WELCOME!
LoJam returns on Saturday November 2nd 2024! This amazing week-long game jam aims to help grow the game development scene in London, Ontario and welcomes all who wish to take part, be they beginners, hobbyists, students, or professionals! We're excited to build on the successes of recent years (2023, 2022, 2020).
If you haven't already registered to attend, please do so now on our Eventbrite page! This year we're offering two types of tickets:
GENERAL ADMISSION
There's a ton of amazing energy in the room during a game jam, and endless opportunities to meet like-minded developers. So for those who wish to take part in-person, this ticket allows for entry to the TechAlliance building in downtown London, where you'll find plenty of workstation space to setup and develop your project. You can also be an audience member during the Keynote, Showcase, Prize-giving and all workshops! We'll even provide a catered lunch on both days.
VIRTUAL ADMISSION
If you aren't able to secure an in-person ticket, or simply have a preference or need to take part from home, then we also offer (free!) virtual participation! Virtual attendees can work individually or in teams, same as in-person guests. Our Keynote will be live-streamed (Zoom link) so you can hear the theme announcement, and you can still tune in to many of the workshops.
VENUE
TechAlliance - 333 Dufferin Avenue, Unit A, London, ON. N6B 1Z3 [Google Maps]
Please note: no parking available on site. There is metered parking on Dufferin Ave (and surrounding streets), and an underground Impark lot (City Hall - Lot #32) a two minute walk away.
Co-working here is also available (for those with in-person tickets) on Monday (4th), Wednesday (6th) and Thursday (7th) this week! 9am-5pm. Just email [sarah.edmundson <at> techalliance.ca] to let her know when you plan to drop by!
SCHEDULE
LoJam follows a week-long format (that we've run for over two years now), in which we meet over two consecutive Saturdays. Our hope is that this better fits in with everyones busy lives, and also encourages a less crunch-like approach to game dev, as the wider industry is moving to support better work-life balance. So here's how we've broken it down for this year:
Saturday November 2nd:
Day One will primarily be for coming together, forming teams, hearing about the theme and developing an initial concept (we also hope to offer some drop-in sessions from industry mentors throughout the afternoon). After which you'll have a full week to work on your games, at whatever times and locations best suit you! Note: for those who still want the challenge of building something in under 48 hours, we'll keep a separate prize category just for you! Detailed breakdown:
- 10:00 AM - Doors open! Arrive and setup your stations, meet and greet other jammers, form teams if you haven't already! Coffee and pastries provided.
- 11:00 AM - [Recording] Keynote address, message from our sponsors, and theme reveal.
- 12:00 PM - Catered lunch – pizzas and sodas, plus fresh fruit and vegetables!
- 12:30 PM - Portrait Studio – Get a professional résumé / LinkedIn profile photo taken for free! (until 2:00 PM)
- 1:00 PM - [Recording] Drop-in Session 1: "Intro to Collision Basics" with Caleb
- 2:00 PM - [Recording] Drop-in Session 2: "Worlds Without Limits: An Introduction to Procedural Generation" with Ren
- 3:00 PM - [Recording] Drop-in Session 3: "Mastering YouTube and Breaking into the Games Industry" with Dustin
- 4:00 PM - [Recording] Drop-in Session 4: "The Fun of Fantasy Consoles: Intro to Pico-8" with Ethan
- 6:00 PM - End of Day One
Saturday November 9th:
Day Two will be more for showing off your games! We'll still begin with our typical Showcase event during which each team can present their games, but after that everyone will have plenty of time to grab some lunch and wander around and play-test one another's games and give feedback. We'll also have some guest judges from the games industry giving feedback too, after which we'll present prizes! Detailed breakdown:
- 10:00 AM - Doors open! Catered breakfast – coffee and pastries. Come and setup your demo area.
- 11:00 AM - [Zoom] Showcase in the main room. Each team will present their game trailer and talk about what they made, why they made it, and the challenges/lessons learned along the way.
- 12:30 PM - Catered lunch
- 1:00 PM - Play-test session begins, meet and chat with other teams/developers, play their games and provide feedback!
- 3:00 PM - [Zoom] Prize giving and Closing Ceremonies
- 4:00 PM - End of LoJam 2024 - Wrap party at Crabby Joes Bar & Grill - 276 Dundas St, London, ON N6B 1T6 [Google Maps]
THEME
"Obstacles do not block the path, they are the path"
RULES
You're welcome to use any tools / technologies / game engines you wish, but all assets (code, art and sound) should be created during the game jam. We strongly discourage the use of any premade assets, but if you must use them that's okay but you must credit the original creator on your submission page!! And while we acknowledge the merit in proficiency with generative AI, for this game jam we are prohibiting the use of any AI-generated code, art or sound. Also, please be respectful of your fellow jammers - no harassment or divisive behaviour.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
One person from each team should create a submission page for their game through this itch.io portal (and each non-submitting team member should register themselves as a co-contributor on their team's page)
You should give your team (and your game!) a name, a description, and please upload at least a screenshot, but ideally a short screen recording of it in action! Consider this your 'gameplay trailer'. We recommend using a free tool such as OBS Studio or FRAPS to perform the screen recording - our volunteers can guide you through this if necessary - but please no longer than 3 minutes! This video will play during the showcase event. Remember, all the other jammers will get a chance to play your game, but this is your chance to 'hook them' and encourage them to come check it out during the play-test session! So be sure to include every aspect of your game that you want to show off!
If you also wish to upload a playable (or downloadable) version of your game that is great! But not required. Any questions about this process please ask one of our volunteers.
PRIZES
We have some amazing prizes to give out this year, including:
- Steam gift cards
- An awesome selection of Xbox games and merch!
And we have multiple prize categories:
- Judge's Choice (Games Industry) - Decided by a panel of games industry veterans
- Best in Art
- Best in Audio
- Best in Game Mechanics
- Most Creative Use of Theme
- People's Choice - Voted for by every jammer during the final showcase, this is the game that receives the highest overall score.
GENERAL ADVICE
- Pre-install any large tools / technologies / game engines onto your machine before the event
- Get plenty of rest the night before!
- Take plenty of breaks - your schedule is entirely your own!
- Connect with us via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Discord
- Most importantly, have fun!
SPONSORS
We wouldn't be able to run LoJam without the amazing support of our sponsors!
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