If you’re into game jams and you haven’t heard about the Arbitrary Game Jam yet, then you’re missing out on one of the coolest regular events around! It’s a monthly treat for indie devs and gamers with a taste for the zany, and January’s installment, #tagjam18, is shaping up to be perhaps the biggest one in the series so far.
I’m turning this post over to this month’s jam host, @madmarcel 
, who’s going to give you the lowdown on the whole shebang. Take it away, @madmarcel !
A cloud of floating boobs attempts to defeat a never-ending horde of butt people.
A man breakdances across a bridge, scattering traffic and sending cars plunging off the sides. A cow-fart powered UFO skims across the countryside looking for hapless bovine victims. A rabbit frantically dashes across a fractal broccoli landscape to appease a tentacled rabbit god. A mollusc, his tongue and an elderberry fight giant heads in a jet propelled 4WD.
What on earth is going on here?
It is none other than The Arbitrary Game Jam. A monthly game jam where participants are given random themes and 72hrs to come up with a crazy game that incorporates these themes in any way they see fit. The winner gets to host the next one.
The Arbitrary Game Jam 18
Now in its 18th month, TAG Jam 18 will run from the 16th until the 18th of January. Like in previous months, a group of indie developers will get together looking to have fun, hone their skills, make new friends and build some new games. In the past the jam has attracted a wide range of skill levels, from absolute beginners to professionals.
Host madmarcel has been organizing the jam this month and has even managed to acquire some prizes:
“All participants in the jam will receive a complimentary 12-issue digital subscription to the Indie Game Magazine.”
Participation
Everyone is welcome to participate in the jam. Youll have 72 hours to make a game that incorporates one or more of the themes.
The themes will be announced 24hrs before the start of the jam.
The official schedule is:
(Click the times below to view in the timezone converter)
Schedule | | | All times are in EST
Jan 14 | Wed | 12 midnight | Themes announced. Have a cold beverage and think about what you are going to make.
Jan 15 | Thu | 12 midnight | Official start of the game jam
Jan 18 | Sun | 12 midnight | Official end of the game jam. Please try to have your game submitted by this time. There is an additional 12 hour grace period to get your game submitted.
Jan 19 | Mon | 12 noon | Final Deadline for submissions. End of 12 hour grace period.
After Jan 19 | | | madmarcel has a cold beverage, reviews all the entries and picks a winner.
Unexpected success
“All the ideas in the universe can be described by words. Therefore, if you simply take all the words and rearrange them randomly enough times, youre bound to hit upon at least a few great ideas eventually. Sausage donkey swallows flying guillotine, my love assembly line.”
— Jarod Kintz
The purpose of The Arbitrary Game Jam is to promote small and unknown indie developers, and by passing the Gamejam around, this will help bring traffic to their websites. Sometimes in unexpected ways.
Andrew Wang encountered unexpected success with his entry for TAG Jam 17; his jam entry Lord of the Aisle managed to get ~200k views on Youtube and was featured in no less than 39 videos. Andrew has written a full article about his experience here.
Wow, nice work Andrew. Let’s see if we can do that again!
Last but not least
By all means, visit the TAG Jam 18 website and check out the jam, the rules, the FAQ and the games.
If you are not a developer, you’re still welcome! Drop by afterwards, try out the crazy games and leave some feedback for the developers.
If you want to help spread the word, use the hashtag #tagjam18.
Thanks, hope to see you there!
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