GameJam
Home Rules Playtest Forms Contests
  1. F2024
  2. S2024
  3. F2023
  4. S2023
  5. F2022
  6. S2022
  7. F2021
  8. S2021
  9. F2020
  10. S2020
  11. F2019
  12. S2019
  13. F2018
  14. S2018
  15. J2018
  16. F2017
  17. S2017
  18. F2016
  19. S2016
  20. F2015
  21. S2015
  22. F2014
Resources

The Fall 2024 Edition of the GameJam will be 2024 Oct 17–19.


Timeline, Setup, and Rules
DayTimeEulerDescription
Soft StartThu6pm217Welcome. Rules. Theme. Registration.
Game dev may begin (except coding...)
Hard StartFri6pm217Coding must begin from scratch!
Snacks and Drinks made available.
PlaytestingSat5pm217Team registration must be complete.
Playtesters will play games and give feedback.
Soft EndSat8:30pm217Game dev should stop.
Game info is updated and game files are uploaded.
Presentation dev begins.
Hard EndSat9:30pm217Game updates and uploads closes.
Clean and reset lab.
PresentationsSat10pm109Presentations and live play begins.
Judging and awards to follow.

Similar to S2024, each team can have at most 2 programmers but any number of other members (designer of graphics, music, sound, storyboard, character, level, etc.). All Taylor students are invited, from any major, not just CSE students or programmers. Freshmen are encouraged to participate. Bringing friends is also welcomed.

Listed below were the judging criteria:

  • good interaction with GameJam theme
  • fun to play
  • completeness of game with proper UI (title screen, etc.)
  • incorporate novel visuals
  • incorporate novel audio
  • arcade-ablility (does it feel like an arcade game)
  • iterative design that incorporates playtesting
  • implementation difficulty

The games will be played on the Taylorcade during the presentations. Ideally, the games should be designed to use the controller inputs, so the games can be loaded onto the Taylorcade for play after the GameJam, but the games may use a full keyboard or USB controllers (ex: XBox controller). Teams will have the opportunity to test their game with a couple of controllers that mimic the Taylorcade's controller. Dr. Denning has an X-arcade Tankstick game controller that has two controller sticks, lots of buttons (20+), and a trackball (see image below). Mr. Rob Cartwright donated an X-Arcade Dual Joystick controller to the CSE Department which is like the Tankstick but without the trackball. See arcade game guidelines for more details.

Any included artwork, sounds, and music must be permissibly licensed! No copyrighted material! (ex: CC0 or CC BY 3.0 are good licenses)

The relevant rules for the upcoming GameJam are:

  • You may use any permissible (CC0 and the like) graphic assets, sound effects, music, fonts, etc. No copyrighted media.
  • You may use any engine, but know that the games will be submitted here and judged from a Windows machine. You will have a chance to test your game on the machine throughout the contest.
  • All code for the GameJam must be started from scratch on Friday at 6pm! You are free to try out ideas before then (ex: try out various mechanics), but you must recreate that code from scratch after 6pm on Friday. Talk with me if you have questions!
  • Each team can have a maximum of 2 coders, but may have any number of artists, musicians, writers, etc.
  • All game development should end and presentation development and submissions should begin at the competition's Soft End at 8:30pm on Saturday.
  • Submissions close at the Hard End at 9:30pm on Saturday.
  • Game presentations for the audience and judges starts 10pm on Saturday.