This jam is now over. It ran from 2023-06-11 22:00:00 to 2023-06-17 10:00:00. View results

Castle Game Jam

Castle Game Jam is a rapid result driven game development event where teams create prototypes over the course of 1 week in a big castle. Teams generally consist of 1 to 4 developers which are either formed beforehand or during the start of the event. The location of Castle Game Jam vary from year to year and its participants come from all over the world. After a successful game jam the teams should've created prototypes and formed connections they can bring with themselves home. There's also lectures, workshops, live music, trade fair, parties and so much more for the participants to attend. You have to be at least 18 years old to attend this event as a participant since there may be alcohol present at the venue during the week.

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Location

Jaunpils Castle, Latvia
The castle in Jaunpils is first time mentioned in 1411. Most likely it's built in the end of the 14th century. The tower was added in the 15th century. In the first half of 16th century Jaunpils Castle was the place where many old and weak brothers of Livonian Order settled. In 1576 Jaunpils Castle became property of last komtur of Dobele Matthias von der Recke. Castle was owned by his descendants until 1920. The castle was heavily damaged in war by Swedes in 1625. Later a third floor was added and the old fortress became a manor with all conveniences in the end of the 17th century. The building was partly reconstructed in the 18th century. The castle was burned down during the Russian Revolution of 1905. A year later it was rebuilt by architect Wilhelm Bockslaff.

From the 16th century until 1920 the castle belonged to the family of the Baltic German baron von der Recke. One of the family members who lived there in the 18th century was the poet Elisa von der Recke. After the Latvian agrarian reforms of the 1920s, the castle complex housed a cattle-breeding experimental station. During the Soviet occupation of Latvia, the interior of the castle was heavily reconstructed and for many years had typical Soviet interiors from the 1960s. In the 2000s, a team of Latvian designers refitted the interior of the castle. Today it features luxurious medieval style apartments which blend luxuries with glimpses of the castle's history.

Schedule
Sunday, June 11th

15:00 - Accommodations and check-in opens
From this point on you should be able to access the castle bedrooms, castle hostel, castle mill hostel, tenting area and school accommodation.

16:00 - Medieval games
While you wait for things to get started, you can socialize and get to know new people while enjoying medieval games outside.

18:00 - BBQ
Grills up and running and you can grab food to put on them.

20:00 - Opening ceremony
Introductions, sponsor messages, theme announcements.

22:00 - Presentations
All formed teams present themselves, their initial ideas, and if they are looking for additional members.

00:00 - Start of game jam
We gather up outside the castle, we fire the cannon, and we open up the game jam areas.

Monday, June 12th

07:30 to 09:30 - Breakfast
This is available to people who has paid for the breakfast DLC.

08:00 - Exercise
Light exercises with a professional physiotherapist in the castle courtyard.

15:00 - Exercise
Light exercises with a professional physiotherapist in the castle courtyard.

20:00 to 24:00 - Sauna
Get toasty in the sauna and then take a dip in the castle lake.

Tuesday, June 13th

07:30 to 09:30 - Breakfast
This is available to people who has paid for the breakfast DLC.

08:00 - Exercise
Light exercises with a professional physiotherapist in the castle courtyard.

15:00 - Exercise
Light exercises with a professional physiotherapist in the castle courtyard.

20:00 to 24:00 - Sauna
Get toasty in the sauna and then take a dip in the castle lake.

Wednesday, June 14th

07:30 to 09:30 - Breakfast
This is available to people who has paid for the breakfast DLC.

08:00 - Exercise
Light exercises with a professional physiotherapist in the castle courtyard.

15:00 - Exercise
Light exercises with a professional physiotherapist in the castle courtyard.

20:00 to 24:00 - Sauna
Get toasty in the sauna and then take a dip in the castle lake.

23:30 to 01:00 - ANGEL BEATS
ANGEL BEATS is electronic music combined with words for a spiritual journey in slow time - for reflection and prayer. During this time, it invites us to experience together the magical feeling of listening to electronic music in a church on a summer night and to remain in prayer for peace in Ukraine and the world.

Thursday, June 15th

07:30 to 09:30 - Breakfast
This is available to people who has paid for the breakfast DLC.

08:00 - Exercise
Light exercises with a professional physiotherapist in the castle courtyard.

15:00 - Exercise
Light exercises with a professional physiotherapist in the castle courtyard.

20:00 to 24:00 - Sauna
Get toasty in the sauna and then take a dip in the castle lake.

Friday, June 16th

07:30 to 09:30 - Breakfast
This is available to people who has paid for the breakfast DLC.

08:00 - Exercise
Light exercises with a professional physiotherapist in the castle courtyard.

15:00 - Exercise
Light exercises with a professional physiotherapist in the castle courtyard.

20:00 to 24:00 - Sauna
Get toasty in the sauna and then take a dip in the castle lake.

Saturday, June 17th

07:30 to 09:30 - Breakfast
This is available to people who has paid for the breakfast DLC.

10:00 to 16:00 - Conference
There will be 2 tracks of various speaker sessions, details will be announced later.

11:00 to 15:00 - Open house
The castle will be opened for the public to come in and test the games developed during the week. Here you'll also have time to play each others games.

16:00 - Presentations
2 minute presentations of the games developed during the jam.

18:00 - Voting ends
No more voting, so we have time to prepare for the closing ceremony.

18:00 - BBQ
Grills up and running and you can grab food to put on them.

20:00 - Closing ceremony
Announcing winners and handing out trophies.

22:00 to 04:00 - Sauna
Get toasty in the sauna and then take a dip in the castle lake.

Sunday, June 18th

07:30 to 09:30 - Breakfast
This is available to people who has paid for the breakfast DLC.

10:00 - Accommodations closes
At this point you should have vacated the castle bedrooms, castle hostel, castle mill hostel, tenting area and school accommodation.

Game jam

The actual game jam will last for 120 hours, midnight to midnight, 2023-06-12 to 2023-06-16. We recommend you plan for a 24 hour game, and instead focus on polishing a small tight core of a game. The absolute best thing you can bring with you home from a game jam are memories and new friends/connections, so make sure you also spend time networking with others!

Theme
The theme for the jam will be announce 2023-06-11 20:00 at the BBQ party, and during the week leading up to the start the event you'll have the opportunity to vote for various themes in order to impact the final choice.

Competition
If you're interested in participating in the competition to win a trophy or two to celebrate your ingenuity, the rules are simple. The amount of contributers may be max 4 people, all must be on-site and no other assets may be used unless it's free and open-source, and each such asset should be mentioned in credits.
The categories which you will be competing in are: Innovation, Controls, Mechanics, Story, Replayability, Graphics, Audio, Game of the Year.

Speakers

At the end of Castle Game Jam we'll have a conference day which will feature various speaker sessions. Our main focus for these topics will be centered around starting and running your own game development company, whether it be a studio or freelancing. You may however submit an application to do a talk about a different subject as well.

- Each session is 30 minutes + 15 minutes Q&A.
- Our focus is on practical or inspirational talks, where attendees will ask questions.

Apply to do a speaker session!
Brian Diamond

Brian is a multi-talented creative professional with extensive experience in the gaming and media industries. As an audio designer, voice actor, singer, dialogue editor, and VGM arranger, he has worked on a wide range of projects. He has served as the audio designer for Broken Alliance, creating an immersive soundscape that enhances the gaming experience. Brian has also lent his voice acting skills to several board game audio narration app projects, such as Gloomhaven, Jaws of the Lion, and Bardsung, captivating listeners with his dynamic and engaging performances.

In this speaker session, Brian will share his extensive knowledge and experience as a successful freelance audio designer and voice actor in the gaming and media industries. He will provide valuable insights into how to get started in freelancing, including tips for building a body of work, pricing strategies, and where to find opportunities. Brian will also share his personal experiences and lessons learned, providing attendees with practical advice and tools for success in the world of freelancing. Whether you're just starting out or looking to take your freelancing career to the next level, this session is a must-attend for anyone interested in audio design or voice acting. Don't miss this opportunity to learn some valuable skills and tips from a talented freelancer working in the trenches of game audio, they will serve you well wherever you are in your professional journey.

Leene Künnap

Leene is a highly successful entrepreneur who is the owner of Placeholder Gameworks, a company that primarily works with freelancers from around the world on multiple projects simultaneously. Leene's first game, Death & Taxes, was a massive success and has helped to establish her as a leading figure in the Estonian gaming industry. Currently, Leene is working on two exciting projects, Broken Alliance and CraftCraft, with two teams consisting of more than 15 people.

In this inspiring speaker session, Leene will share her journey of starting a company that works with freelancers from all over the world on multiple projects simultaneously. She will provide valuable insights into the challenges of managing people, projects, and deadlines while maintaining the high quality of work. Leene will share her strategies for building a cohesive team culture, fostering strong communication, and ensuring that everyone is on the same page. Attendees will learn practical tips and tricks for project management, including how to balance multiple projects, delegate effectively, and keep everyone motivated and engaged. This session is a must-attend for anyone looking to succeed in the fast-paced and dynamic world of game development. Join Leene as she shares her expertise and helps you unlock your full potential.

Ramon Huiskamp

Ramon runs Roofkat, an independent game studio in the Netherlands. Along with running the studio and managing the team, Ramon works on designing and developing his new project, Escaping Atlantis. Before Escaping Atlantis, Ramon worked as a level designer for No Brakes Games and prior to that at Sumo-Digital, creating boss battles for the bafta-award winning Sackboy: A Big Adventure.

In this speaker session, Ramon will share his experience pitching to publishers and other situations where having a pitch prepared has come in handy. He will share what has worked for him, show pitch templates and dissect pitches he has used. This session will be useful for anyone in a position where pitching is or will become necessary, also having take-aways for anyone wishing to level-up their presenting skills.

Press & content creators

If you're interested in covering Castle Game Jam as a journalist or a content creator, reach out to us and we'll help set it up. Our goal is to give as much attention as possible to our attendees, and we'll do our best to accommodate you!

For more information contact James Newnorth; james@spelkollektivet.com.

Accommodation

Shared accommodation
We provide free accommodation in the form of shared accommodation in a nearby school. We'll have different class rooms available and you may choose a location based on preferences, such as "no snoring" or "females only". We recommend that you bring an air mattress or similar, but if you don't want to travel with that you can also rent it from us. You'll find the option to rent sleeping gear in the add-on section.

Castle bedrooms
If you've got it made and you're looking to have the best sleep, we've got your back. There's a very limited amount of cool bedrooms in the castle. Each bedroom has a double bed, and some have plenty of room for air mattresses should you want to book one for your whole team. More information about each individual room is available in the add-on section.

Castle hostel
If you're interested in sleeping inside the actual castle, but don't need a whole bedroom for yourself there's hostel rooms available with 8 beds in each room. This is available in the add-on section.

Castle mill hostel
Just outside the castle is an old mill which has been furnished to be a hostel. There's 30 beds in it, but also room for an additional 20 air mattresses. Unless you book one of the beds, we recommend that you bring an air mattress or similar, but if you don't want to travel with that you can also rent it from us. You'll find the option to rent sleeping gear in the add-on section.

Tenting
For the adventurers attending Castle Game Jam, there's plenty of space in the beautiful nature, so that you may sleep just a few meters from the castle itself.

Other options
Unfortunately, there's not much of other options in walking distance to the castle. If you have access to a car, it might be possible to find quite cheap hotels within a driving distance.

Food

Food is not be provided by the event with exception of the BBQ-parties and opt-in breakfasts. We've already talked to some of the restaurant owners, and will provide a list of recommended restaurants nearby that will provide discounts to all attendees.

Submissions(45)

All submissions
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Browser playable (23)
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Windows (21)
macOS (4)
Linux (2)

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Embrace the brush, unleash the chaos!
Adventure
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A text adventure about Castle Game Jam
Adventure
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The best autobattler since autobattlers were invented.
Educational
Overclean - Quick & Dirty Cleaning
Action
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A duck with a copy beam!
Puzzle
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A beautiful immersive story about Carl
Racing
Game of the year of 2023
Action
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Two orcs throwing trash, what a brawl.
Fighting
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Face the challenge. Embrace the frustration. Have fun!
Platformer
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Make your baby pee on everything in a a short amount of time!
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Build. Flail around wildly. Rebuild. Help Björn the raccoon build the ultimate escape vehicle out of garbage
Simulation
Most boring boardgame in the world infused with crack!
Sports
No heart is left unmatched, not even mechanic robot hearts!
Simulation
Et spil om den vrisne slagter fra Langeskov
Action
Quickly assemble a space ship out of tetris pieces and survive waves of enemies to beat your friends' high scores
Action
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let the love juices flow
Simulation
​A hectic post-apocalyptic two-player truck-builder! Grab a buddy, turn the ignition, and roll out!
Action
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Survive the night with only your phone camera
Survival
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You are a thief in a dark VR town.
Action
A calming game about thinking and watching the sun go down.
Your landlord is about to arrive, to avoid eviction or worse, it's time to...
Action
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Two cops: one quick, both dirty, but one especially so.
Racing
Survive from the shark attack!
Action
The Baron asks you to paint his castle (by screaming into the mic). Do it!
Master the Art of Augmentation and Shape a New Era of Power!
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3D action driving combat
Action
The ultimate challenge: 4 people, 1 bike
Racing
Give the sheep a fresh coat of paint
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It is the best game ever made
Action
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A game of billiards/miniputt with NPCs, made during CastleJam 2023.
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Create the perfect rat burger restaurant
Simulation
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Multiplayer arena fighter with unique abilities and a challenging environment
Fighting
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Save the castle in this co-op experience from an intense earthquake assault!
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Castle Game Jam 2023 Participant
Puzzle
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Make quick and dirty turns to outpace your rivals
Card Game
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Rocket Jumps + Rocket Pollution
Shooter
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The Mouse only Go-win-dot Game!
Puzzle
Attack your friends with pigeons
Fighting