MERRY CHRISTMAS, GAMERS!

Yes, I said "Christmas", not "Holiday". Deal with it.

Ladyfingers and Frigidaires! This is Timothy Green for TGif Gamer, and I'm doing it again... for Christmas! That's right, folks! Since I did so well on my last Jam... Well, er, yeah. Not really.

BUT! I'm giving you guys another chance - and plenty of time to join, this time! This Christmas season, make the best game you can and send it my way!

📑RULES OF THE JAM📑

The rules are as follows:

• It's gotta be safe-for-work. Some suggestiveness and implied violence is okay, as well as mild cuss words like "damn" or "hell", but PLEASE don't show porn, don't add a lot of gore and blood, don't use strong language (mainly F-bombs, S-bombs, or slurs). NSFW submissions will automatically disqualify you from the Game Jam.

• There is no set theme; most anything goes! It doesn't even have to be Christmas-themed! However, if you really want my vote, it's gotta be a game that I can appreciate. I don't have an all-time favorite genre, but I can point out some of my favorite games, which include SteamWorld Heist, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening (the Game Boy versions, not necessarily the Switch version, though it's all right, I guess), Myst (yes, even RealMyst), Riven (haven't tried the new one, yet), OlliOlli/OlliOlli 2, all the NES Mega Man titles, Garry's Mod, Crypt of the Necrodancer, and Portal/Portal 2.

• The less time it takes for you to complete your game and have it playable, the better! I want to see how well you can make a game in as short of time as possible. That said, don't submit games in too short a time, as I may suspect that you cheated. 48 hours is a good minimum time, though you can take the rest of the Game Jam and have it submitted before the Jam's end, if you like.

• It needs to be able to be run on Windows or Linux - preferably both. Although I do have an Analogue Pocket, it would be good if it can run without that needed. Web-based games are okay, but have a downloadable version available so we can all own a copy.

• Please don't use AI Image Generation or stock content (like from Pixabay) in your game! All assets should be made for your game. There is one exception -  you can use another game developer's assets, especially if they're on itch.io as well, but make sure that they are aware of your game, you have the proper permissions to use their assets, and the creators of such assets are properly credited within your work.

• Have Discord ready, because I'm sending you an invite. TGif Gamer Discord is where I will be sending out prizes. If you don't do Discord, then why did you join the Game Jam?!? 🤨 Discord is absolutely free to use, with options for subscriptions and paid perks that aren't really necessary (but can make your profile look cool if you can afford it). As for TGif Gamer, it's a cool place to hang out and talk games, tech, and even Godly values (Yep, I'm a Christian, but not your typical go-to-church-on-Sunday kind of guy. If that bothers you, then don't join, but I promise won't bite your head off if you're not a Christian! 🙏🏻)

• DO NOT SUBMIT YOUR GAME UNTIL YOU ARE READY TO HAVE IT VOTED ON!!! Once a game is submitted, it is LOCKED IN until the Jam is over. Please make sure you have a fully-functional game (with at least 80% of the content the way you like it, and with most bugs ironed out) BEFORE submitting to the Game Jam. That said, I will allow for incomplete projects, but if you submit such, please inform any players about what to expect in updates made after the Jam is over.

• (Optional) Here's an extra challenge! Add something Christmas-y! Santa, reindeer, trees, snowmen, elves, a manger, gremlins, misfit toys, stars, wise men, dumb men, wise women... Yeah, I dunno. Just whatever you think might be appropriate.

Any submissions will be removed if they do not meet the minimum requirements, and any submitters who do not follow the rules needed by December 20th will be disqualified. The Jam owner reserves the right to automatically disqualify any one submitter at any time, especially if they are trolling, using hateful speech, flaming, trafficking, found impersonating another individual, or purposefully submitting poor quality or distasteful content.

🤑PRIZES🤑

To be determined! Feel free to suggest prizes. If you want to send me codes, however, please DM me through Discord.

🤔Have more ideas of how to make this Game Jam (and future ones by me) better? If I think of other prizes to add, I'll let you guys know. I'm also willing to accept suggestions - leave a comment in the community tab of this Jam. As of right now, I can't give out cash prizes, but I'm willing to offer codes and links to digital goods (as long as it isn't from scam sites).

Let me remind you: All entries must be submitted BEFORE December 20th. Only submitters, contributors, and Tim himself can vote on the games. Voting begins after the submission period ends, and a winner will be decided on December 23rd.

The purpose of this Game Jam is not just to award prizes, but to (hopefully) get other people's games noticed. This is a beginner-friendly Jam - if you've never developed games, or want to sharpen your skills, this is the Jam for you! 😁