zandravandra

It was low-key! The wrap-up is one thing I've been wanting to improve this time (last time was team coordination, and thanks to @pseg things got a lot better). These jams keep syncing up with very tumultuous events in my life so I hope this time everything goes smoothly and we can give the jam a nice send-off.

What?

Hey hi hello folks! A new year has begun and there's still plenty of time before the convention season takes over, so in the meantime, let's make some wonderful and silly games together! :D

THE THEMES WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON UPF FRIDAY, JANUARY 27TH!

THE THEMES HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED!

• EAST VS WEST
• ONE BIG CHOMP

PICK ONE (OR TWO) (OR NONE)!

• START: January 27th
• END: February 5th (submit your game before that day is over!)
• There are TWO special themes picked from GB staff and community suggestions!
• Follow one theme, or both! (but if you don't want to follow either that's okay too!)
• The game should also be somehow related to Giant Bomb
• Do what you want, but please try not to be too crude or offensive -
  be a Giant Bomber, not a Giant Bummer!

So that's January 27th to February 5th - a little over 9 days total, which includes two weekends. Hopefully that's enough to let as many people as possible make some really cool, really silly games!

The Themes

The list started being put together when I asked GB folks to submit themes during the 2015 PAX Prime panel, and I've since tracked down everyone else to get a complete set. Dan is off cooldown and has submitted a new one, so there's a chance his idea will be picked again! Here are the themes; two will be chosen!

• The Community: Johnny V
• Jeff: East VS West <<<SELECTED THEME
• Dan: Waluigi's first official Nintendo game
• Vinny: Italian Pac-Man
• Jason: Babies
• Alex: FMV
• Brad: Dave Lang's Ideal Game
• Drew: (on a 1-jam cooldown)
• Rorie: One Big Chomp <<<SELECTED THEME

How?

Check out the Giant ROM Boot Camp! Resources are listed there, both in terms of programs and free assets you can use! If you have any suggestions, post 'em and I'll update accordingly.

Also, I've made a Team-Up Sheet if you want to find fellow jammers! Any questions? Post 'em here and we'll help!

Danielle Riendeau at Waypoint just posted a neat article on how to get started making games if you want some pointers!

You can also totally submit a game by yourself if you want! :D No pressure to make a masterpiece or anything - we're all making silly things out of love and inspiration. <3 Every game counts!

Where?

OFFICIAL JAM PAGE ON ITCH DOT IO

Like the last time, I'm hosting the jam on itch.io, which has a terrific game jam feature! Everybody will be able to post their creations there, add them to the jam, and enter their team's details at the same time. There's even an integrated ranking system that I will fill with arbitrary and silly parameters!

Are There Fabulous Prizes?

I WILL TRY TO FIND PARTICIPATION PRIZES FOR ALL TEAMS WHO SUBMIT A GAME!

Probably Steam codes for games. But maybe Something More for the games that stand out in some way! Who knows?

The scoring system for the voting round has also been revised; Themeness is out (since themes are optional) and has been replaced by Concept, which is a more general evaluation of the idea behind the game.

WHAT NOW?

Put your team together if you don't already have one, and make a ridiculous game!

Happy jamming! :D

Thanks for setting this up, I'm looking forward to doing this again! :D Only this time I won't be playing Chariot for 24 hours straight so I'm even MORE excited about the possibilities!

Before last year, it'd have been shapeshifting, but ever since I've become comfortable with who I am, now it'd be teleportation or flying - powers that let me go see my friends more often. ^^

I cosplayed as Rebel from Nuclear Throne during PAX Prime 2015! It was my first-ever cosplay and I had a ton of fun doing it. :D

I contracted a seamstress to make the costume proper, and rigged up a gun and the outfit itself with programmable greeting card speakers with multiple buttons so I could have the gun make in-game sounds and have Rebel "speak" using her voice samples. It's one of the biggest costume projects I've worked on and I'm super proud of it.

Next up for GaymerX I'm hoping to cosplay an original character, which should be fun! ^^

I got my bachelor's degree, then I tried to be a freelance graphic designer for 2 years, then I sold computers for 5½ years, then I got into a game development training program and got a job as a game designer at a large studio for 6½ years, and a few months ago I went indie as a game designer, writer, and artist. It's a bit stressful, as the game I'm working on is still months from release (and it's quite a quirky, niche title), but right now I'm having the time of my life. <3

Post has been updated with final art! Survey entries still accepted; I'll be sending out info very soon!

A note: I still have a few of the PAXAMANIA II posters left, and will be selling those at the experimental mobile merch platform as well. If you missed them at PAX East, now's your chance to get one before they're gone forever!

Hey hi folks! Do you want a commemorative 90s hacker-chic PAX Rumble IV poster or a slick 7-strip comic compilation? Read on! :D

TLDR

Want to pre-order a PAX Rumble IV poster and/or comic and pick your stuff up at PAX West? Please fill out THIS SURVEY and I'll email you the details!

WHAT?

For the past few weeks I've been making comics that bridge the gap between PAXAMANIA II and the upcoming PAX Rumble IV and releasing them on Twitter. I've also been working on the official PAX Rumble IV poster.

And at PAX West, you can get your hands on them!

In order to recoup costs (since the League of Heels is a volunteer gig), I'll be bringing prints of the poster (12"x16") and of an 8-page special comic book compilation featuring high-quality versions of all the comics I posted, in addition to an exclusive comic not found anywhere else!

HOW CAN I PRE-ORDER?

If you're attending PAX West and would like any one of these, fill out THIS SURVEY and I'll email you the details!

Also, you should follow @marino's advice and bring a tube!

WHERE?

Find me and my Special Team Member at our experimental mobile merch platform! We'll be there before, during (?) and after the PAX Rumble IV panel in the Westin's Wyvern theater on Saturday, September 4th. We'll be easy to spot and will stick around after the panel! For folks who can't show up on Sunday, we can also totally set up a second meeting time on Monday. Everyone will gets theirs, no worries! ^^

IS THIS LEGAL?

Yes! Folks pictured have agreed to let me sell a limited number of prints to recoup costs. For that reason, they're not going to be available online - and if I sell out, they're gone for good! This may be your only chance to get 'em! :D

CAN I TRUST YOU?

Totally! I was in a Quick Look and I recently taught a session at the Giant Beast Academy! :D Also, chances are you know someone in the GB community who knows me. Small world!

<3

Many thanks to Professa Killah, UmJammer Sammy, The Wolf, The Boxing EMT, and the new mystery owner of the League of Heels!

I'm still so happy to be part of this silly enterprise and I want folks to share in the excitement. Thanks for your time, and see you at PAX West! :D

One more day to rate the Giant ROM 3 games if you participated! Thanks again for the absolutely amazing stuff you did, and please check out the work of your fellow creators if you haven't already! :D