This is Sprint 2 of Climate Jam 2026.

OVERVIEW
In this sprint, you will test, iterate, experiment, throw stuff out, refine, and lock-in on the core idea and mechanics that you intend to complete for this jam.

Your original concept might radically change during this sprint, and that’s okay! 

By the end of Sprint 2, you will have a much more detailed and specific understanding of your game's core elements, the beginnings of a playable experience, and a clear production plan to implement everything and complete your project.

Things to consider during Sprint 2:

• Is there a more compelling direction to take your concept?
• How could you simplify or refine your concept?
  
• Is there a more effective way to engage with the Climate Jam themes?
• Is there a stronger way to present a meaningful, solution-focused call to action for your target audience?
• What are the most essential and fundamental mechanics? What is the gameplay loop?
• Is the project's aesthetic cohesive and viable? What have you planned for the visual, audio, and/or narrative direction?
• What are the key development milestones to complete this project? What can be cut?
• When in doubt, refer to the Climate Solutions Rubric

SPRINT 2 CHALLENGE
Submit a video of a prototype / proof-of-concept that demonstrates the core elements of your project.

It could take the form of a whitebox, graybox, paper prototype, etc. It can be buggy, messy, and have all sorts of placeholders, but it should display the beginnings of a playable experience. 

• Whitebox: A blocked out level built with primitives that gives a sense of the space and flow of the level. Where will objectives and obstacles be? How will the player navigate the space? How do you portray your gameplay mechanics in the space of your world?
• Graybox: A refined level prototype that replaces simple primitives with representative geometry to better communicate the space, gameplay, and player experience. How do the environments, objectives, and obstacles support the intended gameplay? Is navigation intuitive? How effectively do the mechanics integrate with the evolving world?
• Paper prototype: A low-fidelity prototype created with paper, sketches, and simple physical components that allows designers to quickly test gameplay ideas, mechanics, and player interactions. How do the core systems function? Are the rules clear? Does the gameplay create the intended player experience?

You should also begin work on concepts and early drafts of any "aesthetic" elements of your game, but don't worry about implementing them into your prototype just yet (sound design, music, UI design, visual art assets, written narrative and dialogue, etc.).

For Sprint 2, your itch.io project page needs:

1. Your prototype / proof-of-concept video.  This can be a recorded playthrough of a digital prototype and/or "real" footage of a paper prototype in action
2. Concepts or early drafts of some of your project's "aesthetic" elements (sound design, music, UI design, visual art assets, written narrative and dialogue, etc.). These can be on your project page or included in your video.
3. (Optional Stretch Goal) A way to try out your prototype.

Optional Stretch Goals:

• Share a way to try out your prototype / proof-of-concept. This could be a downloadable version of a digital prototype,  downloadable print-and-play materials for a paper prototype, just a set of instructions, etc.
• Share a link to your production plan (or a version of your production plan).

SCHEDULE
All dates and times listed below are in Pacific Daylight Time (PDT).

• July 8: Sprint 2 Begins (10:00 AM PDT)
• July 13: Sprint 2 Submission Deadline (11:59 PM PDT)
• July 14: Review & Feedback Period

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR SPRINT 2 MATERIALS
Submit your Sprint 2 materials through this jam page, not the main Climate Jam page. Only submit once per team/project. 

If you submitted a a project page for Sprint 1, you can simply update that page for Sprint 2.

Plan to submit early. If you experience last technical issues, or won't be able to submit before the deadline for any reason, contact the organizers in the #jam-support channel on Discord before the deadline.

When you submit you will also be asked for:

1. (Optional) A link to a version of your production plan.
2. Game Engine, Platform, Format
3. Team Name
4. Primary Team Contact
5. Whether this team includes any IndieCade Game Design interns (and their names)
6. (Optional) If this project is an iteration of a Sprint 1 project under a different name, a new project from a Sprint 1 team, or if your Sprint 1 team broke into separate teams or merged with another team, please explain.