Frequently Asked Questions
Is there any way I can be involved without being the one pitching?
Absolutely, all of these great game ideas need folks to help create it. Participants of all skill sets are encouraged to attend, join a team and help make a great game.
How does pitching work?
Participants pitch their idea to all the participants at the first meeting (Pitch Day) or by submitting their game idea online. All the pitches will then be reviewed by the entire group and people will be asked to vote on their favorites and top pitches will be selected and participants will join one of the projects during team building.
How long is the program?
PGJ 2024 will run for 7 months, from September 2023 to March 2024.
What kind of commitment do I need for the program?
While there aren’t any strict time requirements, we expect all participants to contribute as much as they can to their team in order for the team to succeed in developing the idea. Time commitments will depend on the complexity of the product and the team working on it. You should talk with your team about time commitments and any conflicts you might have at the beginning of the game jam.
How many times will there be events for the program?
There will be 7 hosted events during the official jam, occurring monthly on the 2nd Saturday of the month (except for the first.) The specific dates are Sat. September 30th, Sat. October 14th, Sat. November 11th, Sat. December 9th, Sat. January 13th, Sat. February 10th, and Sat. March 9th.
Will we be encouraged to work on our projects outside of the times we meet in person aside from SDC events?
Absolutely, there is not enough time to complete a game unless work is done outside of regular meetups. The meetups are ideally for team meetings and checking in with mentors and the executive producer.
What kinds of opportunities will there be to learn new skills?
Educational workshops and supporting events were postponed in Seasons 8 and 9 as we cautiously started to resume events coming out of the pandemic. At this time, we have no planned educational workshops scheduled for Season 10, but we hope to bring back the adjoining educational workshops as soon as possible.
Outside of that, there are always ample opportunities to learn new skills from your teammates during the game jam, and there are a host of self-help resources available online. If you need assistance finding them, ask a teammate, mentor, or the Executive Producer.
What happens in the program?
People get together and make games over the course of the program while being helped and advised by a team of people who want to help them succeed.
What happens to the games we make for the program?
Whatever you want! If you want to take your game to market and sell it, we would love to see that. If you want to show your game at the Capital Creative Showcase, we plan to feature a spotlight presentation of PGJ at CCS 2024 and as a participant, you’re already part of it and your team gets a free 6 ft. table space. If you just want to call it done after it’s over, that’s fine too.
Can I come with my own team?
Absolutely, pre-formed teams and game ideas are completely acceptable if you want to skip the pitch day and team building and just get right to work.
What if I don't get along with my team members?
That’s where the Executive Producer comes in. They will work with you to help solve the problem.
How will teams be structured?
Teams will ideally have at least one person doing what they’re best at and what’s needed for the game (e.g. One programmer, one artist, one designer, etc.) but people may need to do double duty (programmer art for the win!)
What skills do I need to join?
Ideally at least one of the necessary roles in game dev (art, programming, design, audio, animation, modeling, marketing, etc.) but even if you’ve never made a game before you can still join a team and learn the process.
Can I bring my own game I've been working on?
In most cases, no. In past years that was the case, but it went against the spirit of a game jam and made program facilitation much more difficult. We also want our teams to be free to discuss and work out ownership and intellectual property rights of the game they are about to create. Teams that started in a previous PGJ season are free to return and continue working on their game.
Who owns the rights to the games made at PGJ?
PGJ participants hold 100% of the rights to their original work, unless the team agrees otherwise. We encourage teams to have a discussion about the intellectual property rights of the game itself during Kick Off, and we will provide some guidance, however SDC cannot provide legal advice and teams are encouraged to seek legal advice if they have questions regarding intellectual property rights.