This jam is now over. It ran from 2020-08-29 03:00:00 to 2020-09-07 02:59:59. View results

What is GBJam?

GBJam is about making gameboy games. Following the original specification, with a few fun additions, participants have two weekends to create a game.


Let's mingle!

Discord | Twitter

Rules

  • Keep a theme of the original GameBoy.
  • Keep the original GameBoy screen resolution of 160px x 144px. You are allowed to scale to viewport, but must keep the aspect ratio.
  • Color palettes must consist of 4 colors. (Only 4 colors can be displayed on the screen at a time, so you are more then welcome to have changing palettes!)
  • Use the same control scheme as the GameBoy.
  • All assets must be created in the duration of the jam.

FAQ

  • Is there a theme? The only theme is the jam's main theme; Game Boy
  • Can I work as a team? Yes
  • What languages or engines are allowed? Anything is allowed
  • Can I submit multiple games? Yes
  • Can I use a resolution under 160 x 144? Only if you're using the PICO-8 engine. If you can stick to the right resolution, do it!
  • What are the rules on audio? There are no specific rules, but making it feel like gameboy sound is encouraged
  • What can I work on before the jam? You are allowed to set up your tools and your game engine. Tools include: palettes, fonts, tracker instruments and code libraries.

Resources

GameBoy Screenshots | Over 1500 screenshots of official releases (Google Drive, 2.5mb .zip)

GameBoy Demakes | Screenshots from GameBoy Demakes (Google Drive, 1.1mb .zip)