It's June in the District of Columbia, and it's time to jam. We're fully online, so whether you live in the DC area or anywhere else, come on in! This jam's going to be a chill one, and you've got almost 5 days to work on your game. Spend an hour, a day, or even all 5 days - we just hope you have a good time doing it.

(Jam banner and palette by Kyrstin Cooksey of Boba Studios)

The Theme for the jam is EMERGENCE

During the jam, we'll be chatting on the IGDA DC Discord in the #june-jam channel. Need an invite? https://discord.gg/ZeFWHeVFju
Afterwards, we're showcasing the submissions during the IGDA DC online meetup Tuesday June 8th. https://www.meetup.com/IGDA-DC/events/278561773/

Schedule:

• Friday (June 4th) 9pm - Theme announcement & jam start
• Tuesday (June 8th) 5pm - Jam end & submission window closes
• Tuesday (June 15th) 11:59pm - Voting period ends

Diversifiers (optional) for extra challenge:

• All The World's A Stage - Your game is primarily set on the backdrop of a globe, map, or satellite image.
• I've Been Living In A Cave - Choose a game released in 2004, 1987, or 1970 (links below) to use as inspiration. 
• Late Bloomers - Use a color palette or sound palette that is based primarily around the plants and animals found in the DC area in late spring/early summer.
• Let's Make It Count - Your story/characters/mechanics start in the "final act". The nail-biting chase scene, the fully powered protagonist, the knock on the door of your parent's house while holding the hand of someone you've dated secretly for three years, the villain that just assembled all the pieces of the ultimate artifact, the leaking oxygen tank that is mere minutes from empty. 
• Predator Satiation - Overcome challenges by having multiple game characters work together as a group.
• Sum Of Our Parts - Merge together two or more mechanics, visual styles, music genres, story tropes, etc. to create something new. What if Leonardo Da Vinci spent a summer collaborating with Vincent Van Gogh? How would a teenage Chun Li handle taking classes alongside Lara Croft and Pac-Man's ghost monsters? What if Beethoven, Louis Armstrong, and BTS formed a Lady Gaga cover band?

Games made in 2004/1987/1970 for the I've Been Living In A Cave diversifier:

1970: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1970_in_games
1987: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1987_in_games (physical games) and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1987_in_video_games (digital games)
2004: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_in_games (physical games) and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_in_video_games (digital games)

FAQ & General Guidelines

1. Do I need to live in Washington DC to participate? No, but the jam will be hosted and organized by game developers in and around the general mid-Atlantic area. (DC, Baltimore, Frederick, etc.)
2. I don't have a team yet, is that ok? Yes! If you want to find a team, check the #june-jam channel in the IGDA DC Discord . You can work solo too!
3. What kind of rules are there for using pre-existing assets? We're generally following the more relaxed "Jam" guidelines used by Ludum Dare. This means if you use pre-existing assets, please credit those on your game page. You'll be excluded from being voted on in the relevant category. (See the Ludum Dare rules here, under "The Jam": http://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/rules)
4. Can I use assets made by other people? You must have rights to all of the assets in your game; unlicensed use of resources is not allowed.
5. What tool/engine do I have to use to make the game? Anything you want. Bitsy, Twine, Unity, Ren'py, Construct, RPGMaker, GMS, construction paper, dice, poker chips, etc. As long as the game can be submitted and played, you should be good. 
6. Can I make a non-digital game? Totally! You can make any type of game, as long as you have a way of uploading rules, board layouts, field marking guides, required equipment, character sheets, etc. to an itch.io project page so that others can play your game.
7. Do I need to submit code or assets with my game? No, you do not need to post your work. Also, rights to the game are yours as the creators.
8. Do I have to work on my game all day for 5 days? Nope, and I would definitely recommend getting some sleep during the jam if you're planning on working over multiple days.
9. But what if I only have a few hours free to participate!? No worries, that's cool too. Just submit what crazy experimental thing you're able to make in that time!