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Can I submit a game that I finished recently before the jam started?

A topic by Synzorasize created Apr 16, 2021 Views: 155 Replies: 3
Viewing posts 1 to 2

I have a game that I am focusing on currently. And I started developing the game sometime in the beginning of January but released it at the end of March. So I released it exactly two weeks before the jam started. So now I was looking for jams that allowed games not made within the timeframe but there were almost none. I just wanted to be part of a jam, you know, without having to start a game from scratch, lol.

Basically, I am terrible at time management (why else would it take me like, three months to finish a platformer of all games? Lol) so I wouldn't be able to finish in nine days, I'm pretty sure. Or at least not without reusing a ton of assets, maybe every asset in my game? Also considering my interests wander a lot. When I am really focused on something, I absolutely hate it if someone asks me to break that focus and do something else. But after a day of focusing on one thing in particular, I don't want to do that thing again for the next few days (even if I have to finish by a deadline) and do something else completely different, and now obsessed with that. Rinse and repeat. I am definitely not jam-material, haha.

I also don't want to create a bunch of new games which I might not update due to me focusing on my main game. I could probably try reusing their mechanics in future games but oh well. So I am updating my platformer every few days and all. So I want to know if I am still eligible? I  can still be in accordance with the theme if I create mirror-themed levels, I think? Maybe five mirror-themed levels would be okay.

Host

In general that's the whole point of participating in the jam - create something during the jamming period. I'm not sure what's the point of trying to squeeze an unrelated game to a random jam - win prizes? Even if you create some content that uses the theme, I don't think it will have a huge chance of placing high if that is going to be put there forcibly.

I'm open to discuss this though - convince me it make any sense :)

Well, yes, I know. I am not really interested in prizes or placing high, since I doubt I'd be able to claim them anyway (I don't have a checking account of my own). I just want to get feedback for my game and see if people like it or not. I guess I can try making a duplicate version of my game where the levels are mirrored and there are two players? It would probably be easier for me to make than creating everything from scratch. And it would still follow the theme. Though I am not sure. The best I would probably be able to do is create an unoriginal prototype, I think since I wouldn't have enough time anyway, and people probably won't rate it that high.

Host

Fair enough - feel free to submit the version of the game that implements the theme. You can also join our Discord and ask for feedback there as well.