The Collect-a-thon Jam

Almost since the beginning of video games, we've been collecting things. Think about Pac-Man. Sure, he has to run away from ghosts, but he’s not done until he eats every last dot. In the PS1 era, we translated this concept into 3D with fantastic games like Spyro the Dragon, and of course the N64 gave us some legendary collect-a-thons too.

In the modern era, the genre seems to have fallen somewhat out of favor for large-scale commercial releases, although there are still a few notable examples, such as the Yooka-Laylee games. Perhaps that’s because collect-a-thons are actually one of the most approachable genres for indie developers, and for once WE have edged the AAA folks out of the market ;-)

This jam is dedicated to collect-a-thons, whether in 2D or 3D.

The core gameplay loop should revolve around collecting things. Players should spend a meaningful amount of time searching for, gathering, uncovering, or completing collections of objects.

Of course, collecting alone is not enough to make an interesting game. The fun comes from everything surrounding that core loop: exploration, movement, puzzles, platforming, combat, hidden secrets, strange mechanics, atmosphere, progression, or whatever other ideas you bring to it.

Rules

• Both 2D and 3D games are welcome.
• Any engine or framework is allowed.
• Web builds are always best but we'll take EXEs too.
• Games may be started before the jam begins, but cannot have been released or available for download before the jam starts.

In other words, if you’ve secretly been working on your dream collect-a-thon for months already, that’s completely fine. The important thing is that the public gets to experience it for the first time during this jam.

What Counts as a Collect-a-thon?

The important thing is that collecting is the central gameplay loop, not just a minor side activity. Simply having coins, pickups, or optional secrets in an otherwise unrelated game probably is not enough. You do not need to imitate Banjo-Kazooie or Spyro directly, though. A strange or highly original interpretation is absolutely encouraged.

I prefer letting voters decide for themselves what does or does not fit the genre, so I am intentionally not enforcing an extremely rigid definition. A game does not need unanimous agreement to qualify.

Prize

This time, there will actually be a prize.

The winner will receive a STEAM key for Alien Video Game Scientist, my own collect-a-thon-inspired game:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3177810/Alien_Video_Game_Scientist/

The game is built around exploring strange environments, gathering objects, uncovering secrets, and solving environmental puzzles. If you want a sense of the type of energy this jam is aiming for, it may serve as useful inspiration.

Judging

Games will be judged on exactly two things:

• How fun they are
• Whether they count as a collect-a-thon

The prize will normally go to the highest-rated game overall. However, if the top entry receives decidedly mixed opinions on whether it actually qualifies as a collect-a-thon, I reserve the right to award the prize to the next highest-ranked game instead.

Final Thoughts

Collecting things is one of the oldest ideas in game design, but it still has a lot of unexplored potential. Whether you want to make something nostalgic, experimental, relaxing, chaotic, funny, atmospheric, or deeply weird, this jam is your excuse to do it.

Go make something worth collecting.