When are submissions accepted?
You can submit projects between June and October. The games must be created within that time frame; any games created before June are not permissible. Submissions will close at 11:59pm GMT on October 31st.
How should my game incorporate the theme?
The main theme of the game should be focused around mental health.
During the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health conversations grew significantly within communities and amongst peers. It almost acted as a catalyst for further mental health discussion. It was throughout that time that many people felt more able to share their stories and experiences. That doesn't mean your game must explicitly be around COVID-19, but instead incorporates themes in which were felt during that time in relation to our mental health.
Can we be part of multiple teams/submit multiple games?
Yes, you can, as long as they are all made within the timeframe (June-October).
What counts as a team member?
Anyone integral to the game development should be counted within the team.
This does not extend to small favours in support of your game however, e.g. If I let a friend or family member, or someone on Twitter play it to gauge how fun it is / its emotional impact, or ask a friend to record a couple of pre-written voice lines, they shouldn't be classed as a member of the team.
Can I use AI?
Games using AI generated art or music are not permitted. Human written algorithms that don't use training data are permissible.
Who can take part?
Game Dev Champions is for people just starting their career in the games industry, to qualify you must not work within the industry or have only done so for 2 years or less. This does not apply if your current role is different to the one you will take on for the jam.
What category should a mixed-age group apply for?
If any member of your team is over 24, you are no longer eligible for the 18-24 category and must instead submit for 25+.
Will real-life experiences be able to be creatively reinterpreted, modified, metaphors and fantastical elements added?
Yes! You're welcome to get creative and tell stories in ways you think will work well.
What counts as a premium or paid asset?
Disqualifiable assets include:
• Art and Sound (e.g. Sprites, Models, Animations, Sound effects, Music) that requires a paid licence to use.
• Code running in the final game (at runtime) that was paid for or included in something that was paid for. (e.g. Premium engine licences, paid developers, premium plugins that inject code to be executed at runtime)
Permitted assets include:
• Software used in the creation of assets (e.g. Photoshop, Aseprite, Maya)
• Code used to generate assets that does not require the code to be executed while the game is running. (e.g. Perlin Noise, Particle Effects)
• Game engines that are free to use for non-commercial projects (e.g. Unity, Unreal, GameMaker)