Welcome to the EGD x SGDA Spring Game Jam 2023!

Please join the Discord server for the jam here.

THEME

There will be four themes that you can pick and choose from. The game can follow only one theme, multiple themes, or all four. The themes are: 

• BEES
• LEGENDS NEVER DIE
• THE END IS NIGH
• IT SPREADS

ABOUT THE JAM

This is a weekend-long game jam hosted by the EGD Collective and  Student Game Developers Alliance (SGDA), a collaboration between two student-oriented organizations which seek to promote game development all across the United States! At the start of the jam, we will release four themes that you should include in your game; you can use one theme or as many of the themes as you want. After that point, you have 48 hours to work with your team to create a game! 

Submissions will close April 23rd, 6:00PM PST/9:00PM EST SHARP. We will not allow submissions past that point. We will also host a virtual presentation showcasing the various jam games on our Discord Server; please fill out the Google Form to opt-in.

This jam will have a voting period of roughly 3 days after submissions are over for our jammers to vote on their favorites. Voting period will close on April 26th (Wed) at 12:00PM PST/3:00PM EST, at which point we will announce the winners for each category and start giving away prizes!

Category winners will receive one $50 Amazon gift card for their whole team. One team may only win one category; in the case of a game winning multiple categories, second place/third place/etc. will be awarded a gift card instead. In the case of a tie, a tiebreaker vote will be held on Discord. 

Categories for voting include the following:

Itch Categories: Categories to be voted on by other jammers on the itch.io page.

• Artistic Direction
• Audio Direction
• Narrative Direction
• Gameplay Direction
• Usability/Accessibility
  

Superlatives: Categories to be voted on by other jammers in separate Google Forms (coming soon!) and submitted on an opt-in basis, when submitting the game- choose one category you nominate your game towards in the optional field when submitting your game, and we will compile a separate Google Forms link for other jammers to vote on.

• Speedrun-ability
• Humor
• Cozy
• Most Future Potential

During the jam, you can join our Discord Server for this jam here. On Discord, you can look for a team, interact with our community, and ask questions as needed. We also plan to have a mid-jam check-in to share progress and give/receive feedback.

We will also host social activities on our jam Discord Server to build community and provide networking opportunity amongst students from various universities across North America: 

ALL SOCIAL EVENTS ARE HELD SATURDAY, APRIL 22nd.

11:00AM PST/2:00PM EST- Fireside Chat- Game Jams: Past, Present, Future

3:00PM PST/6:00PM EST- Chill Jackbox Session

5:00PM PST/8:00PM EST- Playtesting Session

We will also raffle away 5 $10 Amazon gift cards during our fireside chat session. 

After the jam, consider joining the main SGDA Discord Server here or EGD Collective's main Discord here for news and announcements for upcoming events and community happenings.

GENERAL RULES

1. You can use any tools or assets you have legal access to & as long as the final product is buildable and playable on a Windows PC (Web or Downloadable). Tabletop and physical games are allowed as long as all materials necessary to play the game are included on the submission page. Please credit any creators for assets, plugins, or other additions that you use.
2. You can re-use assets or scripts from previous projects as long as the intention is to create a new project for this jam.
3. You must be 18+ to join the jam. You must either be a current university student in North America (undergraduate or graduate) or be recent alumni of such an institution, 2-3 years post-graduation. 
4. There is a maximum limit of eight (8) members per team, but note that larger teams may be harder to manage during a game jam- we recommend teams to be in between 4-6 people. We encourage you to welcome all skill levels and to consider jamming with fellow developers from different universities.
5. No discriminatory content in relation to gender, race, sexual orientation or identity, age, ability, or origin. Zero-tolerance policy will be observed throughout the duration of the jam.
6. No copyrighted or trademarked material or NSFW content. Some violence and harsh language is okay, as the jam is aimed towards university students- but please use content warnings if you are depicting any sensitive material.
7. Be respectful to your teammates and fellow jammers.
8. Take care of yourselves. We do not condone crunch or self-sacrificing attitudes for the sake of a "finished" game. Please refrain from pulling all-nighters, skipping meals, or not showering to work on your game during this jam.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is SGDA?

SGDA is an organization of student game development groups. Starting in 2016 as a group of Southern California students, we have grown to include members across the United States. Our goal is to connect students beyond their schools and expand their horizons. SGDA hosts a variety of events to help student game developers, from our annual summits to game jams and beyond.

For more information, check out our website here.

What is EGD?

The EGD Collective is a grassroots movement across North America with a mission to help every student finish their education and find their place within gaming. We are a one-of-a-kind leadership development experience that not only prevents students from dropping out or getting academically dismissed, but prepares and propels students into STEM and art careers within the games industry.

For more information, check out our website here.

Do I need to be a part of SGDA or EGD Collective to participate in this jam?

Short answer: No.

While this jam is run by SGDA and EGD Collective for its community, you're welcome to join us to jam out and practice some game dev. Bear in mind, most of our members are in US time zones and consist of university students, so this jam may not be for everyone. In any case, we hope to be a welcoming and open community.

I can't make it for the entire duration of the jam, can I still participate?

Though SGDA has allowed jammers to withdraw from week-long game jams, due to the nature of the weekend-long game jam, we do not advise withdrawing from a team project if possible.

I need help finding a team for this jam!

You can try to find teammates on our Discord Server for this game jam. While it's not guaranteed you will find a team this way, you can increase your chances by including some information about your skills, experiences, and what types of games you want to make.

Is there a prize for winning a category-based award? 

Yes! We will be awarding $50 Amazon Gift Cards to the team that scores highest in each category. There will be no double winners- if a team scores the highest in more than one category, second, third, etc. place will be awarded instead.

For any additional questions, please feel free to ask us on our Discord Server for this game jam.