Welcome to the Interactive Story Jam Season 2.5!

We are inviting everyone to create and share interactive stories using Spinoff, a super easy-to-use mobile app for interactive storytelling. Our jams usually run longer, but we have decided to host a short one before the end of the year — hence calling it season 2.5, not 3. This is a free theme Jam.

Do you want to create a game but without writing codes? 🕹
Do you want to share your work and meet with like minded people? 📚
Do you feel the itch to write your own story but feel too pressured? 😫

This jam is for you.

Because of the shorter jam duration, we thought it would be nice to limit the length of the games. Ideally, the games will have around 5 minutes of playtime for one ending, though, of course, this is not a strict restriction.

Here are some short story samples you can create with Spinoff.

Also, check out our past game jams: Season 1, Season 2.

• Please note that Spinoff is an iOS app. The Android version will not be ready for this jam.

1. You must use Spinoff to create your game.  

2. Use at least one ‘Choice’ or ‘Hotspot’ component in the game.  

3. Do not include any offensive, discriminatory, or explicit content.  

4. Contents must be in English. You are welcome to add translations though!

5. Only use assets that you have the right to use.  

6. The submission period will last 20 days, after which 6 days of the public voting period will follow. No submission after the deadline!

7. The top three winners and the runners-up will be selected based on the team’s evaluations and the voting results. For People's choice, please refer to the FAQ.

8. While multiple submissions are allowed, one participant is eligible only for a single prize.

9. Any personnel directly or indirectly related to Spinoff Interactive are not allowed to participate.

10. The games submitted to past jams cannot be resubmitted.

• 1st Place

  $500 USD

• 2nd Place

  $400 USD

• 3rd Place

  $300 USD

• Runners-Up

  $100 USD each, up to 10 participants

• People's Choice

  $200 USD

The top three winners will be chosen as below.

• Once the submission period ends, the games will be open to public voting for six days. Any abnormal voting behaviors, such as the use of bots, will be penalized.

• Once the voting period ends, the team will evaluate each game and announce the winners on Monday, Dec 19th, at 6 pm. 

• We will send the rewards using Paypal. If you do not have access to Paypal, please let us know. You are responsible for the transaction fees and taxes.

Step 1. Download the Spinoff app from the App Store.

Step 2. Create an awesome game.

Step 3. Publish your game in the Spinoff app. Make sure to set it public and add the hashtag. #spinoffeventmini

Step 4. Download the HTML file for your game.  Now for a small challenge. Not being too sure about this feature, we hid it as an easter egg in the app. 😱 Let's see what you've got. Hint: try shaking your phone in [Spinoff app - My - published - game detail page].
*For iPad and Mac users: Wait, isn’t it too heavy to shake your device? Just long-press the thumbnail for more than two seconds!

Step 5. Upload your game with HTML file on itch.io.

Step 6. Submit your project using the button at the top of this Jam page.

Step 7.  Tag your game with any hashtag as you see fit. (#visualnovel, #interactive story, #narrative, #spinoff, etc.)

Step 8. All set. Recheck the submission list!

Games will be rated based on the following criteria.

• The Fun Factor

 Did you enjoy the game?

• Originality/Creativity

Was the story interesting and creative?

• Presentation

Was the story delivered cohesively?

• How does the "People's Choice" work?

People’s Choice will be selected based on:

1. the votes received during the 6-day voting period, and
2. the number of likes received in the Spinoff app, as below.

[final adjusted score] * ( [number of votes] + [number of likes in the app] )

Note that all likes received until the end of the voting period will be counted toward evaluation.

• Can I charge for my submission?

Your games must be available for free during the Jam. You can add a price once the Jam is over.

• Who owns my game or submission?

We claim no ownership of the games that you submit. However, we reserve the right to use all or part of your submission for promotional purposes.

• Where can I go for help?

Post your question to the Q&A topic pinned on the Community tap. Feel free to create a new topic if needed. You will find other useful information such as team building, feedback, and other issues.

We also made a discord server as below. We are still in the process of setting it up, though. Please do join, but treat it as an alpha stage product :)
https://discord.gg/svbV8MwmZ2 

• Is there a place where I can learn more about using the editor?

There is a detailed help section in the app [Spinoff app - Editor - menu - help].  Also, there is an interactive tutorial in the app that walks through all major features of the editor.

<Editor Specifications>

• Submissions: Thursday the Nov 24th at 10:00 am ~ Tuesday the Dec 13th at 10:00 pm. (PT)

• Rating: Tuesday the Dec 13th at 10:00 pm ~ Sunday the Dec 18th at 6:00 pm. (PT)

• Winners Announced: Monday the Dec 19th at 6:00 pm.