Atari Game Jam
The Sandbox is partnering with Atari through a brand new game jam!
Since 1972, game builders have been the heart of Atari. Today, we continue that heritage with Game Jam. Get creative and build out your wildest dreams! Imagine a universe where Centipede and Asteroids fly together; play Food Fight with Alien Brigade.
Game builders will take two of the 15 Atari IPs in The Sandbox and combine them to make their own custom experience.
Game makers may use the Atari IP (listed below) solely for the Atari Game Jam Sandbox promotion. After the Atari Game Jam promotion has concluded, the asset(s) created by the game maker will remain in such game makers’ Sandbox account. No other uses, distribution, license, sale, or other exploitation of the asset(s) based on or derived from the Atari IP is allowed without express written consent and license from Atari.
List of IPs users are allowed to recreate:
PONG®
ASTEROIDS®
CRYSTAL CASTLES®
TEMPEST®
SWORDQUEST™
MISSILE COMMAND®
CENTIPEDE®
BLACK WIDOW™
YARS’ REVENGE®
MILLIPEDE®
MINER 2049er™
ADVENTURE™
COMBAT®
ALIEN BRIGADE™
FOOD FIGHT™
HUMAN CANNONBALL
BREAKOUT™
Rewards
30,000 SAND will be split amongst the top entries the following ways:
- 1st place: 12,000 SAND + “50 Years of Atari” NFT
- 2nd place: 7,000 SAND;
- 3rd place: 4,000 SAND;
- 4th to 10th place: each receives 1,000 SAND.
Important Dates
- The Game Jam begins on September 19th, 2022.
- The deadline to complete and submit your entry is the October 16th 2022, at 3pm UTC.
- Submissions gathering and voting will take place from October 17th till November 6th.
- The results will be announced on the November 12th, 2022.
Important Entry Guidelines
- Your entry must be designed in the Game Maker software.
- Your entry can include assets you’ve created yourself.
- Your entry must have some playability (quests, missions you name it).
- Your entry must be unique and not a direct copy of any existing experiences (similarities are fine, exact copies are not!).
- Spamming the gallery with a number of low quality experiences just to try and fit into the 4th-10th places may result in all your entries being disqualified.
- Not completing the submission steps correctly (see below) may result in your entry being ineligible.
- The judging will be done by The Sandbox’s staff and Atari’s staff.
What makes an entry valid?
- Game length should be at least 5 minutes (excluding timed, collection quests).
- Use at least 25 different assets.
- Follow the storyline/theme.
- Experience must be created after the start date (any experiences built for previous game jams cannot be used).
- The Sandbox staff members have the right to remove any entry as they see fit.
Submitting Your Entry
We will be using the Game Maker “Gallery” feature as a form for submissions.
You MUST also submit your game to the following form link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfFiz_GnnxQBnpaJI3V4F8sGi_So9Csql8m5DNDUnrfb7o7fA/viewform
WARNING! If you submit your entry to the Game Jam gallery but do not submit it to the form linked above (or vice versa), your entry will not be eligible!
Slow down — check everything! Take the time to submit a qualitative experience, rather than rushing and submitting a half-finished experience.
Game Jam FAQ
Who can join the Game Jam?
Anyone who is eligible to create an account at The Sandbox can enter the Game Jam.
Can I use other people’s assets?
No, you cannot use assets that you haven’t created or purchased. Using assets created by another user without permission will result in your experience being disqualified. Default assets created by “TSB-Account-1” and “SandboxGame” are free to use.
Are teams or studios allowed?
Yes! You are welcome to work independently or as a team/studio of no more than 4 members per team.
Where can I get the Game Maker and/or VoxEdit from?
Here are the official links:
Where can I find guides for the Game Maker and VoxEdit software?
Check out the tutorials page on The Sandbox’s official knowledge base here: https://sandboxgame.gitbook.io/the-sandbox/other/tutorials. It’s super effective, if you are a beginner!
You can also join our Discord community, where creators often share tips with each other and post their own tutorials. You can also share your entry with the community for feedback, if you wish. The Discord community link is: https://discord.com/invite/cgCFFjj.
Judging Criteria
The entries are judged on a 100 points scale divided into the following categories:
- Overall Idea — (25 Points)
- Level/Game Design — (25 Points)
- Creativity — (25 Points)
- Playability — (25 Points)
- Bonus Points: Wow Factor — (Up to 25 Points Extra)
