Wild Pockets Game Jam Rules
1. Have fun!
2. All coding of your game must take place at the event. You may create art assets, sounds and design documents ahead of time. (Design documents are not required)
3. Each team must include at least one programmer. The recommended minimum experience level is at least one college level course in programming.
4. At least one member of your team must be present for the Saturday morning kick-off, at game submission time and for the awards ceremony.
Schedule of Events
5. You are not required to stay for the entire event; you may come and go as you chose. You may code as many of the 24 hours as you want. We do recommend getting some sleep on Saturday night.
6. To be qualified for the final judging your submission must be a working prototype, level or otherwise playable game. Specific submission instructions will be given at the event.
7. You may sign-up as individuals or as a team. Those signing up as individuals can choose teammates at the event or we are available to help place you on a team.
8. You must provide your own computer equipment. (Please remember some sort of speaker system, preferably headphones, if you plan to use sounds as part of your game.)
Official Rules and Details – Coming Soon
FAQ’s
1. Do I own my IP?
- Short answer – Yes
- Long and Legal Answer – Please see the Terms of Use and User Submission Agreement. A quick summary is that you own the rights to your own creative IP, but Wild Pockets retains the right to distribute and showcase the final game submission content. Your work will not be modified and the assets of your work will not be used by other developers unless you contribute this content publicly to the libraries made accessible for other developers.
2. Can I sign up as an individual?
- You can sign up as an individual but everyone will compete as part of a team. All of the individuals that sign up will be given the opportunity to form teams at the event but we will be on site to help place you onto a team if you need help finding one.
3. Do I need to know Wild Pockets ahead of time?
- You do not need to know how to use the Wild Pockets engine ahead of time but it would help you get your game started faster. We will have plenty of on-site help too.
4. Will there be onsite help and if so, what kind?
- Wild Pockets engineers will be on-site during the entire event. They will be leading Wild Pockets tutorials and Q&A sessions at the start of the event. They will also be available throughout the event to offer help and support.
5. I’ve never used Lua before; will I still be able to make a great game?
- Most likely, yes. Lua is a small language that is powerful and fairly easy to learn. Wild Pockets engineers can also help you understand and offer tips on working with Lua in our engine.
6. Where can I find documentation ahead of time?
- Wild Pockets Manual - http://www.wildpockets.com/manual.
- Lua Documentation - http://www.lua.org/pil/
- Artist Documentation - http://www.wildpockets.com/artistsonly
7. What else will happen at this event?
- Kick-off talk by an industry speaker
- Rock Band tournament on the main stage Saturday night
- Networking with other game enthusiasts and developers
- Members of the gaming press will be in attendance
- We’re trying to confirm these events but at this time we can’t promise:
- A live performance from an 8-bit band
- Game studio recruiters onsite
8. This event is free; do we have to supply our own food?
- No, there will be plenty of food, snacks and drinks at the event thanks to Microsoft’s generosity.
9. Do we need an artist on our team?
- This is not a requirement but it is recommended. You are able to work on your art ahead of time so having an artist on your team the day of the event is not necessary. You may also use artwork from free 3D model sites.
10. What sounds can I use in my game?
- You can add .mp3s to your game.
11. Can I distribute my game on my own after the event?
- Yes, this is encouraged! You’ll probably want to spend some additional time after the event polishing your game, but there are no game jam rules or limitations restricting you from distributing your game and furthering its reach across the web!
