Game Off 2022

Hosted by GitHub, Lee Reilly · #GitHubGameOff

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Game Off 2022 community

FAQ ( Frequently Asked Questions) Sticky

A topic by Lee Reilly created Oct 21, 2022 Views: 5,658 Replies: 65

Viewing posts 1 to 33

Lee ReillyJam Host2 years ago (1 edit) (+6)

Hi there!

In no particular order, here are answers to some frequently asked questions. Please let me know if anything's unclear or you have more questions and I'll keep this updated.

> Can we use Unity or Unreal Engine?

Yes!

> Can we use blueprints in Unreal Engine?

Yes.

> Can we use pre-made assets?

Absolutely, although many people will create their own. I'd recommend adding some attribution in your GitHub repository's README.

> Can we use pre-made code?

The use of game engines, libraries, templates for new games, etc. is fine. In fact, it's highly encouraged! Taking a game you've been working on for months, or forking a game and changing some pixels is probably not in the spirit of the jam :)

> Can we sell the games (for the jam or post jam)?

Absolutely!

> Is there a twitter hashtag?

The official hashtag is #GitHubGameOff. We 💜 seeing work-in-progress screenshots throughout the month! <3

> Are games allowed if they contain 18+ content?

No restrictions on content, but if it's something I wouldn't show my kids or grandparents... then it may be less likely that it'll appear on our blog 😎 Please also see itch.io's note on adult content.

> What are the voting categories?

Similar to last year, games will be rated on the following: Overall, Gameplay, Graphics, Audio, Innovation and Theme Interpretation.

> What kinds of licenses are required/accepted for the public GitHub repo?

You're welcome to use whatever kind of license you wish! See this documentation for tips on choosing / applying a license.

> Can I edit the game after the submission period?

Please don't change the game on the itch.io page until after the voting period ends. If there's a bug that seriously affects/prevents playability that's a "quick fix", please feel free to address it. Just leave a note on the itch.io page saying what you changed and why. Since the code is not being judged, you can update the GitHub repository any time.

> Can I join multiple teams?

Yes.

> Is there a maximum team size?

No.

Doug T2 years ago(+6)

Just curious, There will be way more submissions than I will get a chance to see. That makes the early popular submissions typically more popular. Are the submissions going to be forcibly randomized during judging? Or at least hide the popularity sort function? It may help the ratings get more spread out.

Lee ReillyJam Host2 years ago(+3)

Great question! No entries will be able to be judged until the voting period begins on Dec 1st, so the first concern is eliminated. Historically, the entries that get the most votes tend to be the ones that are available on the web, windows and multiple other platforms + the ones that include screenshots, instructions, etc.

I'm not sure if it's possible to hide the 'sort by ...' functionality for the submissions, but I agree that might help. I'll investigate - thanks!

GadMasSubmitted2 years ago(+2)

Is there some type of ‘forced’ voting (having to jugde 10 random games first before being able to jugde the ones you like). In the last jam I did that helped a lot, so every game had at least some votes?

snuffysamSubmitted2 years ago

Out of curiosity, during that system, were you ever forced to rate a game that you, personally, couldn't run? e.g. it was a Mac-only game? Were you given the option of a few random games so you didn't have to just pick the first one given to you? Or did that jam have specific rules for what platforms your game could be submitted for?

GadMasSubmitted2 years ago

You could choose from 5 games + 1 reshuffle. I think you could say on which platform you would like to rate and the jam had at least either windows or html upload as a requirement.

snuffysamSubmitted2 years ago

Hm... the issue is that this jam has no such platform requirements, plenty of people have done mobile-only, VR-only, or Mac-only games. Those games usually don't get many ratings, but at that point that's their choice to make lol.

But, I suppose it could be done with more reshuffles, plus letting u lock platforms more.

coding-and-dragging2 years ago(+1)

Do you need a team to join?

Lee ReillyJam Host2 years ago(+4)

Nope - lots of folks (most?) participate by themselves.

YBGameDev2 years ago(+1)(-1)

Are we allowed to use a game we already created and submit it, or do we have to create a new one?

Lee ReillyJam Host2 years ago(+2)

You'll have to create a new one I'm afraid.

coding-and-dragging2 years ago

What is the prize?

snuffysamSubmitted2 years ago(+3)

The pride of a job well done (:

And, a portfolio piece, if that's something you're interested in lol

BarribobSubmitted2 years ago (1 edit)

Can we make the Github repository before the start date (no work, just initial commit) - so we can things set up with teammates

coding-and-dragging2 years ago

I think so.

Lee ReillyJam Host2 years ago

That's perfectly fine 👍🏻

merumanSubmitted2 years ago

Can we use assets bought from the marketplace? And if so, can we exclude those from the Github repository? 🤔

Lee ReillyJam Host2 years ago

That's fine - only share the assets that you're permitted to. I'd recommend making that clear in the repository's README. It'd be great if there were placeholders assets there in their place.

GouDanT2 years ago

Hi, you said there was no limit to the number of teams, so I put together a team, but they come from all over the world, and want to know what the prizes are? Is it a certificate? Or a prize or something or just no reward? Student: If it's a certificate, is it the team that entered the competition will each team have it or will it only be the highly rated work? If you win, will everyone on the team get it or? Please answer, thank you

snuffysamSubmitted2 years ago(+2)

There is no reward!

Mr baller012 years ago

Is their a specific theme for this jam?

niutp2 years ago

First line reads: "The theme for Game Off will be announced on November 1st at 13:37 PDT. Join now and be amongst the first to know the theme!" 1.5 days until start

Mr Craft2 years ago

Do you have to upload source to github?

Lee ReillyJam Host2 years ago(+1)

Yes, but don't worry - nobody will be judging your code 🙂

Roby13002 years ago

Hi, can i code in scratch?

Lee ReillyJam Host2 years ago(+3)

I think that's fine - as long as you export and share it in a GitHub repository. We once had someone submit a game in a PowerPoint file! 🤯

TheCleverCodr2 years ago

Really one in PowerPoint?

Roby13002 years ago

Ok, thanks

Ideas Per Second2 years ago

I am sure this has been asked before, but are no-code engines like Construct 3 and Game Maker allowed?

Lee ReillyJam Host2 years ago(+1)

Yeah. They should have an option to export the projects so you can share the in a GitHub repository.

SuperSunny2 years ago

can i use game maker?

Lee ReillyJam Host2 years ago

Yes you may.

Frycandle2 years ago

Some questions for those of us who have never used Github and are stressed about the requirements:

- How do we link the repository to the jam submission on itch.io, do we mention the repository link on the itch.io page?
- Will my submission be disqualified if I mess up the Github repository step? (I'll try not to)

Lee ReillyJam Host2 years ago

Hi there - great questions!

On the submission page, there'll be a link to enter your GitHub repository URL. Nobody will be disqualified for anything like that. Myself and a lot of others can help if you run into problems 👍🏻

Frycandle2 years ago

Perfect, thanks a lot!

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Lee ReillyJam Host2 years ago(+1)

Yeah, but if you have secrets (assuming you're talking about passwords / other credentials) you can leave them blank in the code/config files and maybe just leave a note in the README file. Ideally, people will be able to take entries and build them themselves.

It's probably overkill for a game jam, but GitHub has concept of secrets that you can tie to a repository depending on how you decide to build/deploy your game. My guess is that you can skip it for this though.

Skeleboy2 years ago (1 edit) (+1)

Does the theme of clichés only apply to language, like the examples on the main page imply with the use of cliché idioms, or is it clichés in general, like game tropes and mechanics?

Lee ReillyJam Host2 years ago

No - interpret it however you like. Game tropes and mechanics are great examples 👍🏻

alexy369Submitted2 years ago(+1)

Is a non english cliché allowed? given that I will put some explanation and context in the description section.

Lee ReillyJam Host2 years ago

Absolutely!

Aless12 years ago

I'm making a game with unity and I have a question about it

Do i have to put only the build on the github or my entire unity project ?

Lee ReillyJam Host2 years ago

I would recommend just the Unity project :)

nuker0s2 years ago

can we submit multiple entries?
also, I had an idea to make a random cliche generator based on the text file you provided, but I am not sure if this would qualify for the jam

Lee ReillyJam Host2 years ago

Of course. That could be fun if it was gamified. Maybe a game jam theme generator :)

whenyou772 years ago

1. What's the minimum age required to participate in the jam?
2. Does the project have to be open source?

Lee ReillyJam Host2 years ago

GitHub and itch.io users must be 13 years or older. The source must be shared in a GitHub repository but it doesn't have to be "open source" in that you can license it however you wish.

dr-vij2 years ago (1 edit)

Can some parts of sources be closed or not included (or 3d assets)? what if I use assets from asset store, or any plugins or libraries that have licenses that I cannot share?

Blaze2 years ago

Do tropes fall under the cliche category or should we focus mainly on cliches?

Lee ReillyJam Host2 years ago

That's perfectly fine.

ecas2 years ago

Are demos allowed?

Lee ReillyJam Host2 years ago(+1)

A demo of an existing game? Or a demo of some tech / gameplay you've created for Game Off? Assuming the latter, I think that's fine.

ecas2 years ago

The second, and that's great. Thanks!

jaspiorSubmitted2 years ago

Can we use a.i. generated images if we make it clear that we used it?

Lee ReillyJam Host2 years ago(+1)

I for one welcome our new AI overlords. Yes this is allowed ✓ ( I'd also love to read about it if you post details in a DevLog / README 🙂)

Madson2 years ago

Is making a retro-console game allowed? As far as I am aware it is possible to bundle it with an open source emulator, or even a browser one. Which can make it readily accessible.

About the theme. I am not sure how to use it in my game I guess I've mistaken something. It is just the title? The playability or what?

Thanks in advance.

Lee ReillyJam Host2 years ago(+1)

Absolutely! We've had at least one NES and a Gameboy game submitted in the past. You can make a cliche your game title, an object in the game, or whatever you want - tthere are some great ideas / discussions on the Discord server if you're still looking for ideas.

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Lee ReillyJam Host2 years ago

Absolutely 👍🏻

Fan222 years ago

Question about licenses, does the jam game need to have a license? because in the choosealicense.com site it says if i dont choose one, by default standard copyright rules apply to the project, which means no modifying, no copy, no distribution, etc...

I personally wanted to have a license that allows stuff like the code and even the project itself to be used, but not giving acces to the assets (music & sprites) and not be available to be sold or used for commercial purposes, but i don't know how to make that.

perey2 years ago

You can have separate licences for your code and for your assets—that’s a very common thing to do. Just include a clear statement of what licence applies to what materials.

To tell people they can use, copy, and build on your work, but only for non-commercial purposes, you might use the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC) licence. If you don’t want them building on it, but only sharing it as-is, the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) licence may suit you.

(Note that CC licences aren’t recommended for use on software. You might instead choose a share-alike/copyleft licence, like the GNU GPL. This doesn’t forbid commercial use of your work, but it does make it difficult, because it’s hard to charge money for something you can get for free elsewhere! Or you could find a licence made for the purpose—I don’t know any off the top of my head, but I’m sure they exist.)

Fan222 years ago

Thanks for the detailed explanation, quick question, how can i use these licenses? Do i just make a "License" file and copy and paste it there?

perey2 years ago(+1)

A quick question indeed, but my answer turned out a bit wordy!

TL;DR: Yes, copy and paste the licence into a licence file—but also have somewhere in your documentation, or in the files themselves, where you say “<file> is under <licence>”.

The full version…

The organisations that publish these licences have more specific guidance, and I’m no lawyer, so I recommend you look at what they have to say. But based on experience and what I usually see, you need two things: a licence statement and the licence text.

The statement is somewhere where you tell people that this file is under that licence. For text files, like source code, you can put the statement in the file itself, usually in a comment. For non-text files (or text files that don’t support comments, or for short text files you don’t want to clutter up with a licence statement), you can put it in the README or other documentation instead. Just be sure to clearly identify which files are under which licence. You can also put a licence statement into a file’s metadata, but that’s a bit more technical, both to do and to read—I wouldn’t count on users seeing a licence statement there.

What the statement says depends on the licence. For Creative Common licences, it can be pretty free-form; their licence chooser generates text like the first example below, but they have an “About CC Licenses” page that gives the second example.

<Title of work> by <author> is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

(Personally I’d go with something more like the first one, though I do like to use the abbreviations like “CC BY-SA” etc. I say that because part of the licence is that people using your work need to give you credit, so I think you should be clear about how you want to be credited.)

For the GNU GPL, they have a fairly specific guide on how to apply the GPL to your work. The licence statement basically has two parts:

Three paragraphs that you can copy and paste from their page, starting with “This program is free software…”. (There’s an alternative, slightly longer version for works spanning multiple files, basically replacing “this program” with its name instead.)

As for the licence text, you can include a complete copy of the text with your work, as you described. The GPL recommends doing this, in a file called COPYING. Other licences are often found in a file called LICENSE. (If you go this route but have different licences for different parts, I recommend giving the files more descriptive names! Or I suppose you could put every licence’s text in one big file.)

Alternatively, you can link to somewhere that recipients can read it online—CC licences are usually done this way, with the link pointing to the Creative Commons website. (CC’s licence chooser generates the right link for you.)

A final note: Websites where you publish your work—including both GitHub and itch.io—often want you to list the licence on the work’s page. Itch.io lets you choose separate code and asset licences, which is great. As far as I can tell, GitHub will try and detect what licence you’re using based on a LICENCE or COPYING file, and it’ll only list one. I wouldn’t worry too much; the information you write in your files is still the authoritative word on what licence you’re granting people.

Null-Bot9875Submitted2 years ago

Why don't I find the corresponding GitHub link in the submission Pages?😥

Jake DevSubmitted2 years ago

Hello! When sending in my project it asked for my "Source code" I don't know what they mean by this. This is the first time a jam has asked for a code so I'm confused.

Thanks

AshGirSubmitted2 years ago (1 edit)

I can't change my game after the end, but can i change the game page on the site?

PathOfLeastResistanceSubmitted2 years ago (1 edit)

Hi! It is so cool to see so many games here! But I am afraid our game has problems with difficulty of our levels. Can we change a bit a description of a game? We stopped committing to github and whole development before deadline. I have an idea, maybe I can add a video of walkthrough of the game to comments? We did not have enough time to create ingame tutorial :(

Goxie198613Submitted2 years ago

Hi there! I had a problem with changes I made during last day of submission period. I couldn push changes on GitHub because of my webgl build file in my project, so I tried to delete it after uploading game to itch.io, but changes could't fix the error I got when I try to push changes. So basicaly, my git repository contains only changes I made day before final day of submission period. I screenshoted GitHub page witch shows I tried to push changes on the last day. All this happened because I have not planned but got married during this jam. So I named game WGame