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Let the jam commence yet again!
JUNE 30TH - AUGUST 10TH 2022
Overview Thread
Recruitment Thread - Discussion Thread
Be sure to check out the game jam channel on our Discord!
Relic Castle Game Jam #8
Welcome to the eighth annual Relic Castle Game Jam!
For the uninformed: a game jam is an event where developers will get together and make a game. It sounds simple at first glance, but making a good game is much more difficult and time consuming than you might think. Participating in one is a great way to challenge yourself, learn new skills, and polish your overall experience as a game developer.
It has not been too long since the results of the Winter Game Jam 3 were announced, and here we are back again with a brand new game jam! If you're interested in a list of all the games people have created in past game jams, have a look at Foxowl's Archive Thread!
The Pokémon fan game community is an amazing place, and that's all thanks to each and every one of you. Take pride in that, and your hard work! Let's make this game jam a special one!
Once again a special thanks to @Ott for yet again creating a wonderful logo!
Game Jam Details
A staple of our game jams is that there's no mandatory theme required for your entry to follow. You're free to tackle any theme you like, or even forego a theme. Let your creativity shine! We have an optional theme that you can pursue if you so wish.
You aren't required to make a game about Pokémon if you don't want to. You don't have to use RPG Maker XP and Pokémon Essentials, although we highly suggest you do. After all, this is a Pokémon fan game community. Don't let us stop you from creating a fun game, though.
You also aren't required to work alone. Feel free to organize a small team of friends to work on your game with you. Group entries are most definitely allowed, and encouraged. We allow a maximum of four people to work together.
As with previous years, we require that any graphics you create for your project be submitted as a Resource Pack in the Resources → Game Jam Packs section of the site. You must also include a credits list with your submission, and include one bundled with your entry in a text file. These are a requirement. We do have some additional rules regarding resources, which you can check out in the Summary & Rules section, as well as in the Q&A.
By submitting your entry to us, you give us permission to promote it via social media and if it wins the Spotlight, be eligible for a brand new game badge, or be eligible for one at a later date.
Optional Challenge Theme: Simplicity
With this year's theme being Simplicity, you really have countless directions you can go. You can strip everything down the bare minimum, you can make a black-and-white game, you have have very simplistic gameplay, or a very simplistic art style. But simplicity is not just about everything you can directly see! Be sure to use your imagination, and think of what might be fun and unique to see with this theme!
For participating in this challenge theme, you'll earn an extra badge along with the other badge for entering the game jam. Participating in this theme won't net you an advantage in judging, but putting a twist on this theme in an unexpected way could impress the judges.
Do your best to use this theme in an interesting way; using it in a low effort/uninvolved fashion will likely not get you the badge. This is up to the judge's discretion.
Summary & Rules
- There is no mandatory theme requirement for your entry, but there is an optional challenge theme.
- Your entry does not have to be a Pokémon game, or made in RPG Maker XP.
- You may only submit one entry. If you submit multiple entries, only your latest is eligible for judging.
- Group entries are allowed, with a maximum of 4 participants per group.
- You may only be part of one group entry. Playtesting is to be handled by one of your 4 participants, so playtesters cannot be a part of multiple entries.
- Graphical resources created for your entry must be bundled into a Resource Pack and submitted in our Resources → Game Jam Packs section for free public use. This pack will be evaluated and approved when the deadline for the game jam has passed.
- You may not use any material from your past projects, aside from public resources.
- You can only use public resources created before the entry period. The only exceptions are Essentials, PSDK, and version updates to already-existing public resources (e.g. an update from Essentials v19 to v20 that still performs the same task within reason).
- List of credits must be included with entry post and bundled with the game in a text file. (credits.txt)
- Submitting an entry means Relic Castle can promote it via social media and create a game badge for your entry should it win the spotlight, or be eligible for one later on if it does not win.
- When posting your thread, your download link must be linked (and only be linked!) in the special Download Link box separate from the other content, so that we can hide the link until the deadline has passed. You are allowed to place the link in your thread too, after the deadline, if you so prefer.
Spotlight Entries & Judging
Each game jam, the judges pick several entries as the "spotlight entries", which are considered the most interesting and or highest quality entries. There is no first place, second place, and so on.
To do this, the judges will take a look at every game jam entry after playing them all and have a roundtable discussion internally on their thoughts. While there is no set criteria for the judges, you can be sure that they'll take into consideration how interesting each entry is, how fun they are to play, how well they're polished, and what not. It should be noted that the judges will not be publicizing their thoughts on each entry unless they choose to do so.
Developers that receive a spotlight will get an exclusive badge, a game badge for their entry, and will be featured on Relic Castle. We hope this encourages you to make the best possible entry!
The judges for this game jam are...
@Voltseon
@Ranko
@Monika~♡
@Mashirosakura
@KennyCatches
Badges
As with every single game jam, we've got some a bunch of badges we're ready to give out this year!
Submitting Your Entry
When submitting your game, please make sure that you've packaged your game correctly and optimized it by cutting our unnecessary/unused files. For more details on what you should do when packaging your game, check out the Finalizing Your Game tutorial on the Essentials wiki.
When the time comes to actually submit your game, take at least six screenshots, put your resources that you've used in a .zip file and upload your game and resource pack to Mediafire or MEGA.
Then post a thread in the Relic Castle Game Jam #8 forum that has the following details listed below, and your resource pack (see the section below for submitting your resource pack). Feel free to spruce your thread up, it doesn't have to be barebones. Threads will be moved to the Games Showcase when the game jam concludes.
- Game Title
- Game Screenshots
- Made Using
- Team
- Download Link (in the dedicated Download Link box; not in the thread until the deadline has passed!)
- Notes
- Resource Pack (a link to the resource containing your game jam pack)
- Credits
Submitting Your Resource Pack
While you submit your entry, you should have also assembled a resource pack. You must submit your resource pack in the Resources → Game Jam Packs section.
When filling out the details for your resource pack, be sure to mention the entry name in the tag line and description, and link to your entry thread in the resource description. You should also provide a list of credits if people use your resource pack.
Giving your resource an icon is also ideal, but not mandatory.
Q&A
Q: What rules should I be aware of?
A: One entry allowed per person. You also may not join multiple teams. You may submit your game jam thread at any point during the game jam, but the download link will only become public once the deadline has passed. From this point onwards, you may have the download link wherever you like. We simply want to have the download link just in the dedicated download link box so we can automatically hide/show it based on if the deadline has passed.
Q: Why is the game jam going on for so long?
A: We've found that a longer game jam yields better results overall. If the game jam was only one or two weeks, you can expect to see much smaller entries by the end. A shorter duration could also conflict with someone's schedule and they could miss it entirely.
Q: Why is the theme optional and not mandatory?
A: Game jams with a focus are great, but we don't want to restrict anyone's creativity. You're free to enter what you like.
Q: Why do I have to include my resources?
A: We want to encourage people to use public resources, showing that you can make a really cool game with them. You're free to make resources for your project, but you have to release them as you submit your game. This is a great way to kill two birds with one stone and get some more resources out there. This also discourages people from using private resources from an existing project.
Q: Can I use resources I've released prior to the game jam for my entry?
A: Of course. You're free to use any publicly available resources. Resources released during the entry period that were created by anyone outside your team are not to be used unless on the list of approved resources.
Q: Can I use things from some of my past projects?
A: No, not unless you released it as a resource prior to the game jam.
Q: Can I release the things from past projects that I want to use as a resource and use them for my entry?
A: No, not while the game jam is underway. Please see the previous two questions!
Q: I can only have three other people working with me on my entry, but what counts as working with me?
A: Anyone who has created resources or helped with playtesting for your entry is counted as working with you. Existing public resources don't count towards this.
Q: Am I allowed to seek feedback for my entry? What about play testers?
A: You're more than allowed to seek feedback from outside sources (even publicly!), but your team should be handling your playtesting.
Q: When should I make my game thread?
A: You should post your game thread once your game is complete, and preferably before the deadline has passed. For your game to be approved, it must contain a valid download link within the dedicated Download Link box (not in the thread, unless the deadline has passed!).
Q: Are ROM hacks permitted?
A: Of course! They must be provided in a patch, though. No ROMs may be uploaded!
Q: Why aren't you judging all the entries on a set criteria?
A: While competitive game jams are fun, it's very difficult to grade them all on an even scale without more restrictions such as a mandatory theme. We have chosen not to judge them this way and instead choose some of the best entries for the Spotlight. It is also very time consuming to do so, and we want to get the Spotlights wrapped up as soon as possible.
Q: Can judges enter the game jam?
A: Yes, they can. Any projects they've contributed to will be ineligible to win a judge chosen spotlight, however. They are still eligible for a community chosen spotlight.
For any further questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch or comment in the Discussion Thread!
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