Welcome to the Little Guy Game Jam, a week-long, bimonthly game jam inspired by the concept of little guys*! This doesn’t mean you have to make a game with little guys though, it just has to follow the mystery theme that is revealed at the beginning of the jam.
After the jam, you're encouraged to check out each other's games, rate them, and give your feedback! Game jams are a great opportunity to learn and grow as a game developer! Feedback is an essential part of the game design process and we want you 🫵 to do your part!
The first theme is and will always be:
LITTLE GUY
And now for the second theme:
It's EXPRESSION! This is an abstract theme you could interpret in many different ways, and that's the point! From player expression, to expressing one's self through customization, expressing an emotion, and many more, there's plenty of things you can do!
We can't wait to see what games y'all make on September 4th!
* Your little guy does not have to be a guy! “Little guy” simply refers to a being that is little and small** and silly and goofy. In this context it is gender neutral!
** Little and small being defined as 3ft tall or shorter.
📝RULES📝
- The theme must be incorporated into your game (or else >:) )
- All engines are acceptable
- Don’t start work on your game until the theme reveal (planning is fine though)
- You can use pre-made assets in your game, free or paid
- Any assets not created by you (or your team) MUST be credited
- Submissions must be original to this game jam. No reposts allowed.
- You can work solo or in a team (no limit on team size)
- You can make your game about anything as long as it’s not NFSW. See “Are there any content restrictions?” in the FAQ for more clarification on what is considered NSFW.
- NO GENERATIVE AI ALLOWED EVER! This includes code, writing, images, voiceovers, music, etc.. (every time you use AI a little guy starts crying)
- Be courteous to your fellow jammates.
❓FAQ❓
What can I do before the jam starts? 🗓️
- You can do anything involved with planning your game, but you can’t start making anything new for your game before the jam starts (this includes art, code, writing, etc.). You can make a game design document (GDD), browse and gather premade assets, brush up on your engine of choice, acquire teammates, and any other prepwork you need to do.
Can I make a physical game for the jam? Is it only limited to digital games? 📚
- Both digital (videogames) and physical (TTRPGs, boardgames, card games, etc.) games are allowed. Basically, if you can manage to upload your game to itch, you're welcome to submit it for the jam!
Are there any content restrictions? 🚫
- Currently restrictions only apply to the following categories below:
- NSFW or adult content: No explicit sex or depictions of genitalia in your game. Dating sims and verbal/written mentions of sex are fine, but don’t show anything explicit on screen.
- Gore/violence: No really heavy or overly realistic gore. Think of Doom (2016) or Ultrakill as your limit. DO NOT USE PHOTOS OF REAL GORE IN YOUR GAME!!!
- Language: No slurs. Swearing (even the fuck word) is fine, and so is mean language, but slurs will not be tolerated.
Can I use generative AI? 🤡
- No. You cannot use any form of generative AI, not for code, writing, art, voiceover, music, anything. It completely defeats the purpose of game jam, hurts you as a developer, kills the planet, AND it makes little guys cry. We already told you this in the rules, jackass >:(
How do I credit assets I used? 📑
- You can credit external assets any way you wish, as long as you credit them. This means you can put them directly in your game, on your game’s Itch page, in a Pastebin you link on your page, whatever you feel is best- as long as credit is given where credit is due.
I finished my game but it didn’t submit in time. What should I do? ⏰
- If you finished your game before the deadline but it didn’t submit for any reason (slow upload, couldn’t figure out the submission page, forgot the time, etc.), you can message a mod on Discord within 48 hours of the jam ending to get a late-submit link.
Can I add builds for new platforms or post bugfixes for my game when the jam ends? 🛠️
- Go for it! You can do whatever you want with your game whenever you want once the jam ends.
Can I keep working on my game after the jam ends? Does the game belong to me? 🧑💻
- Absolutely! Anything you make for the jam belongs entirely to you and your team. A lot of cool full-size games have spawned from game jams, so keep working at it even after the jam is over!
