Welcome to the official Geekfest Top End 2023 -  Game Jam!  

We challenge NT video game developers to make a game based on the Palmerston Youth Festival Monster Mascot. (see below)

Your games will be showcased one week before  Geekfest Top End 2023 (GFTE) for voting, they will also be played and scored by the attendees of GFTE 2023, with the winners announced on the night. 

Don't worry if this is your first jam, or if you are only starting out on your game developer's journey - give it a go and see what happens! No one is expecting a polished product, and it's all about stretching yourself! The best bit is, at the end of the competition you will have learnt a lot, made some friends and have finished a game!  The NT Game Designer's Discord server is the place to head if you have questions about the jam, want to team up with other developers or want to showcase your progress! 

This event is proudly sponsored by Northern Territory, City of Palmerston and Larrikin Interactive.

IMPORTANT:

To be eligible for the prizes, you must complete the submission boxes with your details so we can get in touch (they will appear during the submission process).

 Make a game that includes the festival monster mascot!

Think of the theme as inspiration... You can interpret it in any way you want! 

There are only two rules. The first is that your game must not include any NSFW and offensive/discriminatory content. We want all the games to be playable by everyone! The second is that to be in the running for the prizes, you must be currently based in the Northern Territory and have signed up via the link above.  But if you still want to join and don't care about the prizes, that's totally fine! We welcome you!

Apart from those 2 rules, you are allowed to use any game engine or framework, you can also use assets not made by you, but make sure you have the proper license to use them and crediting is of course encouraged! Making everything from scratch is not mandatory, but if you do you get to be extra proud of yourself at the end!

Teaming up is allowed, and encouraged! Our recommendation is that you stick with 4 people maximum, otherwise, you'll have a hard time coordinating.

Participants must be 10 years and over.

Submission Close 6 July 2023 from this day people will be able to play and score your game, Then on the day of Geekfest Top End,  your games will be set up for people to play and score them! You can invite your friends and family down to play your game and talk about how you did it!

We will then announce the winners at 9 pm in the Arena at Geekfest Top End Stage. Remember that in a Game Jam, winning is not the goal! Participation and improvement are!

Generally speaking, the judges will be looking at the following:

• Innovation - Have you done something new or different? A classic mechanic in a different way or perhaps a new art style... 
• Game Play - How does a game feel to play? Hard to quantify and yet, immediately noticeable...
• Best Design (Art and/or Sound) - What is the style of the art and sound. Does it bring the game to life?
• Is there a clear love for the theme??

There is a prize pool of $1000 in total value ($250 per prize).

There are 4 prizes in total, one for each category: 

• Best Overall Game
• Most Innovative Game
• Best Design (Art and/or Sound)
• Best use of the Theme 

The categories are broad, on purpose! It means no matter what you make, from a narrative game in Twine to a top-down shooter in Unity - there is room to shine.