HERE’S EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO
KNOW ABOUT ROGUE JAM
WE GOT YOU WITH THE IMPORTANT DETAILS.
DON’T WORRY ABOUT GETTING LOST IN THE SAUCE.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
SURELY, WE ADDRESSED ALL INQUIRIES YOU MAY THINK OF…
General
Q: Who can enter?
A: Anybody—regardless of team size or development length—making an unreleased game.
Q: When does the Jam start and end?
A: Our registration and submission portal opens on Nov 29, 2021, and closes on Dec 31, 2021. Winners will be announced in March!
Q: Where can I get updates?
A: The Rogue Discord (discord.gg/roguegames) will open to the public for the duration of the jam (Must be 13+ to join Discord). You can also follow @Rogue_Co on Twitter or hit the roguejam.com website.
Q: What can I build my game on?
A: Anything! As long as you can upload a playable on either PC/Mac, consoles, or mobile.
A: You can use whatever art and audio assets you have the legal right to use.
Q: What platforms are we building for?
A: PC/Mac, consoles, mobile—whatever. Our judges are available to evaluate submissions on just about every platform.
Q: What will the game be judged on?
A: Games will be ranked against the following criteria: 1. Fun 2. Originality 3. Presentation 4. Polish 5. The Rogue Factor.
Q: What are the accepted formats for submission?
A: Basically whatever boots. Keep in mind that if we can’t play it, we can’t judge it.
RULES
A: Yes!
Q: Can I release my game to the public during the submission period or do I need to wait until after judging ends?
A: If you choose to participate in Rogue Jam, your game must remain unreleased for the duration of the competition (Nov 15 – April 1).
Q: Is there a theme for Rogue Jam?
A: No. We will take it all!
Q: Is there a limit to how much time the playable game should be?
A: Nope. It can be as long as you have designed it to be.
Q: My game is uploaded on itch.io. Can I still submit my game to Rogue Jam?
A: Yep!
Q: Are closed betas in steam allowed?
A: Sure.
Q: Can the submitted games be at any stage in development whether in prototype or Steam Early-Access during the Rogue Jam timeframe?
A: Yes. Any stage as long as it’s playable and not released.
Q: Is it possible to submit more than one game by one team or entrant?
A: Yes. Each submission has a limit of 24GB and a prompt asking for the description of your game. If you are planning on multiple submissions, you’ll want to submit them separately.
A: The full game you are developing has not been released and marketed to the public. We’re pretty loose about it, though, so if you’re in Steam Early Access or put out a demo on Itch.io, you’re still good.
Q: Does the “unreleased” rule apply for games that were announced (e.g. gameplay trailers, steam page, social media presence), but unreleased, or are games that have been already announced not eligible to be submitted?
A: No. We are happy you have built an audience for your game. As long as it hasn’t been released, you are eligible to enter.
Q: Can I release my game and make influencers play it after the submission timeline or do I have to wait until the winner is picked?
A: No. If you choose to participate in the competition, your game must remain unreleased for the duration of the Rogue Jam (Nov 15 – April 1). However, IF you are one of the candidates for the 5 winning categories (and you have submitted either gameplay footage or a trailer), you may have the opportunity to have your game be either featured on IGN.com or played by one of Rogue Jam’s partner creators: Sweet Anita or BlueDrake42!
Q: What are the accepted formats for submission?
A: Basically whatever boots. Keep in mind that if we can’t play it, we can’t judge it.
PUBLISHING TERMS
A: You do. If you choose to participate in the competition, your game must remain unreleased for the duration of the Rogue Jam (Nov 15 – April 1), Once the winners have been announced (assuming you have not won any of the categories), you retain the right to release your game as you see fit.
Q: Would the winners of the publishing deals be mandatory?
A: No. Only if you win one of the categories and also sign a publishing deal or right of first refusal with Rogue. If you choose not to accept either, you are absolutely free to walk away, but note you will not receive any investment.
Q: What are your publishing terms?
A: Broadly, between $50K and $500k publishing deals (depending on which category you win) going towards the development or marketing of your game. The deals have a 0% recoup and a 50/50 developer/publisher rev share. Additional terms & details will be discussed if you win one of the categories.
A: It’s a $500k publishing deal. The funding would go toward the development and/or marketing of your game.
Q: What does the Rogue Factor winning category mean?
A: If you deep dive the Rules of Rogue Jam, you’ll find that the “Rogue Factor” is defined as “the existence of any signature attribute(s), whether design, style, gameplay innovations or otherwise, that feels new, bizarre, original, and in line with Rogue’s brand.” In short, weird and wonderful.