Get Ready to Jam & Toast!
Join the Tabletop Creator crew and all our friends and try your hand at creating a physical game from scratch in just one month. It may sound intimidating, but don't fret. Participants will have access to a community of experienced creatives and likeminded soon-to-be friends with a chance to win prizes. Don't be shy, come give game design a try!
How do We Jam?
Participants are tasked with creating a single-player game in just one month! The period will last from October 1st, 2024 through November 1st, 2024. During that time, create a game that fits the following criteria:
- Use Tabletop Creator to make your game. The use of outside editing programs like Photoshop are allowed, but your project should be put together and published using Tabletop Creator as part of the submission process.
- Must be a single-player game (options for cooperative play are allowed, but the primary design should be focused on a single player).
- Limit of 48 cards per design, however, cards may be any shape or size and utilized in whatever way the creator deems appropriate.
- No additional outside materials may be used in the design (tokens, markers, coins) EXCEPT two, six-sided dice.
- Game must include a rulebook as a PDF, Word, or Google Doc file. There's no limitation on page count, but be reasonable.
- Keep the design suitable for all audiences. That means NO:
- Profanity
- Nudity
- Graphic Depictions of Violence
- Don't violate any existing copyright that you don't hold the rights to yourself. That means no games based on existing IP.
- Finally, one entry per-person or team. We want everyone to have an opportunity to show off their stuff, so put your best foot forward!
Any entrees violating this criteria will be ineligible for prize consideration and endorsement from the Tabletop Creator crew.
Not sure where to start? No worries! Join the Tabletop Creator Discord to see what other people are thinking. Search for a team of up to three people to join or go on this journey solo. Additionally, there will be resources and other opportunities to help you get started on making your design a reality. We want people to learn and have fun in as stress-free a way as possible.
An Optional Theme?!?
The optional theme is: picnic.
Whatever that means to you. Picnics are events were people come together and assemble a bunch of odds and ends to enjoy good food and food times. Just like our game jam! Whether it be about the food, people or even the gingham cloth, bring this to life in your game.
Keep in mind that this will net you one whole bonus point when it comes to final judging. Don't stress if it's not for you, but for those looking for a little extra inspiration and direction, this should get those creative juices flowing.
How do we Toast?
After the jam, it's time to toast to the victor(s)! While we'd love to celebrate every entry and give everyone awesome prizes, we'll have to settle for just a few this time. Once the jam period ends, two weeks will be given to all participants to try out and vote on which games they liked the best based on the following criteria:
- Uniqueness: No game is truly original, but that doesn't mean yours shouldn't stand out from the crowd. Creative games are typically a blend of two or more ideas, so look to games that inspire you or that you really love and see what they might offer you when designing your game.
- Presentation: While we don't expect everyone to be professional graphic designers, putting a little effort into the look and feel of your game goes a long way. We suggest using Canva or other free, public domain assets to elevate your design if you can't create assets yourself. But it's not just art. Remember to polish up your cards and rulebooks to be as typo-free and grammatically correct as possible. Little things like that will make your game feel professional and polished.
- Mechanics: Games are nothing without interesting mechanics. Try and marry how your game plays with its theme. Even if you don't utilize the optional theme, capturing the "fantasy" of your game in how it plays will make it more memorable, and more importantly, fun!
- Overall: The combined average score of these categories will create the overall scoring.
The top games overall will be then played and judged by a panel appointed by the Tabletop Creator crew and winners will be announced publicly by the end of November. They will judge based on the same criteria listed above plus the bonus point for including the optional theme. Depending on the number of TOTAL entries, the prizes are as follows:
49 Participants or Less:
- One Pro License for Tabletop Creator + Promotion via Tabletop Creator Crew
- A copy of Tabletop Simulator + Promotion via Tabletop Creator Crew
- Honorable Mention & Promotion via Tabletop Creator Crew
50+ Participants:
- One Pro License for Tabletop Creator + Promotion via Tabletop Creator Crew
- One Pro License for Tabletop Creator + Promotion via Tabletop Creator Crew
- A copy of Tabletop Simulator + Promotion via Tabletop Creator Crew
All Finalists Regardless of Participant Count:
- A special surprise to be revealed at a later date
Those are some serious prizes! We'll be updating you on the current prize level as entries start coming in, so let's work together to unlock the best prizes for everyone. After all, the more the merrier. For more information, please be sure to check the submission details when submitting your game to the jam.
Meet the Judges
Why Tabletop Creator?
They're sponsoring this event for starters, but more seriously, this is a product we all believe in. We want people to be able to make their games a reality. We're dedicated to encouraging others to learn, grow and push themselves as we deliver a professional product with the tools you need to make your game idea happen. What's more, the software is compatible with Tabletop Simulator which makes playtesting, sharing, and experiencing indie board and card game creations easy and accessible.
But wait, there's more! We want everyone, and we mean EVERYONE to be able to try Tabletop Creator with no strings attached during the jam period. You'll be able to try out the complete paid version of the software. That means no limits and no restrictions. Throughout the month of October you'll be able to download a special version of the program for Windows or Mac:
We're excited to see your creations for the jam with Tabletop Creator.
What are You Waiting For? Let's Jam & Toast!
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