Christmas is here again! Whether you celebrate it or not, it should be a time to spend with loved ones, friends and family, a time of giving and appreciation, and of introspection and appreciating the most important things and people in your life.

That means the Xmas 2024 Game Jam!

The Xmas 2024 Game Jam will run from 4 December, 2024 to 12 January, 2024 at midnight GMT (4pm Pacific/6pm Central/7pm Eastern). Judging will take place the week afterwards, and the winner will be announced shortly thereafter.

The theme is obvious: Christmas!

You can choose any genre you like, whether it's classic Xmas, something with a fantasy JRPG vibe, or something with horror. You can use a more traditional theme or draw on other Xmas traditions. The choice is yours!

There are six rules your submission must follow to participate and submissions must be games only.

1. Games must be created with either Smile Game Builder or RPG Developer BAKIN, but you can use RPG MV3D as well (requested). Please specify which one you're using in the fields.

   Note: Submissions NOT made using any of these will be disqualified. I'm only accepting SGB, BAKIN and RPG MV3D at this time, so please do not submit games created exclusively with any of the RPG Makers (XP, MV or MZ) - except MV3D - as I will host a future game jam just for those, maybe Valentine's Day or Mad March.

2. Submissions must be original games created for the jam itself and must not be published anywhere else or previously submitted to another game jam. Old games that haven't been published or submitted anywhere else may be accepted.

3. You must either own or have permission to use all of the assets in your game.

   Note: All of the assets that come with SGB, BAKIN, MV3D, and any official DLCs or plugins, and your own customized assets are acceptable. With third party asset packs, make sure you have the permission or license according to their EULAs to use them.

   Games using any form of copyrighted materials (assets, images, and music or sound) will be disqualified. With music and sound, they must be allowed to play on YouTube (i.e. the tracks won't require additional licenses for sharing on YouTube, such as CC0).

4. Your submission must be free and available to download and play.

   Note: You can submit free demos with the intention of creating a paid game after the game jam.

5. Agree that your game will be showcased on YouTube. After the game jam is over, I - and possibly others - will upload gameplay on YouTube. (Besides, it's free publicity for your game and talents!)

6. Do not use AI to create images or sounds.

   Note: While I am neutral regarding AI generated materials - to a degree - in fairness to those who disagree with it using AI is not allowed.

Additionally, when submitting your entry to this jam, there are two mandatory fields:

• Game Engine Used: This is to help us identify whether you've used SGB, BAKIN or MV3D. This won't influence the judging process, as the theme, game design and narrative plot are the most important aspects for this jam.

• Discord ID: Providing your Discord ID will help us distribute prizes (instead of having to "hunt you down". This information is private on the website, but will be shared with the sponsors when it's time to give out the prizes.

Yes, there will be prizes.

The WINNER will receive:

• One DLC of their choice (sponsored by SmileBoom)
• One of my assets packs, including any upcoming releases (sponsored by Companion Wulf)
• A custom script/plugin (sponsored by Jagonz)

The RUNNER-UP will receive:

• One DLC of their choice (sponsored by SmileBoom)

All participants will receive a special trophy (created by 8Pancakes4Lunch) plus Ultra Time System OR Flying & Paragliding System Plugins (sponsored by Knifish Games).

If anyone else would like to sponsor this game jam, it's not necessary, but feel free to message me in Discord and I'll update this section accordingly with my thanks. There have been some truly amazing games created for other game jams, deserving of their prizes.

Can I submit unpublished games?

Yes, although I encourage that new games created for the Xmas 2024 Game Jam are submitted. If a game has not been published anywhere else, you can submit to the jam.

Can I submit to multiple game jams?

Yes, provided your game has not been published or made public elsewhere.

Note: Please do NOT "spam submit", i.e., submit your game to dozens of game jams at once. That will disqualify your submission to this jam.

Do games need to be completed?

No. Games can be demo versions, proof-of-concepts or unfinished. Of course, if you do submit a complete game, kudos to you!

Are non-English games allowed?

Please submit games in English only. (Using translation methods, such as Google Translate or DeepL, is fine as long as the end result is English.)

Can I submit more than one game?

Yes, of course! And if you do so within the time, if you can, say, create one with SGB and one with BAKIN for example, then all my hats off to you!

Are group submissions and collaborations with others allowed?

Yes, and they're encouraged. Each person in the group or collaboration can also submit their own game.

Can I use third-party assets (including graphics, models, music, plugins, etc.) in the game?

Yes, provided that you have permission to use them. Read the terms for each asset, where explicit permissions and license terms of use should be given. CC0, CC-BY or MIT licenses are probably the safest to avoid copyright issues, but if you're not sure ask me in Discord.