Let's make Sports Games!

The Creative Theme is

THE FUTURE OF SPORTS

Join us in our Opening Event on August 9th and Closing Showcase in person & on stream at twitch.tv/PIGSquad

A word on Sports games:

• The world of sports is full of vigor, showcases of skill, and tough competition... or can be as silly as you'd like! Challenge yourself to make a game that accurately represents a sport, that completely subverts an existing sport, that explores what a sport could be like under different circumstances. Or, make up a completely different sport, tell a story in a sports setting, manage a sports team - whatever inspires you!
• Baller's Gate, Ring Rascals, HupHup, and Blind Gods are good examples of past PIGSquad community projects featuring sports.   

Jam Schedule:

We will be hosting streams and other online activities to support jammers in meeting and sharing. This list will update over time. All times listed in Pacific time zone.

• August 9th, 7pm: Kickoff on Twitch and in-person
• August 26th - Submissions Due
• August 30th, 7pm: In-Person Jam Showcase - Bring your game out to share it in-person in Portland!
• September 1st - Online Jam Showcase - We're playing every game on stream!

Rules & More Details:

• Non-Portlanders are welcome to participate remotely.
• Follow PIGSquad on social media channels for consistent updates on team forming, events, workshops, and other opportunities. Tweet at @PIGSquad with your progress and we'd love to share!
• If you'd like to contribute to the jam theme, suggesting & voting is exclusive to our Patreon members - learn more here!
• All participants, in person or remote, must follow PIGSquad's Code of Conduct. As a general rule, please keep entries "PG-13" or younger. No nsfw content.
• Games made with or featuring Generative AI (large language models, stable diffusion, AI image/art generators) will not be accepted. The purpose of these jams are to encourage collaboration with other real people that share common interests and/or push yourself to learn new skills.
• Do not police submissions or make fun of / talk down on jam submissions or jammers' ideas in PIGSquad channels or otherwise. Our goal as a community is to uplift creative collaboration and learning.
• We encourage you to jam with new people or on a team, but it is not required. We will be providing resources for team forming at the jam kickoff and throughout the jam timeline for those who want to jam based on the theme.
• This jam is not a competition and is not judged.
• Please don't crunch! We host game jams over extended periods of time and like having open conversations with jammers about scoping projects to encourage a healthy outlook on creative production schedules. If you need help scoping, please reach out.
• Jammers retain full ownership of the games they make during PIGSquad jams.
• Late submissions or submission updates can be accepted, just get in touch with an organizer. Please note that games must be updated on your itch page multiple days before the showcase if you'd like the updated version of your game to be played at the jam showcase - we do not take requests for game updates the day before or the day of the online showcase. You are welcome to update your game at any point after your jam submission regardless of when the showcase is.
• Sticking to the theme is encouraged, but not mandatory - if you have an idea you'd like to pursue that branches from the theme, we encourage you to make that game!
• We will be removing spam submissions from the entries that are clearly submission bombing to multiple jams or otherwise.
• Thanks to Ika for creating our header art! Check out her work at https://ikazilla.com/.

We have a new "How To Jam" guide if you'd like some great recommendations for how to spend your time and make the most out of the event :)

Summer Slow Jams:

Each summer, game makers get together to make a game project with friends and community members in a few weeks! Summer Slow Jams is a collection of game jam events happening once a month this summer, providing structure and networking opportunities for creatives in Portland and remote participants. Participate in a jam to finish a creative project, learn new things, meet new people, and share your work!

Creative themes are delivered during each kick off event then shared online, and developers are able to showcase their game jam projects at each closing event in Portland, OR (or online). In between the dates of the kick off and closing showcase, you are encouraged to meet up with others using online channels to complete a game over whatever in-jam time period you see fit: take it slow if you need!

For more information about how to participate in Summer Slow Jams, visit pigsquad.com/summerslowjams. Summer Slow Jams this year include Resource Management Games in June, Random Generation Games in July, and Sports Games in August.

Tweet with the hashtag #summerslowjams and PIGSquad will retweet screenshots, video uploads, and blog posts of jam games while you're working on your games!

The Portland Indie Game Squad is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to supporting the health and continued expansion of game developer and enthusiast communities in Portland, the Pacific Northwest, and online. We provide events, resources, and networking activities for art and technology creatives. Learn more at PIGSquad.com.

To play more games made at Portland Indie Game Squad jams, visit our itch collections!