When it comes to what kind of game you can make, we’re ultimately looking for games that are suitable for a general audience and that are really easy for people to download, play, and judge. With that in mind... 

• What can I make my game in? 
  You must produce a digital computer game that runs on Windows - or web browsers supported by Windows. If you like, you can support additional platforms (such as Mac or mobile), but a Windows/browser build is necessary. The game file needs to be uploaded to itch.io when you submit it. 

  You can make your game in whatever engine, programming language, or software you like. We recommend engines such as Unity, Unreal Engine, GameMaker, Godot, Construct, etc. You may use engines designed for specific genres, such as RPG Maker or Adventure Game Studio, but we don't recommend it as the Nova Jam is intended for making games with brand-new concepts and gameplay mechanics. 

• IMPORTANT NOTES

  • You can not make games for consoles.
  • You can not require the user to download additional software from external sources (so no ROMs for emulators or games for Roblox. If your game requires additional files (like DLLs), they should be included in the download and not require separate installation).
  • You can not require the user to print things out (so no board or card games).
  • You can not require the user to have hardware beyond a keyboard and mouse (so no VR games, webcam games, and no controller-only games).
  You can not create games containing NSFW content, nudity, etc.
  • Refrain from making online/local multiplayer games.
  • The itch.io file limit is 1GB. You can compress your game as a ZIP, RAR, or 7Zip file (ZIP is preferred).

We try not to put limitations on what people can make as long as it fits the eligibility discussed above.
Just note that many players will be alone (so they may not be able to adequately judge local multiplayer games) and will only have a few minutes to try your game (so get to the point quickly!).

Your game must not contain nudity, hateful language, or visuals. This could see your game being disqualified from the jam. Please consider avoiding extremely strong language and excessive gore, as the jam should be suitable for a general audience.

The Nova Jam is about making a game during a 2 months period. This is a race to make a game, and everyone starts running when the jam begins! As such, we expect you to make the vast majority of the game during this time.

However, as the jam is primarily about flexing your design chops, we don’t expect you to make everything in the time slot (unless you really want to!) So...

• Can I use pre-existing code?
  

  Yes! You can use pre-existing code, libraries, and functions. And make use of generic code for things like menus or input.
  But we ask that you don’t write code specifically for this jam ahead of time. You shouldn't start designing or developing your jam game before the theme is announced.
  You can also create things like a blank Unity project, a GitHub page, or your itch.io profile in advance to save time.

  You should not use generative AI tools that can create code, such as GitHub Copilot or ChatGPT.

• Can I use pre-existing art and/or audio?

  Yes! You can use whatever art and audio you have the legal right to use. We'd recommend making your own stuff (especially your own art), but it's up to you.
  That means you can use pre-existing sprites, textures, fonts, models, shaders, animations, sound effects, and music - including public domain assets, assets you have purchased, assets you have made yourself, or assets that are (legally acceptable) derivative works of existing media.
  However, we ask that you do not use generative AI that can create assets, like Midjourney or DALL-E.
  You should credit all external art and audio in your game description.
  Upon submission, you will be asked whether your team created the vast majority of the game's art during the jam. (This does include animations, but not shaders or fonts).

You should upload your game to itch.io like it was any other game. From there, you can upload the files and provide additional details.
You should make the game free (or let the person pick “any amount”), and you must set the game as "released," not "draft."
Then, you should come back to this page on itch.io, click submit a game, and choose your game from the dropdown box. Answer the required questions to complete the submission!

To ensure that your game is in the jam, please go to your game's itch.io page and look for the badge that says "Submission to The Nova Jam in the top right. Alternatively, check your jam dashboard at Itch.
If it's there, you're in! If not, please submit it again. If problems persist, please visit the Discord channel for technical assistance.

You can submit the game at any point during the 2 months, and we recommend that you get something up nice and early!
Until submissions end, you can change the itch.io game as much as you want (such as uploading a new build, uploading a separate Mac version, or changing the details), and it will automatically change the game that's in the jam. You don't need to un-submit and re-submit.

The jam ends on April 10th at 18:30 GMT. We may add a grace period for late submissions, last-minute bug fixes, and Itch.io server problems. But after that, submissions will be closed - with no opportunity to upload or change your game.

During the voting period, you cannot change the game and must not link to other versions in the description or comments. Whatever's uploaded to Itch is what will be played and judged.

If we experience any issues with itch.io's servers due to the load, we may extend the deadline. More details will be on The Digital Syndicate's Discord.

• Can I change my game after the jam ends?

  When the jam ends, there's a one-week rating period (details below) where you must not change your game. Uploads to the jam will be locked, meaning you can no longer provide bug fixes, additional versions, or extra levels.
  Also, please do not put links to other builds (such as "Game jam upload has a bug! Please play this one!”) in your description or comments. This may see you being disqualified from the jam. Whatever you upload before the jam closes is what people will play and judge.

  If you delete your game during this period, we will not be able to help you, and you will be disqualified from the jam.

  You can change your game's page during this time, though, including the thumbnail, description text, screenshots, and page design. You'll want to do this as fast as possible, though, as the majority of the ratings happen at the very start of the rating period. Once the rating period is over, you're free to update your game however you please, charge for it, and release it on other platforms - the game is yours. Do what you wish with it!

• Are the games judged?

  Yes! For one week after the jam ends, people will be able to rate your game against three criteria.

• These three criteria are as follows:
  • Enjoyment - How enjoyable the game is to play
  • Creativity - How interesting, original, creative, and inventive the underlying idea is
  • Presentation - How the game looks and sounds

  These three criteria will add to your Overall rating for your game. Everyone is eligible to rate games - and will be able to find them on the itch.io page for the jam after it ends. Those who submitted or contributed to a game will be able to judge whichever games they like. Others will have to vote on games provided at random until they unlock full rating privileges.

At the end of the rating period, the overall rank for the games will not be immediately shown. Instead, we the jam host, The Digital Syndicate, will get to see the games and will play the top 50 ranked games in the overall category. We will then pick our favorite 10. When the winners are announced, the 10 winning games will be listed, and the public rankings will also be displayed.

Here are some places where you can find art, fonts, music, and sound effects for your games.
Many of the assets are eligible for use in the jam, but check the license before using and provide credit in your game’s description!

• Art

  • OpenGameArt (2D + 3D)
  • Kenney (2D + 3D)
  • Game-Icons (2D)
  • Textures.com (Textures)
  • Poliigon (Textures)
  • Poly.pizza (3D)
  • Mixamo (Animations)

• Font

  • Fontsource (Fonts)
  • Font Squirrel (Fonts)
  • Google Fonts (Fonts)

• Audio

  • Incompetech - Royalty Free Music (Music)
  • Free Music Archive (Music)
  • Freesound (SFX)
  • OpenGameArt (Music + SFX)
  • Kenney (Music + SFX)
  • Soniss (SFX)

• Tools

  • BitFontMaker2 (Fonts)
  • Photopea (Art)
  • sfxr (SFX)
  • Chiptone (SFX)
  • BeepBox (Music)
  • Lospec (Palettes)
  • Easy Releasy (itch.io page designer)
  • Tiny Tools (More!)

• Anything you make during the Nova Jam is your property. The Digital Syndicate claims no rights or ownership of your game.

• Any game submitted to the Nova Jam may appear in The Digital Syndicate YouTube videos without your permission.

• The Digital Syndicate may contact you ONLY through the official info@tdsnft.com email address for further discussion about your game.

• As a participant, you agree that if you break any of the rules mentioned above, we will immediately eliminate your game from the Nova Jam.