This jam is now over. It ran from 2024-04-01 06:00:00 to 2024-04-11 16:07:04. View 10 entries

What is a GameJam?

A Game Jam is a short event where you and others work together to create a small game. There are usually restrictions on the kinds of games you can make, typically centered around a theme. GameJams are incredibly helpful for developing new skills, refining your ability to estimate workload, and contain scope. Even more importantly, they help you build relationships with other people who are passionate about making games.

What makes this one different?

The Fox Hollow Jam is heavily oriented towards deliberate skill growth. To that end, the jam will run for 9 days with two optional critique sessions. One on day 3 (the 3rd), and another on day 6 (the 6th). These will happen during the regular stream time for Fox Hollow Games between 3 PM - 5 PM EST. If you want to receive a critique, but can't make it or don't want to be present for it, you can submit a request on the gamejam channel in the Fox Hollow Discord (https://discord.gg/MKTueDhCpZ) and I will get you a highlight of your relevant section.

All games submitted and eligible for judgment will be played on stream with a full analysis breakdown and discussion. I believe this will help all of us become better creators, as we can see how others have executed similar ideas.

Theme

Theme: Overload

Design Principle: Miller's Law https://lawsofux.com/millers-law/

"The average person can only keep 7 (plus or minus 2) items in their working memory."

Get creative about how to implement the theme! You can try to aim hard toward the technical definition, go in the completely opposite direction to overwhelm or bore the player in key moments, or do something entirely sideways from there! The choices could be dialogue options, cards in your hand, enemies to fight, or sandwiches to create; the world is your choice of oysters!

We will be judging the grand prize winner on the theme AND the Design principle implementation!

Setup

Join our official Discord server! (https://discord.gg/MKTueDhCpZ)

Decide whether you'll work solo or form a team.
Choose a team name and get ready to dive into the jam!

Rules

While we encourage creativity and innovation, we also expect participants to adhere to the following guidelines:

Follow the terms of service for itch.
No NSFW content allowed.
Teams must consist of no more than five members.
Notify your team in advance if you need to withdraw.
Respect other participants; sabotage will not be tolerated.
Maintain a positive and inclusive atmosphere.
Only use assets that you created or secured through WeLoveIndies. You can sign up for a free account using our link here: https://www.weloveindies.com/en/join/foxhollowgames.
External asset packs are NOT allowed in this jam. If you need to submit a game with only squares, that is just fine. We care more about the concepts and their execution than the visual fidelity for this jam.

Violating any of these rules will disqualify you from judgment.

Submission

Game Design Document (GDD): Provide a detailed plan outlining your game concept and mechanics. The more clearly you can document what you are trying to accomplish, the more accurate the judging will be able to be. For inspiration, see this article with examples: https://gamedevbeginner.com/how-to-write-a-game-design-document-with-examples/
Prototype: Submit a playable version of your game that focuses on functionality and engagement. If at all possible, please submit a web build for security reasons. If you submit a build we must download in order to play, we reserve the right to exclude your game from being eligible for judging. This will be decided on a case-by-case basis.

Judging Criteria

Entries for the grand prize will be evaluated by River Wolf Games based on the following criteria:

Runability: Can the game run without major crashes or errors? Remember that if you do not submit a web build, it may disqualify you from being judged.
Theme Implementation: To what extent does the game incorporate and explore the theme?
Ingenuity: Does the game feature innovative mechanics or storytelling elements?
Polish: How smooth and enjoyable is the gameplay experience?
GDD: Can a complete stranger understand how your game should operate from the document alone?

Entries for Funniest, Most Unique, and Most Growth will be judged subjectively by Joe - Fox Hollow Games.

Viewer's Choice will be decided on by YOU by rating the submissions through itch's platform.

PS: To be eligible for Most Growth, you MUST submit your game for at least one critique session so that we have a benchmark of progress to evaluate.

Judges

River Wolf Games - Fox Hollow Jam's official sponsor! Thank you, River Wolf Games! Go follow their itch page and support an incredible indie studio with big dreams.