itch.io

Yay! Happy to hear it finally arrived safely. /shakes fist at global pandemic... take that! 

We had a few of the packages we sent out returned to China. We can attempt to re-send these things but you need to reach out to us via a more private location so we can talk addresses, phone numbers, and names. Please email us at support (at) mysterious (dot) design

We'll have a look at the tracking and try to sort things out. 

Yarrrrg! Great to hear another bit of booty found its way to the X on the map. 

If you are still waiting - please open a support ticket with us. Email to support @ mysterious (dot) design

Thanks!

That's great news! Thanks for sharing! 

Yay! That's great to hear. Where in the world are you? Just knowing a general location (country) might help others to set expectations for when they could receive their prizes. 

Datzz2 - It's unlikely that any of the packages we sent out have arrived... but let's wait and see if anyone can confirm that. 

The issue is that as we started shipping out these prizes, we were also hearing from our shipping partners that various shipping channels were being shut down. Where we once had over a dozen options... we now only have one option (other than DHL/FedEx - which is insanely expensive). The option we're left with is Slow Shipping aboard an actual cargo ship. What we used before was E-Packet which went aboard cargo planes. With the slow shipping option the typical delivery times start at 30 days... and can be up to 60 days. 

This is a sad situation not only for the prizes we're sending out but for our online business in general. As it means that our customers around the world now have to wait much longer to receive the things they've ordered from us. And it's not just us... this is an issue that's impacting shipping services globally. 

Strange days we're living in! 

Dear Pirates,

The world has changed so much since the weekend back in January where you all jumped aboard the Pirate Jam Pre-Jam Skirmish. I really hope this post finds you, your families, and friends all happy, healthy, and warm despite the virus storm raging outside. One thing all sailors know is that no matter how tall the waves and ferocious the winds... all storms must pass. Hold fast! 

This note is to let you all know that I finally made it back to Shanghai and sent out your prizes. Here are some of the Doubloons ready for packing and shipping... 

With the current state of global shipping... I have no idea how long it will be before these arrive with the winners. Here in China, things are slowly getting back to normal. And we are able to pack, label, and send... at least as far as getting these out of China on their way to places like the UK, US, Australia, Italy, France, and more. What happens to the packages upon arrival in the destination countries... at this point, who knows? 

As with everything else going on right now... we'll just have to cross our fingers and hope for the best!

Lastly... if you're looking for a bit of an escape, you might enjoy watching the videos produced at Pirate Jam 2020. 

Those are up on my YouTube channel in a Pirate Jam Playlist. 

Sending pirate arrrrg's to you all from Shanghai, 

-American

It says on the main page regarding prize selection: "The Grand Prize winner and Runner Up prize winners will be selected by host and support staff. " And I had to get it done fast because I'm prepping to go off sailing for three weeks! 

Don't know about the Caribbeans... Pirate Jam happens in Thailand ;) 

We'll ask you to put a unique word/number on your submission page. 

Dear Pirates,

THANK YOU, everyone for participating in the Pirate Jam Pre-Jam Skirmish! Your creativity, cunning, and comedy are all very much appreciated. For the review process I sat down with Martin (FontLord) and co-played each and every submission. This process took us many hours and went late into the evening but contained a lot of laughs, "What?!" "Wows" and other fun moments. We probably should have livestreamed it. D'arrrg.

Here's a link to the results: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/127N9hwlL2VLiYo9WikEDQTA9T9ivY1HODYvvf19v...

Contained here you'll find "Notes" which is just a quick selection of some of the scribbles made during the review of each game. It's not exhaustive, professional, or meant to signify much - mainly just there to show that real humans spent real time to play and evaluate each and every game. Please try not to take offense at our notes as all were made with love and appreciation for the effort everyone put forth. 

If you were "Scuttled" then, sadly, you won't take home any physical prizes. But you will carry forever a heap of Piratey Appreciation from Captain American and a promise that if you're ever in distress at sea ... I'll send my fleet of pirate ships to save you (or quickly put you out of your misery - depends on the situation). Thank you, for participating! 

If you got an "Arr!" in any other column then we want to mail you physical goodies. That means you'll need to email us your shipping details. Send name, address, phone number, and any other information relevant to delivering packages to your location - and we'll mail out your loot. Use this email address: 

support (at) mysterious (dot) design

Tumbleweed Typo Hunter - Avast ye, matey! Blimey! Ye done won! Assuming you are available and able to travel to Pirate Jam 2020 during the early part of March, 2020... then we'll be seeing you in Thailand soon. Same thing - email us (address above) and we'll make arrangements. 

If TTH can't make it then we'll select an alternate from the Runners Up. 

Note On Delivery Timing: We're heading into Chinese New Year here in China. The entire country shuts down for several weeks - that includes the shipping services we use. And I'm heading to Thailand for 3-weeks of sailing - starting tomorrow. That means we won't start shipping rewards until the start of February. But when we do we'll ship via our usual services - that means E-Packet with tracking which arrives in most locations around the world in 15~20 days. 

Other questions and feedback? Let us know! Martin is sticking around Shanghai during the holiday and will respond as needed. 

From Shanghai with Arrrrg,

-American

Yeah, helper code or systems like this are OK. 

But we would prefer Windows, TBH. 

Yeah, you can use pre-existing assets (including music) but your design and code need to be original. 

So, no worries using Royalty Free SFX and Music.

No problem!

The Theme of the Skirmish is: BOUNTY

You can use any interpretation of "bounty" found on the official Wikipedia Page. 

We will do our best to remain active in the forums during the jam. But do keep in mind that we're based in Shanghai.
Our usual "hours of operation" are from 7AM till 8PM Hong Kong Time.

You can reach is via support@mysterious.design (goes to our Zendesk) but we prefer you post questions/issues here for all to see. 

Good luck to all! Fair winds and may Neptune favor your journey.

-American & Martin (your hosts)

We just got hold of the Pirate Jam 2020 Doubloons and they are HUGE.  Behold 55mm of Piratey Goodness!

Gold Doubloons go to all those who attend Pirate Jam 2020 in Thailand.

50 Silver Doubloons will be sent to Runner Up prize winners in the Pre-Jam Skirmish here on itch.io

I guess that means that the Grand Prize Winner gets a Gold and a Silver? Hmmm... Special, matey! 

This is the first year we've done a Pre-Jam Skirmish. But if you want to see the games created during previous Pirate Jam events in Thailand... those are all available via the main Pirate Jam website.

Ahoy, Nielisson! As it states in the simple rules on the main page: "Grand Prize and Runner Up Prizes awarded one (1) to a team."

There's a longer version of that in the Official Rules: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZJ2n-Xu3u_xRk-ODURh0ATIMiPiwFe0qJKeFdEF9drg/...

But the simple answer is: If your team wins then you must select one (1) person from your team to receive the Grand Prize. 

Hope that helps. And good luck!

Hey there. Apologies for the slow reply. I am currently anchored in Phang Nga Bay - one of the locations of Pirate Jam 2020 - scouting good places to take our fleet in March. Spent several days traveling, getting the boat ready, and sailing to get up here before I had a chance to sit down and respond... 

For the voting... Yeah, given that we're talking about a free trip to Thailand as the Grand Prize, I too am concerned about people gaming the system. That's why the ultimate decision will be made manually. As for how we'll pick the Grand Prize winner... I imagine there will be lots of submissions from people who are automatically disqualified because they don't have a passport and/or are unable to travel for the required dates. Out of the remaining pool it's going to be more of a "we'll know it when we see it" type of judging. Which means it's not so much about the graphics or gameplay as the impression the thing makes. I like games that make me laugh for being surreal, irreverent, and violently cute (or cutely violent). From Pirate Jam 2019 my favorite game (which made me laugh the hardest) was Eat The Rich. 

You can see Eat The Rich here: https://www.pirate-jam.com/pirate-jam-2019 (not that your game has to be anything like that to be considered or to win). 

Anyway, if this seems less than helpful... that's probably a good thing. Let's wait until the theme announced and then everyone can have a go at it :) 

Pirate Jam 2020 is already completely full. The only remaining open spot in Pirate Jam is the Grand Prize spot being awarded via the Pre-Jam Skirmish.

This isn't an issue of payment - though being able to purchase a ticket does help (a little)  in the general selection process. It's an issue of the number of boats we can fit into an anchorage safely (6~7). And how many guests can stay aboard those boats comfortably (3~5). And how many sponsors we get who pay for their own boats and/or teams. This year we have 3 sponsored boats out of 6 which doesn't leave a lot of space for those who would be willing to purchase tickets. 

Ultimately it's just not a very big event - 20 guests and 10 crew aboard 6 boats. And that makes selection difficult... with there being more than a few people who've applied to join for several years who've yet to be selected.

A goal for the future is to have more than one Pirate Jam per sailing season. That would mean we could host ~40 guests per year and that would increase the likelihood of a place for those who've been trying to attend for several years. 

Ahoy Mateys!

Welcome to all who've joined the Pre-Jam Skirmish! This morning I sent out an email to the 32 guests and crew who will attend Pirate Jam 2020 in Thailand. This is our 4th year and our biggest event yet with 7 sailing vessels, 21 guests and 11 crew. Blimey! We'll sail from Phuket, Thailand to Krabi across Phang Nga Bay for a total of 10 days. 

For those of you joining the Pre-Jam Skirmish in hopes of winning the Grand Prize (free trip to Pirate Jam) here's a sample of the planning documentation to give you an idea of what's in store: 

Pirate Jam 2020 - Event Schedule (10 Core Days)

Monday, March 2nd -  March 11th

March 2nd - Mon (Location 1: Yacht Haven, Phuket - shore access)

• 10:00AM Orientation Meeting @ “The Deck” (2nd Floor)
• 12:00PM Lunch (The Deck)
• 1:00PM Announcement of Jam Theme
• 2:00PM To the Boats! (move luggage, safety & life aboard briefing)
• 4:00PM Thailand Cultural Workshop (Thai Arts)
• 7:00PM BBQ Buffet Dinner Ashore (The Deck)
• 9:00PM Night aboard the boats

March 3rd - Tues (Location 2: (TBD Island #1) - one night -no shore access) 

• 07:00AM Boats leave Yacht Haven 
• 10:00AM Arrive (TBD Island #1) (island exploring, sea kayaking, swimming)
• 12:00PM Lunch aboard
• 1:00PM Jam Start!
• 7:00PM Dinner aboard

March 4th - Weds (Location 4: Ko Chong Lat Tai - night 1/2 - no shore access)

• 07:00AM Boats leave (TBD Island #1) anchorage for Ko Chong Lat Tai
• 10:00AM Arrive KCLT, explore
• 12:00PM Lunch aboard
• 1:00PM Jam Start!
• 7:00PM Dinner aboard

March 5th - Thurs (Location 4: Ko Chong Lat Tai - night 2/2 - no shore access)

• 07:00AM Breakfast & Fun
• 12:00PM Lunch aboard
• 1:00PM Jam Start!
• 7:00PM Dinner aboard

March 6th - Fri (Location 3:  Ko Roi - one night - no shore access)

• 07:00AM Breakfast & Fun (island exploring, sea kayaking, swimming)
• 10:00AM Boats leave Ko Chong Lat Tai for Ko Roi
• 12:00PM Lunch aboard
• 1:00PM Jam Start!
• 7:00PM Dinner aboard

March 7th  - Sat (Location 5: Antosil Beach - night 1/2 - shore access)

• 07:00AM Boats leave Ko Roi for Antosil Beach
• 10:00AM Arrive Antosil Beach, head ashore
• 12:00PM Lunch ashore - TBD Bar & Restaurant 
• 1:00PM Jam Start!
• 7:00PM Dinner ashore

March 8th - Sun (Location 5: Antosil Beach - night 2/2 - shore access)

• 07:00AM Breakfast & Fun
• 12:00PM Lunch Ashore - TBD Bar & Restaurant 
• 1:00PM Jam Start!
• 7:00PM Dinner ashore

March 9th - Mon (Location 6: Ko Poda - one night - no shore access)

• 07:00AM Breakfast & Fun
• 10:00AM Boats leave Ko Chong Lat Tai for Ko Poda
• 12:00PM Lunch aboard
• 1:00PM Jam Start!
• 7:00PM Dinner aboard

March 10th - Tue (Location 7: Krabi Boat Lagoon - night 1/2 - rooms ashore)

• 08:00AM Boats leave Klong Muang Beach Anchorage 
• 11:30AM Arrive Krabi Boat Lagoon (High Tide 10:55AM - enter marina)
• 12:00PM Lunch ashore (Captain’s Galley) 
• 1:00PM Jam Start!
• 7:30PM Dinner at Captain’s Galley & Catch Cafe
• 9:00PM Sleep ashore (rooms arranged at marina hotel)

March 11th - Weds (Location 7: Krabi Boat Lagoon - night 2/2 - rooms ashore)

• 07:00AM Breakfast & Fun
• 12:00PM Lunch @ Catch Cafe
• 6:00PM BBQ Dinner Poolside
• Award Ceremony & Event End
• 9:00PM Sleep ashore (rooms arranged at marina hotel)

March 12th - Thurs (RETURN DAY) 

• Everyone starts return travel. 
• Shuttle buses arranged for Krabi and Phuket International Airports.

What To Expect for 2020

Compared to previous years we are making several changes to the 2020 event.

1. New sailing route and locations. Still sailing from Yacht Haven on Phuket to Krabi Boat Lagoon but stopping at new locations along the way.
2. As in 2019, we’ll make stops at several (new) uninhabited islands where there are no shore facilities. This means we’ll jam, eat, and play pirate games aboard the boats. These are marked as “no shore access” in the schedule above.
3. +1 Day to Core Days. Pirate Jam 2020 will run for a total of 10 Core Days from the Kickoff Meeting on March 2nd till the BBQ Award Ceremony on March 11th. We’ll use the extra time for a final overnight stay at Ko Poda for swimming and snorkeling in clear water.
4. “Games Done Quick” development philosophy. We previously allowed the full event duration to develop a single game. This year we’ll (again) encourage extreme simplicity in game design and hope to see simple games delivered on a near-daily basis. 
5. More hardware tinkering and artistic expression. We’ll provide tools and materials to allow for making your creations more physical and artistic (buttons, cabinets, etc).
6. More nature time, relaxation, camaraderie. The above points should result in an overall more relaxed journey with greater opportunity for adventure, learning, and social engagement. 

What to Pack

Travel light! Only bring essentials. Being on the boats is like camping. 

1. DO NOT bring a hard case travel bag or suitcase unless absolutely necessary. Stick to a soft backpack or duffle bag. Space is limited on the boats!
2. Jam equipment (laptop / drawing tablet / pen & paper / charging cables / international adaptors, etc).
3. Sunscreen, sunglasses, and sun hat.
4. Spending money (for food, drinks, any extra activities you might want to do).
5. Your passport, a printed copy of your flight ticket, a printed copy of your accommodation details.
6. You will be provided a free 20-liter waterproof backpack during event orientation.
7. Backpack will contain a headscarf, writing pad, LED head torch, and water bottle.

Event Route and Locations

== End Sample ==

Hope that gives you an idea of what we're doing at Pirate Jam 2020. You can check out previous episodes of Pirate Jam and learn more about the event at the main Pirate Jam Website.

Questions? Suggestions? Let me know! 

Welcome aboard the Pirate Jam Pre-Jam Skirmish! As I write this we've just made the jam visible. And we're looking for your feedback and thoughts. So please share them with us here. We'll make suggested changes over the coming days/weeks leading up to the launch of the event. Thanks!

Want to learn more about Pirate Jam 2018 and see all the fun we had during Pirate Jam 2017? 

Check out the official Pirate Jam site HERE. A Facebook page is also available HERE.