About:

Are you a disabled game developer trying to make it in the games industry your way? Then DisCo Devs is for you! The DisCo Devs Game Jam is a non-ranked jam for disabled game developers interested in beginning or continuing their indie game development journey. We're here to facilitate collaborations, support each other throughout production, and amplify each other's games so that we can go further together.  We hope that this two-week event will provide a space for disabled game developers to collaborate, create, and celebrate their unique voices!

Whether you develop video games or tabletop games, we invite you to develop a game or prototype or MVP (minimum viable product) based on the theme of this jam. If you enjoyed working on your game,  polish it up throughout August and submit it to our coop bundle, which will go on sale in October! If you think your game was...less than stellar...that's why we prototype! Submitting a game to the bundle is not required, or you may develop a new game that fits the theme to submit. Earnings will be divided evenly between the teams. Join us over on our Discord Server, click to join!

Why:

We saw what was possible in the games industry as it adapted to the pandemic with a boom in remote work, online communities, and funding for marginalized developers. As the industry reverts to pre-pandemic norms, many of us disabled developers are being pushed out of jobs and are losing access to funding. While supportive spaces are emerging, there's a lack of initiatives dedicated to elevating disabled game developers and addressing our unique needs. 

This is our first year hosting the DisCoDevs Game Jam; it's a bit of a pilot program to see if we can go further together by supporting each other through production and collectively marketing our games. But we hope that DisCo Devs will evolve into a community for long-term collaboration and support.

Theme:

Disabled Futures are the accessible worlds that we envision, the hopes we have for our futures, and even the fears that haunt us. Disabled Futures might follow the story of a disabled character or explore a world that embraces disability. What Disabled Futures means to each of us will vary greatly and be influenced by our own lived experiences...we encourage you to explore your own interpretation!

Schedule:

Kickoff: June 28th, Time 1:30 PM EDT / 5:30 PM UTC | Click to register! 

Please join us as we kick off this event with two amazing talks from Jay Justice and Steven Weitz. We'll also review the timeline for the game jam and bundle. You do not have to be disabled to attend kickoff, this event is open to the public. We hope to see you there!

Submissions Due: July 13th, Time 11:00PM EDT / 3:00AM UTC

Check-In: July 8th, Time TBD

Playtesting Day (asynchronous): July 7th

Jam Rules:

-Create a game that fits the theme (Disabled Futures). 

-Be kind and respectful. Games or conduct endorsing racism, homophobia, sexism, ableism, transphobia, or any hate speech will not be tolerated.

-Include NSFW and content warnings, when applicable. 

-Games containing AI-generated content will be removed from the jam submissions. After all, we're here to foster collaboration between disabled developers! Games containing AI-generated content will also be disqualified from participating in the coop bundle.

Violations of these rules may result in your game being removed from the jam and bundle and you may be removed from our Discord server. These rules are subject to change. 

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FAQs

Do I have to be disabled to participate in this game jam? No, but there's "nothing about us without us." Since the theme of this jam will rely on personal experiences with disability, and our mission is to help disabled developers, please work with disabled developers if you're not disabled yourself! To participate in the coop bundle, we'll ask you to confirm that at least 50% of your team is disabled.

What is considered a disability? The Americans with Disabilities Act defines disability "as a person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. This includes people who have a record of such an impairment, even if they do not currently have a disability." DisCo Devs recognizes that some disabilities are invisible, dynamic, and/or self-diagnosed. 

How can I find a team to work with? To find a team or collaborators visit the "looking for team" and "recruiting" channels in our Discord Server!

Can I work on my game before the game jam starts? Sure! Just make sure it's on theme! 

How do I qualify for the bundle? The deadline to submit your game to the bundle is August 30th, we will post a submission form in our Discord server. To qualify, at least 50% of your team members must be disabled, your game must fit the theme of this game jam (Disabled Futures), and your game must meet the below requirements:

- Be a playable video game, TTRPG, or tabletop game.

- Game and assets were not made with generative AI. 

-  NSFW games must be appropriately tagged. 

- Content warnings must be included on the game's page, when applicable. 

- Games must not endorse racism, homophobia, sexism, ableism, transphobia, or any hate speech.

Breaking these rules may result in your game being removed from the bundle and you may be removed from our Discord server.

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A special thank you to Awesome Disability for funding this game jam!