GULL JAM SPRING 2018

The SU Indies are hosting Salisbury University's first ever Game Jam! From 6:00PM on Friday, April 13 to 6:00PM on Sunday, April 15. Student participants will have those 48 hours to make either a board game or a video game from start to finish either by themselves or as part of a team.  The game will be required to fit a certain theme which will be announced when the jam begins! This year, we'll be hosted by the wonderful Fulton Art Gallery on campus for those who need a collaborative space to work during the weekend.

BE SURE YOU HAVE SIGNED THE GOOGLE FORM AT THIS LINK!

If you would like to work as part of a team but do not have a team to work with, we will try to provide one for you. Be sure you fill out the Google Form Linked above!

First Game Jam-

This Is Great Advice That Everyone Participating Should Watch (Made For a Different Game Jam)

Here Are Examples of Games That Are Possible in 48 Hours

Theme - 

BINGO!

NOTE: THERE IS A TYPO ON THE BOARD! The top right cell should read Any of Buzzfeed's 50 Best Jaden Smith Tweets of 2015

• The bingo board above has features and descriptions in each of its cells. For your game to fit the theme, your theme must have all of the features of at least one horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line of cells.
• The free space is just that, it's FREE! You complete the free space's requirements just by submitting a game.
• You can attempt to implement as many features from the board as you want. You can implement features that aren't on the board if you want. You can even attempt to include every single feature on the board if you want (though we wouldn't recommend it).
• How do you know if your game sufficiently has the feature requested? That's open to interpretation. Be as literal as possible. Be as metaphorical as possible. When you submit, you'll get the opportunity to explain how your game fits the theme.
• Need an example? If you made a game where you and your friends are working together as a team of rubber ducks that have to defend against Space Mufasa and his army of bee-wizard lions as they invade the Arctic, that would fit the theme. If you made a game where you are setting fires in a frozen forest in winter to keep the family you love warm, that would fit the theme. The vertical and horizontal lines are meant to be the easier. The diagonals are meant to be a true challenge. If you want to want one of the examples we just listed, go for it!

Jam Rules  -

1. ALL JAM PARTICIPANTS MUST FILL OUT THE GOOGLE FORM FOUND AT THE LINK ABOVE OR HERE
2. All submissions, assets, and code must be created/implemented after the Jam begins. We'll expect this rule to run on an honor system.
3. Any use of licensed materials may be unable to projected at the Fulton Art Gallery. Any royalty free, open source, or otherwise freely available material is perfectly fine so far as all credit is given to the original creators.
4. Any submissions disparaging others or the work of others will be disqualified, and the participants banned.
5. All participants will be allowed to vote on submissions to the Jam after it ends.
6. To be displayed on the art gallery's main projectors and voted on, a game must be minimally playable with a mouse and keyboard.
7. You may sign up to make a game by yourself or as part of a team of up to 3. If you do not have a team, we will do our best to match you with one.
8. You can make any kind of game you want, so long as it fits with the theme and can be presented to others. Board games, card games, platformers, racing games, text-based adventures, etc.

Judging Criteria (Borrowed from GMTK Game Jam 2017) -

Submissions will be judged based on five categories, each worth 20% of a total score.

• Innovation — "The unexpected. Things in a unique combination, or something so different it’s notable." –Ludum Dare
• Theme — How well an entry suits, subverts, or otherwise creatively approaches the theme
• Aesthetics — The effectiveness of the visual and/or audible style
• Feel — Juice, tight controls, ambiance, or anything else that provides an experience with feeling 
• Overall — General impressions of the submission as a whole

Some Helpful Do's and Don't's -

• DO be sure to get plenty of rest both before and during the event. Take breaks when you need to and get some sleep. DON'T try to work straight through the 48 hours at any cost. This is supposed to be a fun event. DON'T burn yourself out for the remainder of the Jam, or for class on Monday. You'd be amazed how much more efficiently you'll work if you're well rested. And some problems are much easier to solve if you've walked away from them for a bit. DO take care of yourself.
• DO feel free to start thinking of ideas or practicing techniques you want to use in the Jam. It doesn't hurt. DON'T start actually making anything until the Jam starts on the 13th. You won't know the theme until then, and it's against the spirit of the Jam anyway.
• DON'T be afraid to ask for help, even from other teams. Everyone is trying to work towards the same challenge and learn what they can, and everyone is bringing different experience and ideas to the table. DO be respectful of others' time though as they have their own game to make. And be sure to give them credit where you can.
• DON'T try to make Super Player Unknown's Smash League of the Call of the God of Halofield Kart 64: Breath of the Zero Underdawnwatch Wars... Revelations. It would take more than two years to make that game. You have two days. DO keep your game manageable. Everyone would rather play a game that's really good but too short, than a game that's really not but too long.
• DO test everything you make early and often. Test to see if it's fun and test to see if it works. If you are doing any programming for the first time, this is especially important. DON'T wait until one hour before your game is due to find out that something that will take hours to fix isn't working.
• DON'T spend too much time brainstorming. Settle on an idea that will be feasible to complete in the 48 hours and get to it. You want to make a game, not plan a game. DO record your ideas in a separate document or in a notebook. Anything you don't use this time, you can add to the game after the jam, or add to the sequel, or add to something you make later.

• DO have fun! DON'T not have fun.

Some Helpful Links

Unity (An Easy to Use Game Engine)

Game Maker Studio (An EASIER TO USE Game Engine. Perfect for Beginner Programmers. Can  Also Be Used With No Code)

Construct2 (Click and Drag Game Engine. No Programming Required)

Twine (Engine for Text-Based Games. No Programming Required)

Any Question You Will Ever Need Answered (Seriously, try it)

Any Tutorial You Will Ever Need to Watch (No really. It's all here.)

Basics of Pixel Animation (With Animated Reference Gifs. Just keep scrolling down.)

Free 8-Bit Sound Effect Maker

Email any questions or concerns to salisburyindies@gmail.com with "Gull Jam Spring 2018" in the subject line.