Game Prototype Challenge: Game Jamming
2010 - 2013


 

The GPC was a dual-themed, bi-monthly, spur-of-the-moment motivator for making games. This was its official website.
Content is from the site's archived pages from the Game Prototype Challenge's inception in 2010 to its demise three years later.
The new owners of this domain enjoyed the Game Prototype Challenge and have chosen to keep its memory alive on the web with this archived content.

Enjoy this nostalgic trip back.

GAME JAMMING

A game jam is a hackathon for video games. It is a gathering of people for the purpose of planning, designing, and creating one or more games within a short span of time, usually ranging between 24 and 72 hours, and some even longer.

Game Prototype Challenge

Inspired by @Gamercamp, the #GamePrototypeChallenge is a spur-of-the-moment motivator for making games. Check the themes, check the date, and make the game!

 

ABOUT

On the Monday after the inspiring weekend that was Gamercamp(Lv.2), I found myself really eager to make a game.  Knowing that others probably felt the same way, and as a result of the driving force that is friendly competition, the Game Prototype Challenge came to be.  Version 1 came into existence that day, and by the following Monday it came to fruition.  Six prototypes made over the previous seven days were posted to Twitter with the hashtag #GamePrototypeChallenge by midnight that night, all of which were fantastic and different from the next.

And so the challenge was born.  Each month—barring larger jams which will take precedence—we will organize a new Challenge, with a timeline and a theme or two, as a simple motivator to get developers and designers making games.

There is no registration to enter, simply make your game prototype before the time is up, host it somewhere, and post a link to it on Twitter with the corresponding #GamePrototypeChallenge hashtag (such as #GPCv1, #GPCv2, #GPCv3, etc.) or, if you are without Twitter, email the link to submissions@gameprototypechallenge.com and it will be tweeted for you.  Game links and screenshots are then archived here, on the site.

Looking forward to seeing your games!

— @JasonPKaplan

 

The End Of The Game Prototype Challenge

August 29, 2013 

Friends, Challengers, and readers:

It saddens me to say that the Game Prototype Challenge will no longer be running and that #GPCv19 was our last iteration.  This is a result of my own time and energy as well as the changed landscape of game jamming over the past three years.

When I started GPC in November 2010, one had to go out of one’s way to find something to provide a maker with motivation.  Due to a growing landscape of game development, that is no longer the case.  For example, after planning #GPCv19 and LIVE! six weeks in advance, 7DFPS sprung up sharing our last few days; the Oculus VR Jam happened through the same month; locally, Gamercamp ran its inaugural ROM jam; Ludum Dare 27 ran two weeks later; One Game A Month happened, as ever; and I am sure I am forgetting about something else.

There are more jams than I could hope to participate in, which was not the case when I started this.  Of course, that is a result of people like me, passionate about makery and helping people create games, who ran such events, and of course if those people, as I am now, were to shut down their events there would not be such things.  And while I do think that GPC brings something unique to the table with the idea of dual themes, I also think that we have seen a lot and I am not sure we are capturing the same feeling as we did at first as we force more and more events and try—and possibly fail—to come up with good pairs of dual themes.

I am sure the bug will bite again, and I am sure I will arrange another jam one day, but it will not be under the mantle of GPC.  I will keep this news page alive and collect the main site content under one mantle, all hosted here, with a modified archive to retain our history (update: modified archive here).  I will, however, shut down the Facebook page and our Twitter.  If you follow us on Twitter, and want updates on me and what I might end up doing, please follow me at@JasonPKaplan.  If you only follow us on Tumblr, you can follow my blog here for updates.  Our GPC email will likely go down, so please contact me through Twitter, the Disqus comments below, or my blog’s Ask if you need to get in touch.

Thank you so much for being a part of this, it has been an incredible three years.

 



 

CHALLENGE CHAT

 TIFF Nexus for GPC Challengers

TIFF Nexus

Hello Challengers!  If you are in or near Toronto, visiting, and interested in the upcoming goings-on, please see the following which was sent to us for all of you!

In recognition of the spirit and success of the ongoing Game Prototype Challenge, we’d like to offer all your past Jam participants our Industry Partner rate to come check out the results of our own awesome Jam being led by Emilie McGinley from TO Jam / Hand Eye Society and our other partners from Ryerson, DDiMIT.org, and Site3.ca. LEARN MORE HERE AND CHECK OUT OUR SWEEEET TRAILER!

The Industry Partner rate is a whopping *40% off* reg rate, = $60/person incl all events, demos, classes and post-panel industry reception!

If anyone wants help getting registered or has more questions, please feel free to contact TIFF Nexus assistant, Peter Kuplowsky, we’re happy to help you through the signup etc.

So there you have it! Get in touch with Peter if you’re interested in getting this discounted rate and peering into the Nexus.

 

 A Toasty Night at the Pub

recess.to pub night

The culmination of the recess.to and #GPCv8 crossover is finally here!

A Toasty Night at the Pub
Thursday, October 27th, 2011
7PM, Duke of York

As the weather gets nippy, we’re packing up the water guns, putting away the sweatbands, and heading for the sweet embrace of crowded tables, full pints, and indoor heating. This month, we’ve got 3 games created during September’s Game Prototype Challenge. Designers were asked to make games that could be played in a bar; so that’s what we’re gonna do!

If you’re local and can make it, we look forward to seeing you there!

 

 3, 2, 1, Finished

And with that, #GPCv9 —and the first year of the Game Prototype Challenge—ends.  Congratulations to all our participating Challengers, for #GPCv9 specifically but for all previous Challenges, too!

Barring late entries, at the time of writing this, we have seven new games to play using the themes MASK and COUNTDOWN, which can be found in the archives (along with any late updates).

The Version 9 archives can be found here.

If you’d like to join the conversation about the Challenge and the games from #GPCv9, you can use the hashtag for the Challenge on Twitter as well as visiting the Challenge Chat.  Want to wear the Challenge?  We also have a Challenge Store, in which we’ve just dropped the prices for almost all items.

Remember to follow us, like us, or simply check in on us for information on #GamePrototypeChallenge and the new year of Challenges.  Feel free to offer suggestions via any of Twitter, Facebook, or email.

 

 #GPCv9 Themes

It’s that time again! Remember, this is the last Challenge before our 1-year anniversary, and our last Challenge in the single-digits.  Though we can’t say for sure if the next Challenge will be different or special, it will be an important milestone, so if you want to be able to say you were part of the Challenge since it’s first year of life, this is your last chance to get in at the ground floor!

Partially inspired by Halloween, the themes for #GPCv9 are…

MASK and COUNTDOWN

The details: you have until 11:59pm EST on October 17th, 2011 to submit your game by posting a link to it on Twitter with the hashtag #GPCv9. Web deploy-able games are preferred but not required; simply provide a download link if your game is run as an executable. If you are without Twitter, and cannot sign up for an account, email submissions@gameprototypechallenge.com the link to your game and we will post it on our Twitter account, @GamePrototypeCh. The games will then be collected and archived on the website for easier viewing by the public.

It is recommended all developers take part in #ScreenshotSaturday as a progress milestone.  This screenshot will then be used in the archives as the thumbnail for your game, unless a second screenshot is provided for the finished game that is preferred.  If no screenshot is provided, one will be taken for you.  Screenshots are requested to be 400x300 and will be re-sized if they are not.

Prototype away, Challengers!

 

 Announcing #GPCv9

Greetings, Challengers! With #GPCv8, we added another set of games to our collection, and now can proudly boast 96 games made for the Game Prototype Challenge to date.  Ready to break the triple digit mark?

By the voting power of Twitter, #GPCv9 will take place Monday, October 10th, 2011 to Monday, October 17th, 2011. Themes will be announced at noon EST on the 10th, and games due at 11:59pm EST on the 17th.

Note that this is the last Challenge before our 1-year anniversary edition, breaking the double digits in terms of Challenge number with #GPCv10, at which point we’ll have been doing this for a year.  If you want to be a part of the GPC in its first year of life, this is your last chance!  Join us!

 

 Flowers in Fall

As it always must, another Challenge has come to a close.  #GPCv8 resulted in 13 new games, mostly about bees and flowers.  A round of applause goes out to our Challengers, as always.  There are a lot of cool games here, so give them a try!

The Version 8 archives can be found here.

Remember to keep your eye on recess.to’s website for information about when the next event in Toronto will be, where some of these games will be playable! A special thank you to the Challengers who tried their hand at something for this event.

Due to some factors, we’re slightly concerned that we might have missed an entry or two this go-around.  If you see your game missing from the Archive, please contact us immediately so we can rectify the mistake.

If you’d like to join the conversation about the Challenge and the games from #GPCv8, you can use the hashtag for the Challenge on Twitter or visit the Discussion Board on Facebook, as well as the Challenge Chat.  Want to wear the Challenge?  We also have a Challenge Store.

 

  #GPCv8 Themes

It’s finally time for #GPCv8! Theme creation this month was done a little differently, but we think in the end we have an interesting combination that will result in some cool games.

Don’t know how to make electronic games, or want to try something different? This month we were contacted by the fine folks who run recess.to with a new idea. They will be designing an in-person outdoor/street/playground/parkour game (or parlor/party game for indoors) for #GPCv8, and are looking to host a GPC-themed recess event with your games, too!  So if you design a game, write up the rules clearly, provide instructions on how to play, and post that at the end of the Challenge, your game might be playable at the next recess event in Toronto! See more details here.

Without further ado, the themes this month are…

ARMOR and POLLINATION

The details: you have until 11:59pm EST on September 19th, 2011 to submit your game by posting a link to it on Twitter with the hashtag #GPCv8. Web deploy-able games are preferred but not required; simply provide a download link if your game is run as an executable. If you are without Twitter, and cannot sign up for an account, email submissions@gameprototypechallenge.comthe link to your game and we will post it on our Twitter account, @GamePrototypeCh. The games will then be collected and archived on the website for easier viewing by the public.

It is recommended all developers take part in #ScreenshotSaturday as a progress milestone.  This screenshot will then be used in the archives as the thumbnail for your game, unless a second screenshot is provided for the finished game that is preferred.  If no screenshot is provided, one will be taken for you.  Screenshots are requested to be 400x300 and will be re-sized if they are not.

 

 Announcing #GPCv8

Announcing #GPCv8 (banner by Lee Zhi Fei)

82 games is the current total of collected prototypes from the GPC.  November will be our 1-year anniversary.  In the meanwhile, we have #GPCv8 in September and #GPCv9 in October.  Are you ready to make some games?

It’s been a while since our last Challenge, so it’s nice to be announcing a date again.  Get your calenders out, #GPCv8 will run Monday, September 12th, 2011 to Monday, September 19th, 2011. Themes will be announced at noon EST on the 12th, and games due at 11:59pm EST on the 19th.

Thoughts? Get in touch with us by means of any of Twitter, Facebook, or email and talk to us.

Banner provided by Lee Zhi Fei.

 

 An Update: #GPCv7 and #GPCv8

Hello Challengers!  As was said last month, #GPCv8 won’t be coming until September.  So, Challengers, looking for something to do?

Why not check out Jason P. Kaplan (that’s the human writing these posts) talk about the GPC on Electric Playground? He also talks about the GPC, as well as his new game Flew The Coop, on the Got Game podcast.

Looking for something more game-making-specific to do?  Fair enough.  Here’s a list of things you can do in August:

  • Experimental Gameplay Project August is OFFSPRING
  • Ludum Dare 21 on August 19th to 21st
  • Blitzkast on Sunday, August 14th
  • Just want to make a game? Try the 1 Month Game challenge!

Do you really miss the GPC? We are actively accepting late #GPCv7 entries until the end of August, and will do another recap post for any games that come in when we announce #GPCv8 for September.

If you didn’t participate in #GPCv7 because you didn’t like the META theme, just put all your focus on the BREATH theme. Remember that the GPC is simply and only about getting people making games.  It’s important to keep those muscles healthy so that you don’t get stuck in the future, and that’s what this is about, so we encourage you to make a game!

 

 And So Ends #GPCv7

…but if you’re still working on an entry, please don’t give up on it; finish it up and submit it late! There will not be a Challenge in the month of August, so if you were holding out on entering the GPC this month for next month, consider creating a belated entry for #GPCv7.

The archives for Version 7 can be found here.

The primary reason for #GPCv8 being pushed into September is that Ludum Dare 21 is using the same weekend we would have had #GPCv8 conclude on, so consider checking that out (or the MiniLD in the meanwhile).  Also, you can check out the Poppenkast’s Blitzkasts, which happen on the second Sunday of every month; so Blitzkast V should happen August 14th (the day before we wanted to run #GPCv8, another near-conflict).  The Super Friendship Club has also started up the SFC Games Pageant, which is running it’s first Pageant now, and will presumably be running the second next month (for the entire month).  Don’t forget to also check out the Experimental Gameplay Challenge, which has a new theme every month and has a similar timeline to the GPC for creating a game or prototype, but with the week-long time constraint being a week of your choice during the month.  If you have your own idea and simply need the motivation to get it done, check out the 1 Month Game project.

If you’d like to join the conversation about the Challenge and the games from #GPCv7, you can use the hashtag for the Challenge on Twitter or visit the Discussion Board on Facebook, as well as the Challenge Chat.  Want to wear the Challenge?  We also have a Challenge Store.

 

 #GPCv7 Themes

#GPCv6 was the most successful Challenge yet.  Was this because of the LIVE! jam in Toronto, or was it because the Challenge is growing and gaining strength?  #GPCv7 will determine that for us.  With that, a big hello and welcome to any new Challengers, and a huge smile and nod to our returning Challengers: let’s get prototyping!

Our themes this month are from expert Challengers Jon Remedios and Damian Sommer, who have been responsibly for a number of the themes in the past.  The first, submitted by Jon, should result in a lot of really amazing mechanics this Challenge.  The second, proposed by Damian way back after #GPCv2, shall add a very different twist to our Challenge games.  Without further ado, the themes for #GPCv7 are:

BREATH and META

The details: you have until 11:59pm on July 18th, 2011 to submit your game by posting a link to it on Twitter with the hashtag #GPCv7. Web deploy-able games are preferred but not required; simply provide a download link if your game is run as an executable. If you are without Twitter, and cannot sign up for an account, email submissions@gameprototypechallenge.com the link to your game and we will post it on our Twitter account, @GamePrototypeCh. The games will then be collected and archived on the website for easier viewing by the public.

It is recommended all developers take part in #ScreenshotSaturday as a progress milestone.  This screenshot will then be used in the archives as the thumbnail for your game, unless a second screenshot is provided for the finished game that is preferred.  If no screenshot is provided, one will be taken for you.  Screenshots are requested to be 400x300 and will be re-sized if they are not.

Good luck prototyping, Challengers!

 

 Announcing #GPCv7s

#GPCv7 Announcement

6, 10, 10, 13, 18, 21. Those are the numbers of games that were submitted for the six previous Challenges.  A total of 78 games since November of 2010, when we ran #GPCv1.  A half dozen Challenges later and over three-quarters of one hundred games later we’re happy to announce #GPCv7 for the month of July.  Let’s see if we can’t break another record, shall we?

Since we’re back on schedule, it feels like the next Challenge is almost here when the last has just passed… just the way we like it! So mark your calendars and spread the word, #GPCv7 will run Monday, July 11th, 2011 to Monday, July 18th, 2011. Themes will be announced at noon EST on the 11th, and games due at 11:59pm EST on the 18th.

 

 New Games in Summertime

#GPCv6 Games

Happy first day of summer, everyone! It is with the greatest if pleasure that I conclude #GPCv6, bringer of the first ever Game Prototype Challenge LIVE! jam, with a whopping 21 new games.

A big thank you to our Challengers who submitted games, and a huge thank you to the people who made it out to #GPCv6 LIVE! (which was fantastic fun). You can find the collection of games in the Version 6 Archives.

If you’d like to join the conversation about the Challenge and the games from #GPCv6, you can use the hashtag for the Challenge on Twitter or visit the Discussion Board on Facebook, as well as the Challenge Chat.

 

 #GPCv6 Themes

Yet again I’d like to extend a welcome to any new Challengers who may be joining us.  Many new Challengers for #GPCv6 this go-around are likely local to the city of Toronto, which is going to play host to a LIVE! jam for this version of the GPC on the 18th and 19th.  If you are not local to Toronto and would like to arrange get-togethers and jams in your cities, please do! We love to hear about new people making games.

A very important note about #GPCv6 LIVE!: An email went out this morning to the registered Challengers.  If you did NOT receive this email, it means you are NOT properly registered, which means we are NOT expecting you to show up.  If you’d like to attend, please register by emailing your name and team to live@gameprototypechallenge.com so that we can expect you and ensure we have enough space and supplies for you.  Please register by Thursday so that there is enough time organize everything that needs to be done! We may not accept your registration after this date.

The June challenge’s first theme was developed in house as a throwback to having a very much concrete theme like we had with #GPCv2’s “thin ice”.  Though #GPCv5 was a huge success, it had very abstract themes, so we at the GPC wanted at least one more concrete theme for this go-around.  Our second theme comes from David Fono (amongst many other suggestions he offered up) as the best conflicting (yet plausible) match. And so, without further ado, the themes for #GPCv6 are:

ELECTRICITY and CLOSURE

The details: you have until 11:59pm on June 20th, 2011 to submit your game by posting a link to it on Twitter with the hashtag #GPCv6. Web deploy-able games are preferred but not required; simply provide a download link if your game is run as an executable. If you are without Twitter, and cannot sign up for an account, email submissions@gameprototypechallenge.com the link to your game and we will post it on our Twitter account, @GamePrototypeCh. The games will then be collected and archived on the website for easier viewing by the public.

It is recommended all developers take part in #ScreenshotSaturday as a progress milestone.  This screenshot will then be used in the archives as the thumbnail for your game, unless a second screenshot is provided for the finished game that is preferred.  If no screenshot is provided, one will be taken for you.  Screenshots are requested to be 400x300 and will be re-sized if they are not.

If you are local to Toronto, we hope to see you this weekend! Otherwise, we look forward to seeing your games in a week! Prototypers, away!

 

 #GPCv7 Themes

#GPCv6 LIVE! (Laura Pellow version)

If you are near or local to Toronto, then come out to the first ever Game Prototype Challenge LIVE! Jam, for #GPCv6!

NOTE: Attending the Facebook event does NOT confirm that you have a seat at #GPCv6 LIVE!. In order to register, please email live@gameprototypechallenge.com with your name and occupation (coder, artist, sound, jack-of-all-trades) and the name and occupation of your team members, if applicable. #GPCv6 LIVE! can only hold 60 people, and seats are reserved first-come-first-served.

#GPCv6 is the next in a growing line of virtual, worldwide, dual-themed game prototyping challenges, and this time is no different.  The themes will be posted on Monday, June 13th, at noon (EST), giving you the week until June 20th, at 11:59pm (EST) to come up with a design and bring it to creation.  However this go around it is now possible for us to spend the weekend working together, as a community, in a single-space jam-mentality situation, for those interested!  Join us at 10:00am on June 18th until 10:00pm on June 19th to Jam!

You must have your own machine! No computers will be provided.  Desktop systems are fine, provided you can get them to the building Saturday morning and back out Sunday night.

There will be a WAFFLE BRUNCH on Sunday for attendees!

The location is provided by Longbranch Coworking, Toronto’s premiere shared workspace that offers an open, on demand space for freelancers, entrepreneurs, start-ups, small businesses, and other professionals in Toronto.
http://www.longbranchcoworking.com/

Beverages will be provided by DARC Productions, audio experts in game development. DARC specializes in unique custom sound design, realistic and surreal ambiances, modern and orchestral composition, and Dolby 2.1 & 5.1 mix for interactive media and the game and software development industries.

 

 They Get By With A Little Help From Their Friends

#GPCv5 Games

Companionship. Apparently that theme—possibly combined with the spreading of the word about Game Prototype Challenge through HES and TIG—was a hit, for we’re happy to announce that #GPCv5 had another record-shattering number of entries at 18 games. Rising, indeed! This is the largest jump in number of entries between two Challenges yet, and best of all, these games look fantastic!

As always, you can find the collection of games in the Version 5 Archives.

Our thanks go out to our participants both new and old, though we are very excited to see so many new faces this go-around.  If you’d like to join the conversation about the Challenge and the games from #GPCv5, you can of course continue to use the hashtag for the Challenge on Twitter, but we’ve also opened up a Discussion Board on Facebook for everyone to talk on, as well as the new Challenge Chat.

There was growth in more than just numbers for the Game Prototype Challenge this month.  For one thing, Toronto locals and other nearby commuters may see the Challenge be talked about at the IGDA Toronto Spring Gala (apologies: registration is already closed for this event, filled in three days). Here we hope to spread the word about the GPC even more.  Additionally, you can now wear the GPC logo to help spread the word about the Challenge, too.

#GPCv6 will come, but not yet.  The month of May plays host to a lot of different events for you to participate in, so the sixth Challenge will be hosted in the month of June. In the meanwhile, there’s a lot to do…

  • Ludum Dare 20 is just around the corner.
  • EGP should have a new theme for May.
  • The 1MonthGame initiative has started.
  • Dream.Build.Play 2011 for XNA developers.
  • And of course, in Toronto: TOJam Sixy Times.

Stay tuned and we’ll inform you of the specific dates for #GPCv6 once they’ve been decided.  Our Giant Theme Creation Robot (patent pending) is already hard at work for the coming Challenge, and of course you can weigh in with your own suggestions

 

#GPCv5 Themes

First and foremost, welcome to any new Challengers who may be joining us.  We at the GPC tried to publicize this particular Challenge a little more actively than previous ones, so if you’re joining us from the Hand Eye Society or The Indie Game Source, a big welcome to you. If you heard of us from somewhere else, let us know where!

The April challenge’s first theme was developed in house as a possible theme for March’s #GPCv4, but worked a bit too well with the theme of Burden, and so couldn’t be used.  Still, it provided an interesting launching off point for #GPCv5.  In brainstorming with the creator of the Four Thousand Words Jam(which just ran it’s second rendition, #FTWr2), Lea Kaplan, an appropriate second theme came up.  And so, without further ado, the themes for #GPCv5 are:

COMPANION and RISING

The details: you have until 11:59pm on April 25th, 2011 to submit your game by posting a link to it on Twitter with the hashtag #GPCv5. Web deploy-able games are preferred but not required; simply provide a download link if your game is run as an executable. If you are without Twitter, and cannot sign up for an account, email submissions@gameprototypechallenge.com the link to your game and we will post it on our Twitter account, @GamePrototypeCh. The games will then be collected and archived on the website for easier viewing by the public.

It is recommended all developers take part in #ScreenshotSaturday as a progress milestone.  This screenshot will then be used in the archives as the thumbnail for your game, unless a second screenshot is provided for the finished game that is preferred.  If no screenshot is provided, one will be taken for you.  Screenshots are requested to be 400x300 and will be re-sized if they are not.

May the power of prototyping be with you! We’ll see you in a week.

 

 The Coming #GPCv5

GPCv5 Promotional Banner

Hello again, Challengers! Today is the day, the announcement of the fifth version of our Game Prototype Challenge: #GPCv5!  Fact of the matter is a lot of you probably already know this, as we polled a number of Challengers on whether or not we should do #GPCv5 this coming month and when.  Due to exams and Easter, we at the #GamePrototypeChallenge were worried about people being too busy.  However, every single Challenger who responded insisted we run #GPCv5 anyway, and so mark your calendars, #GPCv5 will run Monday, April 18th, 2011 to Monday, April 25th, 2011. Themes will be announced at noon EST on the 18th, and games due at 11:59pm EST on the 25th

 

 #GPCv4 Post-Mortems

Normally this would have been included in the post announcing the upcoming #GPCv5, but, we wanted to split that into two separate posts to give that announcement some extra oomph.  That doesn’t diminish the importance of our post-mortem writers, though, so please do take a look at the write-ups!

#GPCv4 was a great success, with 13 games submitted.  We ran a discussion on the output and the Challenge, for the first time, which is worth taking a look at (and adding to, if you want).  Some Challengers wrote up post-mortems on their games as well, which are collected below.

  • Post-Mortem for Push Buttons, Save World
  • Post-Mortem for Forest
  • Post-Mortem for The Captain [ and Part 2 ]
  • Post-Mortem for Sunshine Hurts
  • Post-Mortem for A Sunshine Ray Of Hope
  • Post-Mortem for Desert Loot

If you have a post-mortem not included in this list, and would like for it to be, let us know.

Keep your eyes open for the #GPCv5 announcement!

 

 The Biggest Challenge Yet

We are thrilled to announce that we have yet again broken our record of the number of games submitted for this Challenge, #GPCv4. As of the time of writing this—which is about noon on March 22nd, important because we do accept late submissions—we have a whopping thirteen games submitted.

When Alexander Martin suggested the theme of Burden for this version of the Challenge, we immediately knew it would be a fount of potential creation for games.  We struggled with the second theme—complimentary, contradictory, design-based, or thematic—for some time.  In the end, we decided on Sunshine, and whether or not it was the best match-up for Burden it has produced a number of excellent games for you to try.

The archives for #GPCv4.

We saw a lot of familiar faces participate this time, and a lot of new folk as well.  We send out our sincerest thank-yous to all of you for making this the most successful #GamePrototypeChallenge yet.

As is becoming the standard, we will collect post-mortems in an upcoming blog post.  We’re also looking to get more discourse going between the developers who participated and would like to participate.  For the conversation about #GPCv4, please join us on Facebook in our Discussions thread.

News on #GPCv5 will be in the upcoming post alongside the #GPCv4 post-mortems.  Our Giant Theme Creation Robot (patent pending) is already hard at work for the coming Challenge, and of course you can weigh in with your own suggestions via any of Twitter, Facebook, or email.

Help spread the word and let’s see if we can’t get even more games made for #GPCv5.  Game-making is what it’s all about, but now is the time to be playing the games we all just worked so hard on.  Happy gaming!

 

THE FOURTH CHALLENGE

The fourth Challenge ran from Monday, March 14th, 2011 to Monday, March 21st, 2011.

The themes were BURDEN and SUNSHINE.

Vampire Run by Alex Camilleri

The Burden Of Sunlight by Michael Todd

The Burden Of Sunlight by Michael Todd

The Captain by Elijah T.

The Captain by Elijah T.

Forest by Jason P. Kaplan

 by Jason P. Kaplan

Push Buttons, Save World by Damian Sommer

Push Buttons, Save World by Damian Sommer

Sunshine Hurts by Kyle Rodgers

Sunshine Hurts by Kyle Rodgers

Starchu vs. The Inevitable Death Of The Universe by David Fono

Starchu vs. The Inevitable Death Of The Universe by David Fono

A Sunshine Ray Of Hope by Lee Zhi Fei

A Sunshine Ray Of Hope by Lee Zhi Fei

The Straw That Broke The Camel's Back by Chris Kaitila

The Straw That Broke The Camel’s Back by Chris Kaitila

Bipoland by Gaston Nola

Bipoland by Gaston Nola

Desert Loot by Paul Bredenberg and Jay Roberts

Desert Loot by Paul Bredenberg and Jay Roberts

Sunshine Catcher by Tim Nicholson

Sunshine Catcher by Tim Nicholson

Temple Of Doom by James An

Temple Of Doom by James An

If you have a late submission that you’d like to add to the list, or need to update the link to your older submission as a result of domain change, or wish to update your screenshot, please email us at contact@gameprototypechallenge.com

 

 #GPCv4 Themes

Before we begin, let us again take a moment to give a big thank you to everyone who has taken part in the Game Prototype Challenge.  You are all incredible, and we’re really excited to see what you continue to come up with.

The March challenge’s first theme came from Alexander Martin (a.k.a. Droqen), and it’s a good one.  We took it upon ourselves to come up with the second theme as a result to ensure a very interesting combination this time around.  And so, without further ado, the themes are:

BURDEN and SUNSHINE

The details: you have until 11:59pm on March 21st, 2011 to submit your game by posting a link to it on Twitter with the hashtag #GPCv4. Web deploy-able games are preferred but not required, simply provide a download link if your game is run as an executable. If you are without Twitter, and cannot sign up for an account, email submissions@gameprototypechallenge.com the link to your game and we will post it on our Twitter account, @GamePrototypeCh. The games will then be collected and archived on the website for easier viewing by the public.

It is recommended all developers take part in #ScreenshotSaturday as a progress milestone.  This screenshot will then be used in the archives as the thumbnail for your game, unless a second screenshot is provided for the finished game that is preferred.  If no screenshot is provided, one will be taken for you.  Screenshots are requested to be 400x300 and will be re-sized if they are not.

Prototype away! We’ll see you in a week

 

 #GPCv3 The Third Challenge

The third Challenge ran from Monday, February 14th, 2011 to Monday, February 21st, 2011.

The themes were LONELINESS and  DIMENSIONS.

  • The Mirror by Alex Camilleri
  • The Lonely King by Bryan Winters
  • Deepth by Lee Zhi Fei
  • World Of Crates by Kyle Rodgers
  • Outcast by Keith Thomas
  • For You by Damian Sommer
  • N’na, Ha’e Faith by Alexander Martin
  • Castles & Trains by Michael Todd
  • Spoli by Jason P. Kaplan
  • Unfinished Platformer 16 by Cale Bradbury

 

 #GPCv2 The Second Challenge

The second Challenge ran from Monday, December 13th, 2010 to Monday, December 20nd, 2010.
The themes were IMMORTALITY and THIN ICE.
 

  • Snowball Jones and the Last Crusade by Rocket5Studios
  • Ice Skating Vampires by Kyle Rodgers
  • Lifetrek by Jason P. Kaplan
  • Immo and Thic! by Kyle Dwyer
  • Snowboggan by Chris Kaitila
  • Phoenix Rising by Regan Chan
  • Shatterfist by Jon Remedios
  • Made of Mirrors by Damian Sommer
  • Quite Literally, The Immortal Polar Bear on Thin Ice by Vytenis Krukonis
  • Titan Miners by Dale Wick

If you have a late submission that you’d like to add to the list, or need to update the link to your older submission as a result of domain change, or wish to update your screenshot, please email us at contact@gameprototypechallenge.com

 

 #GPCv1 The First Challenge

The first Challenge ran from Monday, November 15th, 2010 to Monday, November 22nd, 2010.

The themes were DREAMS and COLLECTIBLES.

  • Sleep Harder! by Cale Bradbury
  • Chased by Monsters by Jason P. Kaplan
  • Part Of A Machine by Damian Sommer
  • Dreamcatcher by James An
  • Sleepscape by Jonathan Remedios
  • ProjectKyoto (updated 11/24/2010) by Arthur Marris

 

If you have a late submission that you’d like to add to the list, or need to update the link to your older submission as a result of domain change, please email us at contact@gameprototypechallenge.com

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