GAME JAM: Friendship Celebration

8 min readNov 20, 2024

Unite, Create, and Celebrate Connections! 🌟

Friendship isn’t just a feeling; it’s a force that can inspire worlds, adventures, and creativity! Whether you’re new to game creation or a seasoned expert, the Friendship Game Jam in The Sandbox invites you to craft immersive gaming experiences that celebrate camaraderie, teamwork, and the beauty of shared moments. No coding? No problem! With our no-code Game Maker tool, anyone can create in the metaverse.

In collaboration with DanceFight, Clay Nation, and Bitkub, this is your opportunity to explore how friendship transcends boundaries, bringing people together in meaningful and imaginative ways.

Let Friendship Take the Spotlight ✨

Imagine a world where friendships are forged through incredible challenges and vibrant celebrations:

🎭 A quest to rebuild a shattered world where teamwork unlocks hidden paths and treasures.
💃 Dance your way to victory in a DanceFight tournament, where synchronized moves with friends reveal powerful rewards.
🎨 Explore a charming, clay-crafted universe inspired by Clay Nation, filled with puzzles that only collaboration can solve.
🌐 Travel across digital landscapes inspired by Bitkub, uniting players across the globe to create unbreakable bonds.

Don’t worry if you’re new to game creation — we’ve got you covered with beginner workshops, resources, and community support. 🛠️ Start with our quick beginner video tutorials to learn the basics and hit the ground running.

(!) The event is online. 💻

UPDATE: Theme Reveal! 🤩

The theme for this Game Jam is “Better Together.” We challenge you to craft experiences that celebrate the power of connection, collaboration, and friendship. Whether it’s uniting a group of friends to overcome challenges, building bridges between worlds, or showcasing the magic of teamwork, let your creativity shine.

With DanceFight, Clay Nation, and Bitkub as your inspiration, the possibilities are endless! Design synchronized dance-offs that unlock treasures, create clay-crafted adventures where friends solve puzzles together, or explore Bitkub-inspired digital realms that connect players across the globe.

The possibilities are limitless:

🤝 Every challenge strengthens a bond.
🌟 Every journey sparks a connection.
🎮 Every creation celebrates the power of friendship.

Let your imagination soar — we can’t wait to see the heartwarming and collaborative games you create! ❤️🤝

REGISTER HERE before December 4 and start building your friendship-filled masterpiece!

Gameplay Guidelines & Inspiration to Get You Started 💡

No specific requirements — just let the theme inspire you! Here are a few ideas to get you started.

🛠 Survival Challenge: Collect resources and unlock helpful companions with unique abilities to survive in a harsh and mysterious world. (Multiplayer upgrade: Each player takes on a specialized role to ensure success!)
💃 Party Backrooms: Navigate a huge party maze, find your friends & escape the horrifying entity before it’s too late. (Multiplayer upgrade: Work together, but only two may escape… Who’s friend and who’s foe?)
🏃‍♀️ Relay Obby Race: Navigate a relay-style obstacle course where different sections require you to switch between characters with unique skills to overcome the challenges (Multiplayer upgrade: Think Portal 2 where you help each other to the finish line)
🏰 United Tower Defense: Protect your base by recruiting allies to defend against waves of enemies. Use their unique strengths to gain the strategic upper hand! (Multiplayer upgrade: Work with friends to defend your shared base)
🧩 Resource Management: Recruit friends with unique powers to help you gather, process, and manage resources and build a thriving community. (Multiplayer upgrade: Take on various roles and work together to succeed)

Whether you design dynamic arenas for epic dance battles, mysteries that unravel through teamwork, or forge shared adventures in virtual worlds, this is your chance to redefine friendship in the metaverse. 🌍

Prizes 🏆

You stand a chance at a share of 100,000 SAND, 20 LANDs, and exclusive CATALYST Packs! Additionally, the first 100 valid entries are rewarded a participation prize of 100 SAND each (conditions apply)!

Top Prizes:

🥇 1st Place: 18,000 SAND + 1x1 LAND + Gold CATALYST Pack
🥈 2nd Place: 14,000 SAND + 1x1 LAND + Silver CATALYST Pack
🥉 3rd Place: 10,000 SAND + 1x1 LAND + Silver CATALYST Pack
🎖️ 4th Place: 8,000 SAND + 1x1 LAND + Silver CATALYST Pack
🎖️ 5th Place: 6,000 SAND + 1x1 LAND + Silver CATALYST Pack
🎖️ 6th–10th Place: 4,000 SAND + 1x1 LAND + Bronze CATALYST Pack
🌟 Honorable Mentions (up to 10): 2,000 SAND + 1x1 LAND

IP Special Prize 🌟

Each IP will select games to be featured on their official LAND!
They also offer an additional 2,000 SAND for each entry they choose to publish on their estate.

Bitkub additional prize 🌟

This year’s theme takes you into the Bitkub Metaverse (Learn more), where teamwork unlocks epic adventures! Join the Rabbitian tribes (Download the FREE Voxel Assets) in The Great Rabbitian Treasure Hunt, guide them to recover a lost treasure, unite their unique powers, and defeat a menacing boss.

Your Reward Awaits! Design innovative games for a chance to win:

1st Place: Bitkub Metaverse Land (S Size)
2nd Place: Bitkub Metaverse Land (XS Size)
3rd Place: Bitkub Metaverse Land (XS Size)

Winners are selected by Bitkub.

*Please note that rules & conditions apply to receive prizes and rewards in Game Jams. Learn more under ⚠️Important Rules!

Key dates 🗓️

🗓️ November 20: Registrations Open
🗓️ November 27: Kick-Off Theme Reveal & AMA — 12:30 PM UTC
🗓️ November 28: Live Workshop — 7:30 AM UTC
🗓️ December 4: Registrations Close — 11:59 PM UTC
🗓️ December 18: Submission Deadline — 5:00 PM UTC
🏆January 25: Live Awards Ceremony on Twitch — 7:00 PM UTC

Checklist: Get Started with Game Jams ☑️

Follow these steps to prepare for the Game Jam:

☑️ Create your The Sandbox account
☑️ Download the no-code Game Maker tool to start building your game
☑️ Jump start with our Beginner Game Maker video tutorials.
☑️ Download VoxEdit to create custom assets (optional)
☑️ Join the Creators Forum for updates and support
☑️ Register for the Game Jam
☑️ Check your email for Game Jam Kick-Off details
☑️ Remember to look at the 📚Resources section below to learn more about being a creator in The Sandbox 🎓
☑️ Plan and build your game with our Production Guide 🤝
☑️ Submit your game before deadline using the submission form, which will be sent to you via email 🗒️

Don’t Miss the Live Awards Ceremony!

Join us on January 25 at 7:00 PM UTC on Twitch to celebrate the winners and take part in exciting giveaways!🎉

Missed the ceremony? Don’t worry — winners will also be announced on Twitter/X.

🗣️ Stay connected! For updates and announcements related to Game Jams and other creator contests, join our Creators Forum.

Why participate in The Sandbox Game Jams?

The Sandbox is a vibrant ecosystem where creators and brands collaborate to build the future of gaming. Whether you’re dreaming of launching your own game franchise or collaborating with iconic brands like DanceFight, Clay Nation & Bitkub, there’s a place for you here!

Here’s why you should join:

💎 Exciting Prizes: Win SAND, LAND, publishing opportunities, and recognition within our global community.
📸 Gain Exposure: Share your game development skills, become a recognized creator, and receive feedback from players and industry experts.
📋 Build Your Portfolio: Game Jams are an excellent way to rapidly create and showcase your work.
⚙️ Improve Your Skills: Experiment, grow, and refine your game-making abilities with The Sandbox’s easy-to-use tools.
🤝 Join the Community: Connect with fellow creators, exchange ideas, and collaborate on projects in a supportive and passionate community.

Important rules ⚠️

Before submitting, make sure you’ve read all the rules to ensure your game is eligible for prizes. By following these guidelines, you’ll avoid issues that could affect your game’s chances of winning!

🛠️ Game Maker Version: Use the version available on kick-off day. Later versions may cause bugs or prevent your game from appearing in the Drafts Gallery on the version used by our judges, in which case your entry is disqualified.
⏳ Creation Date: Your game must be created after the kick-off date.
🌍 Size Limitation: Your game must not exceed 1x1 LAND in size.
🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Multiple Entries: If you submit more than one entry, only your highest-ranked entry will be eligible for prizes.
🛡️ KYC Requirement: Complete KYC verification to receive prizes. Failing to meet these conditions may result in ineligibility for prizes.

For full rules, see our Official Game Jam Rules.

Rules & Conditions — Prizes & Rewards

To qualify for participation rewards, please ensure you follow these key conditions:

You must submit a valid entry through the submission form sent to you by email.
Spam entries will be disqualified at the discretion of The Sandbox staff.
The Top 10 and Honorable Mentions are not eligible for participation rewards.
If you submit multiple entries, you will only receive participation rewards for one.
KYC verification is required to receive SAND, LAND, CATALYSTs, and other prizes.
Teams submitting multiple entries in the Top 10 will only have their highest-ranked entry counted for prizes, but other entries may be eligible for Honorable Mention.
You must publish your game’s experience page before the award ceremony.

Important: Failing to fulfill these conditions will make you ineligible for prizes and rewards.

For a full list of rules and conditions, please refer to our Official Game Jam Rules.

Judges & Voting 🏦

Your game will be evaluated across five categories, with up to 22 points available from each judge. These categories include:

💡 Overall Creative Idea: How unique and engaging is your idea and how well does it apply the theme of the Game Jam?
🛠️ Level Design: Is the virtual world intuitive to navigate, does it flow well, and is it visually immersive?
🎮 Game Design: Are your gameplay mechanics fun, engaging, and immersive?
🕹️ Playability: Is the overall game intuitive and are there minor or major bugs which disrupts player experience?
🌟 BONUS: Wow Factor: Extra points are awarded for exceptional creativity, visual design, or innovative gameplay that takes the experience to the next level.

You can read about these categories in more detail here where you can also learn more about the judges.

Resources 📚

Need help getting started? We’ve got you covered! Check out these essential tools and guides to help you build your game:

🖥️ New to Game Maker? Learn fast here. here.
🎨 Creating Custom Assets? Find all of our VoxEdit resources here.
🧰 Need guidance? Follow our Production Guide to plan and build your game step by step.
🛍️ Save time by buying pre-made assets from our Marketplace here.

FAQs — ❓

Have questions about the Game Jam or our rewards? We’ve got you covered!

What are CATALYST Packs?
CATALYST Packs add value and rarity to in-game assets in The Sandbox. Each pack contains components you can use to enhance your game’s ASSETS.

Learn more about CATALYSTs here.

CATALYST Pack Tiers:

Gold: 1 🟨, 3 🟪, 10 🟦, 50 🟩, 100 ⬜
Silver: 1 🟪, 5 🟦, 25 🟩, 50 ⬜
Bronze: 3 🟦, 10 🟩, 25 ⬜

If you have more questions, be sure to read our full rules and FAQs linked above, or visit the Creators Forum where our team and community are ready to help.