfJ

Thanks for your response.

Hi! I know you can't work on your game before the jam starts, but can you start creating ideas for it? or is it like everything to be made ONLY during the jam

Jam Host(+3)

Brainstorming is a creative process that we encourage as jams are a good time to try something new or test your skills, but trying to decide what game you'll make is going to have deminishing returns due to the theme being an important part of this jam.

Games should be made during the jam. But logistics is pretty fair game: for example, personally I like to figure out if I'm going to be working in 2D or 3D, the engine I'll use, team assembly, the version of the engine the game will be made on, what source control is needed for the team (github), any asset packs that might be helpful in a pinch, how the team is communicating, time zones, discord servers, trello boards, file sharing, --- and.. in the past I've also decided certain genre/mechanics with teams we'd find interesting to make, it's just fun to say "hey no matter what let's make it multiplayer" but we don't hook anything up until the jam starts. Teammates should be assembled ahead of time and you should all be ready to start when the clock starts, but nothing about the game itself should be started.


Brainstorming, imo is going to yield the best results when the theme is revealed as you'll build a game around the theme mechanically.


Hope that helps!

Thanks! It did help.

Can you use IP's in the public domain? Like steamboat willie

Jam Host

A silly but great question! Public domain is fine. As long as you have the rights to something, we encourage you to be creative when making your boss rush game.

Can you use assets from online, as long as its open for commercial use?

Jam Host(+1)

Yup!

what is the theme?

(+3)

It will be announced when the jam starts

(+3)

ok sorry

(+2)(-13)

Can I use A.I-made-stuff ?

Jam Host(+2)

17. No use of AI-generated content. Only licensed material is allowed in this jam.

how Can I participate

Host

Just joining the jam is enough --


Once the jam starts, there'll be a "Submit" button on the jam page you can use to submit your entry.


Though be aware that you can't actually begin working on your game until the jam starts!

How will we send the games made?
Jam Host

In general, you'll upload the game to itch.io (this site) and then submit
I recommend practicing a blank/empty upload before the jam just to learn how it works

https://itch.io/docs/creators/game-jams#the-submission-process

(1 edit)

Do you guys pay in steam gift cards? And if someone gets elected but don’t send the paypal or anything else account who gets the prize?

Jam Host

We don't do steam cards, if the winner is unable to accept the prize to a bank account, it'll go to the runner-up

ok thanks anyways

In any case, besides Paypal, what other type of bank account could be used?

Jam Host

Paypal isn't a bank account, it is just a 3rd party method to transfer money.
An actual bank transfer the the other method we would use in case of a winner doesn't have paypal.

Hello, thanks for responding. Sorry if I asked too many questions, just wanted to be sure.

I want to join in with this jam, but I’m not confident with making a multiplayer game yet. If I don’t make the game multiplayer (and so wont use Playroom) would I still be eligable for the other prizes (If I were to win, which is unlikely)?

wait, where did it say it has to be multiplayer?

It doesn’t. Its just Playroom are one of the sponsers, and one of the awards is :“Best Use of Theme with Playroom Multiplayer Toolkit Award”

So I just wanted to check if this was a requirement for all entries, or only for the one prize.

Jam Host

That's just that specific prize. You don't have to use Playroom.

That’s great. Thanks for confirming 😁

I know that the code of the game needs to be specifically made during the game jam, but can I make the frame for boss fight basic mechanics (like the dialogue system, stage system, health and damage system, etc.) and then adjust them for each boss later on in the jam, or do I have to make each boss from scratch? I know this isn't fair for most people, but I just ask because making each boss from scratch will be a pain.

Jam Host(+1)

as long as you're doing it within the jam, any workflow that works best for you is fine

Thanks for your info! Glad to hear it.

Can we use Mixamo for animations

Jam Host

Yep!

I know I asked this already, but do we have to pay to participate, or not?

Jam Host

No entry fee

(+1)

Ok, thanks

can anyone of any age join this jam and still be eligible for the prizes?

Jam Host

They'd need parental permission to join, submit, and potentially accept any prizes

Hello, do I need to contact someone before joining? Or after the results of the traffic jam? *If you are a minor.

Jam Host

A parent should "join" in the minor's place, even while the minor is person participating.
The important part is having parental guidance when in the community and if accepting any prizes.

olá, eu sou iniciante no desenvolvimento de jogos e queria participar da Jam, mas eu faço jogos pela godot mobile aí eu queria saber se eu tenho que criar um jogo especificamente para PC ou eu posso criar um jogo mobile?

Jam Host

You're welcome to join and participate, no problems there!

But if your submission format isn't in the rules then it can't win any prizes

ok, muito obrigado por responder

Is use of the VRC7 soundchip ok? (Asking because of its built in patches)

Jam Host

I don't see why not... It's a type of NES chip right? What is the issue with the patches?
I feel I'm missing some context.

"Hi, must all the assets for this jam be created during the jam, or can we use assets from itch.io that weren’t specifically tailored for this jam?"

Jam Host

yes, assets from itch are fine

thanks 

swagshaw 

hello!! this is my first time doing a jam like this, but i just wanted to ask a few questions and i figured this was where i'd ask them, haha

am i allowed to use rpg maker and its assets (like sfx, bgm, vfx, etc.) and still be eligible for the prizes? what about scripts/plug-ins as long as they're free to use commercially and i follow their terms of use?

thanks, and cheers!!

Jam Host

Yes to all!

Welcome and have fun!

Consider joining the community discord to be alerted to the theme announcement when it happens!

thanks!!

My team has a boss rush I made a while back in a different set of tooling to what we use today, we were planning to port it and polish it up since it never got finished. Would this disqualify us since we already have the design elements done? (We'd be open to leaving the source repository public as evidence of the code being authored fresh during the jam window). If it does disqualify us from prizes, are we still fine to submit just for the momentum gain of being part of a jam?

Jam Host(+1)

Hey there! Thanks for asking.

A port is against the spirit of a game jam.

Submitting a pre-existing game would result in a disqualification, even if said game was rebuilt from the ground up.

Just to be safe, could you clarify what you mean by this post? How much of your submitted game would be “ported” from the old one?
OR are you just looking for permission to use existing assets?

Hope this helps, let me know if you have anymore questions.

Understandable, thanks for the feedback. I think we'll just abandon the port and go for something fresh. The jam sounds like a great opportunity to try a different take on a boss rush.

(1 edit)

Can I use assets I've previously created and/or assets from the web?

Jam Host

Correct, but you should make the majority of your game yourself.

Thanks for letting me know!

Hi! I was planning on writing all the code myself and probably make some of the UI art myself. However, I was thinking about using animated characters and background art assets from the Unity Asset Store for my game, so I can focus on the code. Does this still count as making the majority of the game myself?

Jam Host

I think so,

Unique code is normally pretty easy to describe as a majority of a game.

I have a question...

Let's say, I have some scripts available from my past projects.

Like if a person has made FPS game before, they have most of the code for first person movement already done...

So is it okay if I can reuse such code for the jam?

Jam Host

Correct, but you should make the majority of your game during the jam.

Yes... Like boss mechanics and stuff will be created during the jam... based on the theme...

But for the scripts that can be reused, its fine to use, right?

Jam Host (1 edit)

yes that sounds fine!

What kind of scripts did you have in mind? Love hearing about what people have planned


Ah I see, you mean the fps stuff, that should be fine

Discord link in jam page is expired

Jam Host

You might be at the maxed amount of servers joined, can you doubled check by leaving another server then trying to join ours?

Yep i tried that. Didn't work

Jam Host

that's really strange, people are still coming into the server still


Here's a custom link for you

https://discord.gg/boss-rush-jam-839578524242149376

Still, this one isn't working either. I entered couple discord servers meantime to test. Not me problem it seems like

Jam Host

what is your discord username?

I'll send an invite personally

polat9462 I'm really sorry for becoming a problem

Can I get people from my micronation to help?

(+1)

Also can I reuse something I already made or is it all from scratch

Jam Host

who?

I just saw the teams are allowed so I just answered my own question lol

Can I use text to speech for dialogue?

Jam Host

AI text to speech for dialogue is a no

The server has a bunch of Voice Actors you can contect to though

Thanks!

Can we use Paypal as a money transaction?

Jam Host

yes

(1 edit)

If I have a game made on Scratch can I use it or will I need to make an entirely new game?

Jam Host

you can use scratch but it does need to be new as well, so you can't just submit someone else's work

Thank you!!!

is it teams only? or can it be individual?

I can be individual, it say teams are recommended

Do we have to attach a Game Design Document along with the game?

Jam Host

Nope! I think only Pirate Software Jam asks you do that

i can use a premade code-template from another game of mine? It is a template for movements, jumps, attacks, sprites coordination and collisions.

Jam Host

yup

thnks a lot

Hi, I would have a question about assets. If I made in the past some graphic assets for a game, but then didn't use them, would it be ok for me to use them in this jam, as they were not originally intended for this purpose?

Jam Host

that's fine

Submitted

can i submit a game made in scratch

Jam Host

yup yup

Hello,

I just want to clarify the usage of the assets during tht game jam. I've assets that I purchased from the unity asset store and I want to use the topdown engine to speed up development.

So can I use this asset in order to build the game  or should I just start from the scratch to implement everything manually?


Jam Host

The majority of the game must be made during the jam but you are allowed to use premade assets


So those are fine as long as you make more than what those assets provide

(1 edit)

Can I submit more than 1 game?

Jam Host

Nope

Ok thank you that really help me.

I doubt I will win but in a theoretical situation where I get money, could I set up the bank account and stuff after I win. Like if I don’t have it ready will I not get it or can I have time to set it up after they tell me I won some money?

Jam Host

that should be fine, but I would recommend just having one

Is it ok to use free online music  ?

and can I not add spin theme?

Jam Host

The theme is mandatory, free assets are fine

Is it fine to make a game on my own? I want to test how far I can with programmer art xD

Jam Host

completely fine!

Hello! Are jam participants allowed to use AI content which they have licensing for? AKA models or LoRAs trained on their own art and/or public domain art, or tools that involve AI which were rightfully acquired?

Thanks in advance!

Jam Host

Nope, no generative AI
We allow co-pilot and coding, but that's about it

Okay, thanks! If I submit something that makes use of AI, I understand I won't be eligible for the prize, but will I be able to receive a rating and feedback should the game make into the top 30?

Not sticking to this idea yet, just to know what is possible :) Thanks!

Jam Host

If we detect AI, it might be straight-up removed or DQ'd.

(1 edit)

I know we aren't allowed to use AI generated content but are we allowed to use AI generated code?

Jam Host

Yup, we don't recommend it but yes

Okay, ty