itch.io

Changelog:

Section added to GENERAL CLARIFICATION:

- have unlimited solid color backgrounds in menus and in-game generated by the engine
- generate images from AI prompts to adapt into assets if others can reasonably achieve the same output as you using the same settings
- prepare code for basic VN functions (e.g, skip, auto-forward, text history, save/load, etc.) in your engine of choice
- update your game after the jam is complete (we highly recommend making it available as a separate download for posterity's sake, but this is not necessary)

Section changed and added to ONE SPRITE:

- have a character sprite that includes a separate auxiliary character that does not feature in interactions (e.g, a woman holding a baby, a pirate with a parrot, blind person with dog)
-have multiple "speakers" associated with one character, as long as those are all a part of that singular entity (e.g, a medusa with talking snake hairs, a person playing with sock puppets on their hands, etc.)
- have a "suggestion" of another character represented by a shadow or a reflection with very vague detail (see Illustration/CG rules)

Section changed and added to ONE BACKGROUND:

- use the engine's built-in functions, code, or scripting to alter the background (e.g. blur, night filter, mirroring) 
- use custom particle effects, so long as there is only one type of particle being used (e.g, cherry blossom petals, fire, etc.)
- use masks (via multiple separate files) to create secondary versions of the background image on screen

Section changed in ONE MUSIC TRACK OR ONE AMBIENT BACKGROUND NOISE:

- create or use a track by combining composed music and ambient sounds
- have additional menu music that loops (if the VN also has in-game music/ambient noise)

Section added to ONE SOUND EFFECT:

This limit does not apply to interface sounds, which are considered part of the GUI. Having different sounds assigned to button hover, activation, etc. could be an accessibility feature for low-vision players, as that's audio feedback for different actions.

Section added to ONE VOICE ACTOR:

Regarding usage of voice beeps in lieu of voice acting: you may create different beeps per character as long as it remains consistent to that character.

ONE MAIN MENU ART changed to SPLASH SCREEN / MAIN MENU / GAME MENU ART / GUI:

The main menu / title screen background is now considered part of the GUI and thus is not beholden to many of the previous year's restrictions.

It is within the rules to:
- display multiple splashscreens before the start (e.g, for the jam, engine used, studio logo)
- have multiple variations of the title screen / game menu background
- show as many characters / objects as you'd like
- show a different location from the one in the game
-use a combination of the sprite and background or the one CG as the main menu
You may not do the following:
- show any part of the main menu in the flow of your script if it is different from the assets in the game

Regarding image buttons that appear to be objects: these buttons should only appear as a choice, and the images should not appear again in other parts of the game due to the fact that this can be abused to bypass the item/arm/head change limit.

Thank you all for your patience as we respond to your inquiries!