Hi Daryksteak. Thanks for your question. Let me take them one at a time.
Who is funding this: me lol. My name is Marcus Stephens. Here is my linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-stephens-44b6a985/.
I don't go there often; please let me know if you can't access it. Thanks.
It's my first game jam, so it is a little bumpy; apologies for that. I'm sponsoring it for two main reasons: 1) I want to publish video games, but not the standard kinds that are routinely published ; 2) because, as a Black man, I want to do something about the issues we're facing regarding race relations in the US , so I don't want just another world-building clash of armies type game. I want a game whose theme and execution actually add value to social justice warriors on the front lines of marches, demonstrations and boycotts. I may fail spectacularly and expensively at this. But in my heart of hearts I really need to do this; to at least try to make a difference. I feel that if I can help put something into the world that is super-entertaining and fun while also conveying a message of love and support to social justice warriors, then that's a contribution worth at least trying to make, even if I totally embarrass myself in the effort.
The theme of the jam will be intuition, though the story for it is still under construction. I'll be honest; after the Jacob Blake incident in Kenosha, I tore up the old story and did a new one. Sometimes my heart literally hurts thinking about Jacob Blake, and so many others, and I had to put new stuff into the story.
I'll answer your other questions / concerns next in the next post.