Let's take a trip down memory lane and make some retro games! From the original gameboy, to N64, PS1, or even PS2, let your imagination run wild!
Maybe it's lowpoly, with terrible lighting (in a good way), or it's cutting edge playstation graphics from the age before decade long game development cycles. Anything goes before the era of PS3, and Xbox 360! Let the nostalgia guide you!
The winning team gets 50 bucks!
Additional Constraint: TBD (Announced at start)
Some Resource
Sprite & Model References (Use responsibly)
Godot
- Godot 3-point texture filter Shader
- Project source code geared to N64 graphic
- CRT TV Shaders
- PS1 Template
Unity
Unreal Engine
- EvilReflex Discord (You have to join this guys discord, but he has some really good Unreal templates he's made)
General Resources
Rules
- When is the game JAM?
- Start date --> January 10th 12:00 AM EST
- End date--> February 14th 12:00 AM EST (5 weeks long)
- There is a week long voting period that lasts a week
- starting --> February 14th 12:00 AM EST
- End date--> February 21st 12:00 AM EST
- The winning team gets 50 bucks split among team members
- Maximum of 5 people on a team!
- Do I have to follow the additional constraint/theme?
- Yes, the constraint is required. This is intended to keep people from making a game before the game jam period.
- Games should be made in the style of old retro consoles. Do you have to follow the theme?
- Well no, but then why would you enter a Retro console jam?
- Does your game have to run on an emulator?
- No it does not, make it as accessible for other participants as possible, browser, Windows, and Linux are all preferred. Strongly recommend windows or a browser version.
- Can i enter an emulator N64/PS1/GBA/ETC game to the jam?
- Yes, but make sure you include instructions on how to run it, and the emulator it is designed to work on. In the past we've had issues running emulator games.
- Use any game engine you would like to use, some options if this is your first game jam
- Unreal Engine (3D and 2D) (I don't recommend using Unreal Engine 5 as a beginner, I would start with Unreal 4)
- Unity (3D, and 2D)
- Godot (3D, and 2D) (Use Godot 3.5 as a beginner, Godot 4 is in beta)
- pygame (library, primarily 2D)
- GameMaker (Primarily 2D)
- GB Studio for Gameboy Games
- All work MUST be your own, or you are allowed to use it.
- That means no copyrighted materials unless it is permitted under the license. Just use some common sense, if it's ripped from another game, probably not a good idea to use it. When using models you didn't make look for CC0, MIT, and other permissible licenses.
- I'm not going to take your work down if you don't follow this advice. I'm just trying to help keep you from having your work removed by some angry company.
Judging Criteria
- Theme
- Unexpected mechanics
- Visuals
- Sound
- Uniqueness
- Cohesiveness
- Anybody can vote on entries in the jam, please don't abuse it. You're not winning a million dollars here, mostly bragging rights.
- And as always, don't be a jerk. I don't want to have to kick anybody out.
- Console Generations: PS2, N64, PS1, Gameboy, etc. I'm probably forgetting something, if it's not here, but it's an old console, it's fine to emulate!
- Why no PS3 or Xbox 360? Some of the graphics still hold up, and look super realistic. I just don't feel like that fits the spirit of a retro style graphics jam.
- Do I have to follow the theme?
- If you don't the Retro Game Dev gods will probably curse you and any future born children with a terrible art curse forever. And if you're game is really that against the spirit of the jam, I may remove it.
- Games MUST be made within the jam period.
- If you want to work on some art ahead of time, or get character movement working, that's fine. But if you make an entire game ahead of time, you risk having to pivot to fit the jam constraint when it's announced. Will I remove games made outside the jam period? Probably not, but it's just not that fun if you're whole game was made ahead of time, and it increases the chances of it being removed.