> Hey Lee! Out of curiosity is there roughly some minimum number of ratings a game needs to be visible to the judge(s) selecting winners for each category?

this thread might be helpful.

Hi there - thanks for flagging this! This should be fixed now - it was supposed to have been set to 5 like it has been in previous years. I incorrectly thought that the Rating queue unlock size defaulted to 5 like Rating queue size 🤦🏻‍♂️

That's OK. 💩 happens!

Send an email to lee@github.com with your itch.io game URL plus a reasonable excuse, and I'll send you a link to submit your game.

Cheers,
  Lee

That's perfectly fine 👍🏻

Absolutely!

Go for it! 🩸

Hi! I tried to check out your game, but I get the error, "Sorry, this project is not available for sharing. If this is your project or the project of one of your students, please sign in to your account to view the project."

You might actually be able to export it to share the code in a GitHub repo? See https://support.code.org/hc/en-us/articles/13211665878157-Exporting-Projects-fro...

Yes you may!

Hi there! Your game will still get rated by at least five other participants, even if you don’t rate anyone else’s. That said, I really encourage you to play, rate, and leave feedback on other entries - it’s one of the best parts of any jam!

Everyone who uploads a qualified submission (and any teammates) are able to rate and review entries.

Go for it!

Hi Alwin, great questions!

You can create your repo anytime, even right at the end with a single commit. There’s no requirement to show progress publicly throughout the jam. Use whatever workflow works best for you or your team.

Your project doesn’t need to be “open source,” just “source available,” so others can potentially build and learn from it  (or help confirm the code was written during the jam period). You’re encouraged to license it however you like and keep developing it afterward, even for a commercial release. There’s no expectation to share any proprietary or purchased assets; placeholders or omissions are totally fine, and lots of folks do that.

The “source available” idea goes back to the early days of GitHub. Before Game Off started around 2012, I used to share zip files of my game jam projects with colleagues and upload them to jam sites. It struck me how few examples of game jam code were out there and how hard they were to find. GitHub was full of web frameworks and libraries back then, but it was kind of a graveyard for finished games.

The original model of participation, before itch.io even existed, was to fork the Game Off repo (for example, github.com/github/game-off-2012) and build your game there. I even built an overly elaborate voting system for judges using the GitHub API. We started using itch.io in 2017, which made running the jam and submitting and playing entries a whole lot easier!

I started Game Off to make game development a little more open, discoverable, and inspiring for everyone, especially for my kids one day who might want to learn about game development too. (I got into software by hacking games as a kid.)

It’s still a side project and one of the highlights of my year, more than a decade later. Believe it or not, this is the short version of that origin story, but hopefully it gives some helpful context! :D

Cheers,
  Lee

You are free to do whatever you wish there :)

No prizes - other than nerd cred and eternal glory.

Absolutely!

Yup!

You can, but there'll be a place to enter the repo URL when you submit your game that's required.

Nope!

That is fine!

Hi there! Here are answers to some frequently asked questions. Please let me know if anything's unclear or you have more questions below, and I'll keep this updated.

Participation and Tools

Q: Can I use Unity, Unreal Engine, or other engines?
A: Yes! You can use any game engine you like.

Q: Can we use blueprints in Unreal Engine?
A: Yes.

Q: Can I use pre-made assets or code?
A: Absolutely! Just add proper attribution in your GitHub repository’s README if needed. Keep in mind that the goal is creativity, so avoid submitting old projects with only minor changes.

Q: If I use paid assets, should I include those in the repository?
A: No. Please only share assets you're able to sure. Please consider adding placeholder assets in the repository and a note in the README about what assets where used.

Q: Do I need a team to participate?
A: Nope! You can join solo or with a team of any size.

Q: Can I use no-code tools like Construct 3 or GameMaker?
A: Yes! Just ensure your project can be exported and shared via a GitHub repository.

Q: Can I submit multiple entries or join multiple teams?
A: Go for it!

Q: Is there a maximum team size?
A: Theoretically, no. Too big and you may crash the itch.io and GitHub servers though! J/K

Submission Process

Q: What do I need to submit?
A: You’ll need to:

• Create a GitHub repository for your game’s source code.
• Submit your game on the itch.io Game Off page by December 1, 13:37 PT.

Q: Can I edit my game after submission?
A: You can fix critical bugs, but leave a note explaining the changes. Avoid altering the game during the voting period.

Q: What kinds of licenses are required/accepted for the public GitHub repo?
You're welcome to use whatever kind of license you wish! See this documentation for tips on choosing / applying a license.

Q: Can I sell my game after the jam?
A: Yes, you can sell your game after the jam.

Q: Can I create the GitHub repository before the jam starts?
A: Yes! You can set up your repo and team structure early—just no coding until the jam begins. 

Voting and Judging

Q: What are the judging categories?
A: Games will be rated on:

• Overall
• Gameplay
• Graphics
• Audio
• Innovation
• Theme Interpretation

Nobody's judging your jam code - don't worry! 🙂

Q: Can I vote on any game?
A: Yes! Participants vote on each other’s games, with the option to explore and rate multiple entries.

Rules and Restrictions

Q: Are there content restrictions for my game?
A: While there are no strict content rules, if it's something I wouldn't show my kids or grandparents... then it may be less likely that it'll appear on our blog 😎 Please also see itch.io's note on adult content.

Support and Community

Q: Is there a Discord or social community?
A: Yes, join the https://discord.gg/4hAr7sa for support, teammate searches, and sharing progress.

Q: What’s the official hashtag?
A: Use #GitHubGameOff to share progress and connect with other participants on social media.

Thanks - will update now!

Yes you may!

Winners will be announced on January 10, 2025, at 13:37 PST.

I love gray areas of the law! I think that's fine... and quite creative. Unless there's a community uproar, I say keep it. Thanks for checking!

I'd recommend you hold off on on that until after the voting period ends. 

I'd recommend holding off on updating the game during judging unless it's truly game-breaking. Feel free to add tips/instructions though.

Totally fine to do that.

Go for it. Please just leave a note about what you updated and why :)

Hi there! Go for it!

Hi there - shoot me an email @ lee@github.com and I'll send you a link to submit your game.

Missed the submission deadline? Not to worry. It happens every year. For a limited window of time, if you email lee@github.com with a link to your game and a reasonable excuse I'll send you a link to submit your game. 

That sounds fine to me. Lots of folks use started templates or open source projects to get kickstarted. I'd recommended just leaving a note about it in your game's description.

That's fine. I recommend you just add a note that it's a demo or incomplete.

The repo needs to be public for Game Off, but nobody will be judging your code if that's a concern.

Oops! Thanks for the headsup - fixed!

Ruh-roh!

Go for it! Would be interesting to leave a note about usage (and maybe even the prompts you used) on your entry page.

Ideally you'd share as much as you're able to. If you're using 3rd party assets that you're not permitted to distribute, don't include them. Please consider adding some placeholders in the repo, and a note in the README.