WELCOME TO FRENJAM

The coolest game jam EVER is here! 2 weeks to forge some semblance of a videogame from NOTHING, all based on a specific theme! The reward for this incredible feat? Your game will be judged by other game-making badasses like you AND the epicest gamer jam judges around!!
Also some swedish dude might play your game or something.

Think you've got what it takes? Join if you dare!
Don't think you've got what it takes? JOIN ANYWAY!

WHAT'S THE THEME???

WE DON'T KNOW YET!!! Check back when the jam starts.

THE RULES

I know, rules are lame as hell, but they're needed sometimes.

1 - Follow the Twitch Community Guidelines and Itch.io Acceptable Use Policy
2 - Got loud noises and flashing images in your game? Warn us before it happens!
3 - Make sure there's a downloadable Windows 10/11 version.
4 - Don't put in any divisive or heavy topics or any of that stuff.
5 - Stuff specifically for your game can only be made within the 2-week submission window.
6 - Credit anything you use if you can. Need to know where all the cool stuff comes from!
7 - Use the theme! Embed it into your game as deeply as possible, ideally down to the gameplay itself.
8 - Your game's language needs to default to English so we can actually read it.
9 - Only 3 people max can work on your game, otherwise it'd be too powerful!
10 - No AI. Does AI have an awesome skeleton inside of it? No. Therefore it sucks.
11 - Standalone videogames only. No mods or books or tabletop games or whatever.
12 - During the voting period, only make small updates that don't change the game much.
13 - Make something for this jam and this jam only. Dedicate yourself to the skeleton zone.
14 - No-brainer here, make sure the game actually works properly. Give it a good test.
15 - There needs to be at-least 1 skeleton somewhere in the game.
16 - Make sure the game can be captured properly in OBS.

JUDGING CRITERIA

Entertainment

Is it fun to play? Is it fun to watch? Is it truly a FecalFunny moment? Both go into voting on this aspect. This one factors into the final rating a little more than the others, so it's extra important to get it right!

Creativity

Are there some cool original concepts in there? Some interesting solutions to gameplay problems? How much does the game stand out?

Visuals

Does the game look nice? Does it look horrible but in a funny way that kinda works? Do the visuals fit everything else about the game?

Audio

How bangin' are the tunes? How fitting are the sound effects? Does all the sound mesh together nicely? Does the audio fit the rest of the game?

Theme Use

How deeply has the theme been incorporated into the game? Is there some sort of interesting interpretation going on? How inventive is the way it's been used?

Skeleton

Thought I was joking about the skeleton rule? Nope. You're even being judged on how good your skeleton inclusion is. Don't disappoint Mr. Bones.

F A Q

Is a web build needed?

No, but it's a good idea to have one if you can in-case something goes wrong with the download.

What happens if I need to submit late?

There's a 12-hour late submission window once voting starts. There will be a post in the community tab where you can put the link to your game for a late submission link. Still, try to at-least upload your game before submissions close, you can always put out an update!

ALERTA VEERUS ALERTA

Anything that gets submitted that isn't an obvious virus is scanned, tested and monitored to prevent anything nasty getting through. No Windows destruction happening today, unless Joel's PC breaks for some other reason (let's be honest, it probably will).

What's with the voting period?

After the 2-week submission and development period us up, another 2 weeks is allowed for the jam judges, as-well as you and your fellow submitters, to play and vote on the submissions.

Where do I talk about the Jam?

There's a community tab right here on this Itch page! Find teams, ask questions, shitpost, whatever. Just be nice.

What's the difference between this and ShroomJam?

The main one is that ShroomJam is for Vinny, FrenJam is for Joel. Also, we're allowing a little more chaos for FrenJam, hence the submitter voting and abundance of skeletons. Bascially, FrenJam is ShroomJam's chaotic, skeleton-obsessed cousin.

CREDITS

Hosts

PotaJoe
Vargskelethor

Judges & Moderators

DatAnonymousBlock
Kekulism
Madclown55
McDanooj Joey
SinCityAssassin
Spalumpkin
SuperWiiBros08
Yoshitura

Page Design & CSS by PotaJoe
Crusty old GIFs sourced from GifCities