Hello GameMaker Developers!
Welcome to the HayMan Quarterly GameMaker Competitions orientation page. These competitions were created to offer more flexibility with existing schedules, giving you, the busy game developer, more opportunity to enter and participate in a game developing contest that is very similar to the GMC Jam. Although the first competition listed is similar, the HMQ GameMaker Competitions as a whole is quite different. Allow me to explain further.
The HayMan Quarterly WIP Competition
The WIP Competition is the first of the competitions. It is much like the GMC Jam, but instead of 72 hours, this is a 48 hour competition. Like the Jam, you must develop a game, made specifically for the competition, from start to finish. Unlike the GMC Jam, the game is judged not only on it’s playability and style, but also and mostly on it’s potential. This opens the doors more widely for beginning developers, giving them a fighting chance to compete with developers of a higher skill level. It also challenges the higher skilled developer to think outside the box and create a game focusing more on gameplay instead of wowwing the judges with graphical effects and polish. Of course, effects and polish are important, and will play a role in judging, but the main focus for the judges is the game’s potential.
A WIP competition will be held every first and third weekend of every month. It might seem like a lot, but here’s the catch. The competition is limited to only ten entries. Developers interested in entering will sign up in the HayMan Forums’ WIP Sign-up forum. (If there are less than six entrants, the competition will be postponed to the next scheduled competition time, until there are ten entrants. Previous entrants are automatically entered into the competition.) A week before the competition starts, ten developers will be chosen from the list by a random process and be given the opportunity to compete. Like the GMC Jam, each of these contestants will create a DevLog to promote their game on the HayMan forums. Contestants may begin creating their post before the competition starts, but cannot begin working on a game until the competition actually begins. Several minutes before the competition begins, a theme and handicap will be revealed, and then the competition will begin.
You will have 48 hours to brainstorm an idea, work out a game design, and implement the design into a playable proof-of-concept for the judges to score and review. Winners will be announced soon afterwards and contestants can then claim their prizes. And that’s the end of the WIP competition.
But the competition doesn’t have to end there. Keep reading.
The HayMan Quarterly Big Game Event
This is the continuation of your WIP entry. The idea behind this competition is to take the WIP you began in the previously mentioned competition and continue to develop it into a complete, polished, and presented game. The rules state that you must continue with the theme, but the handicap may be dropped. The hope is that dropping the handicap will allow you more freedom in developing your game to completion.
The Big Game Event is scheduled for two times a year; at the end of March and the end of September. It is the contestant’s choice which Big Game Event they will enter, but can be no later the the second consecutive contest. This sounds confusing, so let me explain.
For example, it’s the first competition of the year — the first weekend of January. The WIP contestants of this competition, after the competition is over, can choose to enter their game into The Big Game Event in the upcoming March competition — or wait, using more time for game development, and enter in September. Contestants can not enter this WIP into the Big Game Event of the following March. In other words, you have up to a whole year to finish the game you started for the WIP competition, if you choose, depending on when you entered the WIP competition.
No one may enter the Big Game Event without previously entering a WIP competition. So this will limit the number of entries into this competition as well. The Big Game Event is not limited to winners of the WIP competitions. Anyone who has started a game in a previous WIP competition is allowed to participate. However, there is no obligation to participate in The Big Game Event. This is a separate competition.
Each entrant will be given their own page on the HayMan Quarterly website to transfer and continue their DevLogs and create a one-page presentation/promo package. At the end of the competition, a panel of judges will evaluate the games, along with the Devlogs and Promo pages, and choose a winner. There will be a point system to determine the prizes for the winners, with regard to the amount of time they had to finish their game. A winning entry using less amount of time, will gain more points and receive more value in their prizes. The winners can then claim their prizes.
The Big Picture
So, there will be two WIP competitions a month. That’s twelve competitions for every 6 months. If each competition meets capacity, that’s up to 60 contestants for The Big Game Event, assuming everyone that entered a WIP competition continues with their game, which seems unlikely. With a competition happening twice a month, competitors will have more opportunities to find time within their ‘real-life’ schedules to participate.
The Big Game Event gives contestants web exposure by granting them a webpage on the HayMan Quarterly site. This page is only for the game that is made for the competition, but contestants may include links to their own websites and such. It’s a valuable space to promote your HMQ Competition game and your own game development company (through banners and links). After the competition, this page will be locked and free editing will be prevented (some exceptions may apply). This page will remain on the HayMan Quarterly website forever.
Both competition’s prizes will be comprised of community and sponsored prizes. HayMan Quarterly will additionally offer official prizes to the Big Game Event. Sponsors are encouraged to offer quality prizes to the Big Game Event in return for visibility and recognition (free advertising on HayMan Quarterly).
All games resulting from these competitions remain the property of the author/developer. HayMan Quarterly reserves the right to display and/or feature any games entered into any of the HMQ competitions.
Official Rules
Whip out a WIP! And WIP it good!
The HayMan Quarterly (HMQ) WIP Competition is the prelude and entry to the HMQ Big Game Event Competition.
These competitions are designed to promote the emergence of new ideas, games, game mechanics, special effects, engines, etc., in the WIP Competition, and to promote completion of those games with polish and promotion in the Big Game Event Competition.
WHAT EXACTLY IS IT?
These competitions are inspired by the GMC Jam. The GMC Jam is a quarterly competition for game developers, using the GameMaker software available from YoyoGames. Thank you GMC and all of it’s Jam-loving community members for inspiring these competitions!!
The HMQ WIP Competition is a 48 hour cram session of ideas and gameplay mashed into a working, playable WIP to be reviewed and critiqued by a panel of judges. The winner will be automatically entered into the HMQ Big Game Event Competition. Entries are limited to 10 entrants to facilitate speedy judging and winner announcements. The HMQ WIP competition will be held twice a month with only new entrants each competition. If you entered into a previous WIP competition and want to join a new competition, you will have to wait until after the Big Game Event competition. Entries are required to follow a theme. First, second, and third place winners of each HMQ WIP competition will have the option to be a judge for the next competition. The competition judges will decide on the theme and handicap of the competition in which they are judging.
The HMQ Big Game Event Competition is a competition that is held twice a year, once in the spring and again in the fall. This is the final judgment of the COMPLETED WIP that was started in the HMQ WIP competition. Entries will be judged by a larger panel of judges this time. The Big Game Event judges will be voted for by the competition contestants. Not anyone can sign up to be considered as a judge. Judge applicants are limited to those who participated in a previous HMQ WIP competition or are considered valued and loyal HMQ Competitions supporters.
WHEN IS IT?
The HMQ WIP Competition:
- Every first and third weekend of each month, beginning January 2013.
- 48 hours long, starting at 00:00 GMT Saturday and ending (deadline) 00:00 GMT Monday. (subject to change)
- Spring (March 31st) and Fall (September 30th)
- Deadline for entries is 00:00 GMT of the following day (which would be the 1st of April and the 1st of October, respectively).
THEME & HANDICAP
- Each HMQ WIP Competition will have a theme, and participants MUST use it!
- Each HMQ WIP Competition will have a handicap, which is optional, but highly encouraged!
- In the HMQ WIP Competition, using the theme IS MANDATORY, and using the handicap is optional, but clever usage or non-usage will wager you points with the judges.
- In the Big Game Event Competition, the original theme must remain in your game, but the handicap will not be judged and can be eliminated from your game without repercussions.
- The theme and handicap will not be revealed until just before the start of the WIP Competition to prevent any advantages.
VOTING & JUDGING
- All 10 games of the HMQ WIP Competition will be evaluated, with the winning top 3 reviewed, by the panel of judges. They will be evaluated on use of theme, use of handicap, overall idea, perceived WIP potential, game mechanics, and originality. (Place holders can be used without penalty, but they must be declared and accompanied by conceptual art or description of intended replacement.)
- All games in the Big Game Event will be evaluated and the winning top 5 will be reviewed by the judges. The top 3 will receive prizes. There will be a top 10 ranking list. If there is enough interest and support of this competition, voting will also be influenced by the HMQ Competitions community.
- Judges will choose 1st, 2nd and 3rd place for each competition. The contestants and the rest of the HMQ Competitions community are encouraged to write reviews for any or all of the games. Winning games and community favorites will be hosted on HayManQuarterly.com with screenshots, descriptions, links, etc., either within a list of winners, on their own page, or both.
- Any form of cheating will result in the instant removal of your game from the contest and being blacklisted for all further HMQ Competitions.
- HayManQuarterly will try to attract special guest judges and reviewers from time to time.
PARTICIPATING
- All games must be original creations specifically made for the HMQ WIP Competition, but you may use whatever resources you wish, for example, dll’s, scripts, sprites, sounds, music, etc., etc. The more original your material is, the more favorably your game will be judged. (Place holders must be noted as such, and accompanied by concepts for replacements.)
- You may only submit one game per competition.
- Games for the HMQ WIP Competition must be posted in the appropriate “Official HMQ Competition Games Topic” on the HayMan Forums before the finish deadline of the HMQ WIP Competition. Posting a topic in the ‘WIP forum’ at the GMC is recommended if you want feedback and opinions. The “Official HMQ Competition Games Topic” is ONLY FOR POSTING GAMES. Hosting is up to the individual user.
- Entries into the HMQ Big Game Event must already have a game entered into one of the HMQ WIP Competitions. These entrants have the option of entering their completed WIP either into the Big Game Event coming up, or the next one after. Placement and prizes won are directly related to the amount of time taken to complete your game. (The HayMan Quarterly website may be able to host user-customizable Developer pages specifically for the Big Game Event. We are doing the research to make this possible.)
- Your “Official HMQ Competition Game Topic” MUST INCLUDE a link to your game, a description of your game, and an updated development log.
- HTML5 Games are permitted, BUT MUST HAVE DOWNLOADABLE .EXE VERSION posted in the Official Games Topic.
- Contestants are welcome to use any outside sites, and are also welcome to promote such sites, but the posting of entries and the voting will be done exclusively on the HMQ website and forums.
- Teams are allowed, but must be declared.
OFFICIAL PRIZES
- Official HMQ Prizes for the HMQ WIP Competition include: A special graphic/banner/trophy thing, bragging rights, and the possibility of judging the next WIP Competition and choosing it’s theme and handicap.
- Official HMQ Prizes for the HMQ Big Game Event Competition may include: A monetary prize, Free advertising on the HMQ website, and possibly HMQ merchandise.
SEMI-OFFICIAL SPONSORED PRIZES
Prizes may also be offered by SPONSORS of the HMQ Competitions! Sponsors can contribute whatever they feel appropriate to whichever competition they wish. For example, free advertising on their websites, custom-made graphics, a Let’s Play video on YouTube, or whatever you can think of (within reason)!
Anyone can be a HMQ Competitions sponsor. If you wish to become a sponsor and want to add a prize, please send a PM or EMAIL to HayManMarc and he will add it to the list of sponsors and prizes. Sponsors will receive free advertising on the HMQ Website for the duration of their prize offering.
PLEASE DO NOT POST YOUR SPONSORED PRIZE IN ANY FORUM TOPICS. ALL PRIZES MUST BE AUTHORIZED BY HAYMANMARC AND THE HMQ COMPETITIONS STAFF.
Sponsors are not obligated to make their prizes dominate 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. You can reward any placement you choose, except last place. You may also choose who gets your prize including, but not limited to: competitors, reviewers, and winners of specific categories, even for best development log!
The list of Sponsors and their prizes begins here:
- Sponsor #1
- Sponsor #2
- Etc.
Looking For Teammates?
Post a request in the appropriate forum! Try the HayMan Forums or even the GMC Forums!