In Christmas Miracle Horror Jam, your task is to create a horror game centered around Christmas, specifically around a Christmas wish that went horribly wrong. There are also optional Bonus Challenges for those who want more guidance. Hopefully, by the end of this casual horror game jam, you'll have something playable you can be proud of!
You can also join the jam's Discord server!
THEME: Christmas Miracle
Christmas is supposedly the time when wishes come true. But it's never that simple, is it?
The granted wish might be the result of a bargain with a malevolent entity, perhaps with a price to be paid later that might not have been apparent. Or the wish might simply be twisted, focusing on the exact wording, but not the intent behind it.
Your game's protagonist will most likely be someone who got exactly what they wished for for Christmas... but not in the way they wanted. And it's up to you to make a horror game featuring this twisted Christmas Miracle!
Bonus Challenges
1) Not What You Wished For: The story of the game involves some kind of granted wish that went horribly wrong.
2) Snow Day: It's snowing during the beginning of the game.
3) The Gift: There's a wrapped gift box in the game. Opening it grants the player a useful item.
RULES AND FAQ:
When can I start working on my game?
You can only start working on the actual game project after the jam's submission period starts, but you can start planning and creating/gathering assets and other resources before that time.
Is it allowed to use premade assets?
This is a casual game jam, so premade assets are allowed and you can reuse some code from past projects if you want. However, don't go overboard with it. In order to comply with the spirit of the jam, the bulk of the work on your game should be done during the game jam itself.
Can I use any game engine or framework I want to make my game?
There's no restriction on the Engine, Libraries or Framework you can use to develop your game. Feel free to use Godot, Unity, Unreal Engine, Game Maker Studio, Construct, Adventure Game Studio, Ren'Py, RPG Maker or anything else you want.
Are AI-generated assets allowed?
AI-generated assets are allowed, if you disclose their use on the game's project page. This applies even if these originally AI-generated assets are later edited by you.
That said, this is only a requirement if there are any AI-generated assets in your game. It doesn't apply if you've used AI-generated images as inspiration or if you've simply asked ChatGPT for coding advice, for example.
Can I make a physical/tabletop game for the jam?
Yes, you can.
Can I team up with other people for the jam?
Yes, you can form a team. There's no limit to the amount of team members your team can have. You can also work on multiple games or be a part of multiple different teams.
Does my game jam submission have to be a horror game?
Your game has to be a horror game or at least contain significant horror elements. It doesn't need to be outright scary, so long as it can even remotely be considered one.
We tend to give games the benefit of the doubt when it comes to this, so don't worry about it too much.
Can I submit an incomplete game?
This is a game jam, incomplete games are totally fine and expected. You are encouraged to work on your game even during the Rating Period.
Can my game contain depictions of brutal violence, gore etc.?
Follow itch.io's Terms of Service and tag your game appropriately. We also advise all jam submitters to include content warnings in their games whenever it seems necessary.
Does my game have to follow the Theme of the game jam?
You need to incorporate the Theme into your game in some way. It's completely up to you how you interpret the Theme, so long as it's obvious that you've at least made an effort to follow it. We aren't too strict with it and creative interpretations are encouraged.
Are the Bonus Challenges optional?
Yes, the Bonus Challenges are totally optional and serve mostly to guide people who need that extra guidance. It's up to you if you decide to implement them or not.
Does my game jam submission have to be free?
There has to be some kind of free version of your game made available for the duration of the both this game jam's submission period and also its rating period. It could be a free demo version or the game itself being made free for a limited time. This requirement no longer applies after the game jam ends.
Is it possible to submit a game to the jam after the Submission Period ends?
This jam accepts late submissions during the Rating Period. A Late Submission Thread will be set up in the jam's Community tab once the submission period ends. Anyone who wants to submit their game to the jam after the submission period ends will have to put a link to their game's project page in said thread and will receive a reply with a Submission Link that will allow them to submit their game to the jam.
After the Rating Period ends, the Community tab will be closed and no further late submissions will be accepted.
Are there any other rules I should know about?
1) Follow itch.io's Terms of Service.
2) Follow the Terms of Use of any assets you use in your game.
3) Have fun!