Pre-Event Information Arcade Jam 2018

Get Hype

The St. Louis Arcade Jam 2018 kicks off on Friday! We’ll be making games that, if content appropriate and the developers desire, will be included in an arcade cabinet that will be part of the upcoming GameXPloration video game exhibit that launches at the Saint Louis Science Center on October 13th. If you’re not already signed up, register today!

Event Schedule

Important note to on-site Jammers: The Science Center will be providing a voucher for lunch at the food court for either Saturday or Sunday. Please be prepared to provide your own lunch the other day, as well as dinner both nights. There are several restaurants in the nearby area and in the Science Center itself during open hours so there are plenty of options. We will be providing beverages throughout the event.

Parking vouchers for free parking in the main building lot will be available and there is free parking available off Oakland Ave. Please do not park in the Planetarium Parking Lot in Forest Park because the doors will be locked after hours.

The following schedule is subject to last-minute changes.

Friday, Sept 28th – Science Center Lower Level, May Hall and Center Stage

  • 4:30pm – Science Center Closes
  • 5:00pm – 6:00pm – On-site check-ins begin
  • 6:00pm ~ 6:30pm – Opening Ceremonies at Center Stage
  • 6:30pm – Theme Announced and Teams Disperse
  • 10:00pm – Doors close for the evening

Saturday, Sept 29th – Science Center Lower Level, May Hall

  • 10:00am – Doors open for jamming in May Hall
  • 3:00pm – Create a game page for your game on itch.io
  • 4:30pm – Science Center closes to the public
  • NOTE: No Dinner will be provided, but individuals are free to come and go at this time, and food can be brought in as needed.
  • 10:00pm – Door close for the evening

Sunday, Sept 30th – Science CenterLower Level, May Hall and Center Stage

  • 10:00am – Doors open for jamming in May Hall
  • 11:00am – Science Center opens to the public
  • 2:00pm – Begin handing in game sheet and getting in line to add your game to the cabinet via USB stick and test the controls (first come first serve)
  • 3:00pm – Games must be uploaded by this time on itch.io
  • 4:30pm – All games that will be demoed must be uploaded to the arcade machine
  • 4:30pm – Science Center closes to the public
  • 5:00pm – Closing Ceremonies at Center Stage
  • ~5:15pm ~ 8:00pm – Game Demos! (2-3 minutes per team)
  • When demos are complete – Go home!

Sunday Sept 30th-Sunday Oct 7th

  • Continue to work on your game
  • Send a link to a final version of your game (preferably on itch.io) to leadership at stlgamedev dot com for review for inclusion in the arcade machine by 12:00PM on Monday Oct. 8th at the latest. If any content is not approved we will get back to you ASAP, but it may not be in time for the launch of the exhibit.

Content Restrictions

We know that setting aside time to make games is hard, so you are free to come and make whatever you want, but what you demo on Sunday and what is allowed into the arcade machine. Some basic guidelines:

  • No blood or gratuitous violence (Street Fighter II is ok, but Mortal Kombat is going too far)
  • No profanity
  • No nudity or partial-nudity
  • No personal attacks
  • Don’t use someone else’s art/characters without permission. Open source or asset store materials are okay to use
  • Don’t promote ignorance of scientific principles
  • Politics are ok but a little risky. Games that broadly question institutions are probably okay, but ones that promote division, or attack any individuals, cultures, or places won’t be allowed. If you’re not sure, talk to someone in leadership before you get too far
  • Must not break our Code of Conduct
  • Must meet the technical requirements and practical restrictions of the Arcade format and physical cabinet we are building. More info here

Games do not have to match the theme to go into the machine, and do not have to have been made entirely during the game jam. Games also do not have to be made locally and you do not have to attend in person to submit a game.

We expect every game to make it into the machine, but the Game Dev Co-op and Saint Louis Science Center reserve the right to reject or remove any game at any time for any reason. In most cases we will provide feedback on what can be altered to make it in.

If you don’t care whether your game is demoed or ends up in the arcade machine do what you want and have an awesome time! Demo at an upcoming Game Dev Co-op event instead!

Site Restrictions

You can work off-site or on-site

We want people to work on-site if possible/interested, but please be aware that from 10:00am until 4:30pm on Saturday and 11:00am until 4:30pm on Sunday the venue is open to the public. Parking normally isn’t free, but Jammers can have their parking validated during those hours.

The Science Center will be locking up at 10pm on Friday and Saturday night.  All participants working onsite must exit the building by 10pm. This means you should start packing up your things 10 – 15 minutes before. You are welcome to keep working on your games after that time anywhere else you can find space to work.

If you work off-site, PLEASE make sure you work in a well-trafficked public place, and only with people you trust.

Fully remote teams that work on games outside of St. Louis are allowed as well, but demoing your game at the closing ceremonies will not be practical unless you have a local participant add your game to the arcade machine and demo it for you.

Age Restrictions

All ages are allowed, but any participants under 18 must be accompanied by an adult at all times while in the May Hall area and after the Science Center is closed to the public. Please be aware that there might be some accidental bad language when participants are demoing.

Food & Drink Info

No alcoholic beverages will be allowed in the Jam area (but the Science Center does sell beer while it’s open). You can bring in whatever you want. We will provide coffee and other beverages. You can bring in any other food and non-alcoholic beverages you want. We will not be providing meals, but there are several nearby restaurants, and the science center itself has some restaurants that will be open during the hours that the Science Center is open to the public.

Community

We hope you’ll make your game on-site at the Science Center, but regardless, everyone is welcome on the St. Louis Game Dev Discord!

All participants, regardless of whether they are working on-site, must abide by our code of conduct.

Venue Information

Learn more about the exhibit these games will be a part of here.

Don’t forget to explore the Science Center! While the museum is open we strongly encourage participants to take some time away from jamming to check out some of their excellent exhibits!

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