A JAM ABOUT WORLDS WE CANNOT FULLY PERCEIVE

Make a game that explores something profound, yet mundane. Something not fully perceived, yet not entirely hidden from our senses. 

This theme is less concrete than past Otter Jam Themes. What are "unseen worlds?" They are multitude. "Unseen" worlds CAN be glimpsed- but only with curiosity, effort, collaboration, and technology. For example, watching a video of a whale fall under the sea or a light microscope recording of a waterbear are both moments in time when a hidden world becomes "seen." And video games, which themselves contain hidden worlds of code, are a good medium for exploring the concept. Here are just a few "unseen worlds" as examples, if you need some: 

Microcosmos :

We are all aware of germ theory, and we know microscopic animals live all around us (and inside us). Yet without a microscope, we cannot see this world, even as it's fate is so intimately linked with our "macro world." This could include everything from viruses and bacteria to the realm of insects. Now we often think of "germs" as being bad- but this is a bias fueled by ignorance and fear. The majority of germs do nothing but underpin the entire ecosystem of earth and make large multicellular life (like us) possible in the first place. 

Cosmic Space:

The vast emptiness of space we can glimpse is sublime- terrifying while deeply alluring. Just as the world of the very small challenges the limits of our senses and intelligence, the grand universe we live in continues to conceal its true nature from us. What is really out there, and how far can we see into space- and even back in time? 

Animal Perspectives:

Even as we use science to investigate what the sensory abilities of other animals, we can never fully know what their internal emotional lives are like. What does birdsong sound like to a bird? What does human speech sound like to a bird? What does a wasp know? And so on.  

Deep Sea: 

While this topic was explored in the second Otter Jam, it also counts as an "unseen world." Strange creatures live down there in darkness, thriving despite insane pressure, freezing temperatures, and very creative predators. 

Virtual Worlds:

The internet, while much more "domesticated" than years past, is still a place with many mysterious corners and seeming dead ends. "Dead Internet Theory" suggests that much of what we see online is not true human interaction, but part of a bot world. Who and what is real online? The "deep web" could also be considered an unseen world if you are willing to consider the "surface net" as something "seen." 

You may explore any "unseen world" of your choosing, those are just a few examples. However, your game must somehow investigate the overall concept to be part of this jam! 

NOVEMBER 9 - 20th 2024 - Week Long Game Jam!

YOU HAVE ONE WEEK TO MAKE YOUR GAME - DEVELOP GAME ONLY DURING JAM - AND THEN A FEW DAYS TO PLAY GAMES & VOTE - CREATING GAME DESIGN CONCEPTS BEFOREHAND IS PERMITTED  - ANYONE CAN PARTICIPATE - SOLO OR TEAM- ANY TYPE OF GAME IS ALLOWED- DIGITAL - ANALOG- ETC

Submissions open Saturday November 9th

Submissions close Saturday November 16th

Gameplay live stream over Discord, Monday November 18th during Game Design II class at 6pm pacific time

Voting ends Wednesday November 20th at noon thirty pacific time

Winners announced over Discord, Wednesday November 20th in Game Design II class at 6pm pacific time

Otter Jam 2024 Worlds Unseen DISCORD - JOIN NOW!

SPEAKERS: SPEAKING SESSIONS TIME TBA!

Katie Green (game jam host, artist, educator)

Graeme Devine (game developer, programmer, educator) 

GAMEPLAY LIVE STREAM: Monday, November 18th 6pm pacific time.

Game Design II class and Katie Green will stream live gameplay of all submitted Unseen Worlds! games.

WINNERS CEREMONY LIVESTREAM: November 20th 6pm pacific time. 

Unseen Worlds! winners announced Wednesday during Game Design II.

PRIZES TBA! There will be 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. Participants vote. No judges.

- Prizes will be game design equipment, hopefully with $$$ value.

- Games that do not adhere to the theme or are not made for Otter Jam 2024 will be removed from Jam submissions before submissions close.

- Prizes UNAVAILABLE to those outside of the United States. International developers can participate in the contest but cannot not receive a prize.

Check out previous OTTER JAMS: