Game-Jam Étiolles

Game-Jam à Étiolles !


Main information about the game-jam

What is this archaeological site?

A website from the French Ministry of Culture tells you all about it!

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Where will the game-jam happen?

You can participate from home, online, or you can stay at the C-19 in Evry, south of Paris (France), during either one or two week-ends.

C-19

Who can participate?

Anyone can participate!

However, given that the majority of assets is in French, we recommend that at least one member of your team understands the language.

Students, professionals or neither, you can register on your own or as a team. If you are looking for a team or for members to join your team, you can use the FORUM for just that.

We recommend that teams include the following:

  • one archaeologist, preferably specialized in Prehistory;
  • one cultural heritage mediator, preferably with knowledge of Prehistory;
  • one or two game designers;
  • one or two developers;
  • one or two game artists;
  • one sound designer;
  • one team manager (useful for large teams!)

Nevertheless, everyone can participate, so don’t hesitate!

You can probably find your place within a team, regardless of your skills and experience. You could contribute to creating a game as a tester, suggest ideas, or even just for moral support!

Minors need to have a legal guardian and will not be able to stay at the C-19.

When will the game jam start?

On Friday, October the 7th, 2022, at 8pm Paris time (18:00 UTC); access to assets will be opened at then.

When will the game-jam finish?

You can choose between two options:

  • Short format: from Friday, October the 7th, 2022 at 8pm Paris time (18:00 UTC)  to Sunday, October the 9th, 2022 at 5pm (15:00 UTC);
  • Long format: from Friday, October the 7th, 2022 at 8pm Paris time (18:00 UTC) to Sunday, October the 16th, 2022 at 5pm (15:00 UTC).

What is the theme of the game-jam?

The general theme is: « 50 years of archaeological research at the site of Etiolles ». It can be approached in two different ways:

  • « The Magdalenians of Etiolles »: the results of 50 years of excavation would constitute the main source of inspiration, but one could focus on a single aspect, for instance: flint knapping, the production of fire, the use of spear throwers for hunting, the economic management of a campsite, the evolution of climate and environment, etc.
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  • « 50 years of excavations at Etiolles »: the life of the archaeologists, their techniques and methods could be the main source of inspiration for a game. One could focus on a single technique (digging or topography, for instance), on the social aspect of the excavation (how to live at Etiolles as a voluntary student in 1980?), or on the management and the day-to-day activities (cooking for the entire team, washing the archaeological remains, organizing boxes full of objects, etc.). The evolution of excavation techniques through time can also be used as a subject.

Which assets can be used?

The start of the game jam will coincide with the opening of an online server where you will be given access to a large number of assets (documents, pictures, sounds, 3D models, videos, etc.), which you can use for the duration of the game-jam.

The game itself must be produced during the game jam, but you can also use preexisting code, or any graphical element or sound that can be used legally.

When does the game need to be submitted?

Short format: before Sunday, October the 9th, 2022 at 5pm

Long format: before Sunday, October the 16th, 2022 at 5pm

If after one week-end, you wish to keep participating for another week, it is possible.

We recommend uploading your game well before these deadlines, and then updating it. So, at the latest on Sunday, October the 16th, 2022 at 5pm (15:00 UTC)!

Where do we submit our game?

Games will be uploaded on itch.io, using a page we will give you access to.

Only one team member needs to upload the game; other members can be listed as contributors.

Are there any constraints for platforms?

Games need to be playable online (browser build) as much as possible, but you can support other platforms if you wish to.

Your game should not be dependent upon physically printing anything (paper or other) or upon the use of peripherals other than a keyboard and mouse (no webcam, VR helmet, gamepad, etc.).

Who will evaluate the games?

Games will be evaluated by:

  • researchers who are currently participating in the excavations at Etiolles;
  • members of the French Ministry of Culture and of INRAP;
  • cultural heritage mediators specialized in archaeology;
  • video game experts, such as the members of the ScienceXGame team (a department focusing on science and video games at the Institut Polytechnique de Paris, created with the support of Ubisoft);
  • Emmanuel Roudier, graphic artist, comic book author, and creator of tabletop role-playing games about Prehistory.

In addition, the public, as well as school students (junior high school students from the department of Essonne), will also be voting for their favorite game among a selection made by the jury.

Keep in mind that games should be enjoyable, easy to play and to evaluate!

Which criteria will games be evaluated against?

The goal of the event is to promote the scientific research on this exceptional archaeological site. The use of scientific data will be taken into account by the jury, in the same way as the quality of play.

Here are the criteria which will be used for evaluation:

  • Audio: quality of sounds and use of existing audio assets;
  • Graphics: general graphic quality of the game;
  • Fun: how enjoyable it is to play;
  • Theme: how close the game is to the themes (archaeology, prehistory, etc.);
  • Innovation: originality of the game;
  • Science: respect of the scientific data, meaning that the game does not broadcast any false information (in regards to the current state of knowledge);
  • Data: the game not only is inspired by general themes, but also uses scientific data and results from the interpretations of researchers;
  • Cultural Heritage Mediation: the game illustrates or helps understanding the discoveries made at Etiolles to the general public or to school students;
  • Inspiring: the game gives new ideas to researchers! Or at least it makes them think differently about their own research.

Will there be any awards?

Sure!

The following awards are already planned:

  • Jury award;
  • French Ministry of Culture award;
  • INRAP award;
  • Audience award;
  • School students award.

Others may well be added in the future!

Selections by the jury will be made separately for short and long format participants.

Will there be other promotions of the games?

Yes!

A selection of games could be promoted in schools, libraries and museums! These would constitute new occasions to promote your talents!

I have more questions, where can I get answers?

We are available to answer any questions on the FORUM.

Short or long format of participation?

We have made it possible to choose between the two in order to allow more people to participate.

The short format is that of a « classic » game jam, over one week-end. It is ideal if you wish to participate but only have limited time.

The long format includes two week-ends and the week in the middle. This extra time will allow you to get familiar with the data and assets, and to create more polished games by the end of the second week-end. You could update your game during the week, or only work on it during week-ends.

Award Ceremony

The award ceremony will take place in the Paris area in December 2022. It will also be an occasion for discussion, in the shape of a conference organized around this unique experiment. This event will be recorded, and the videos will be available online.

Équipe game-jam Étiolles

In 2022, the excavations at Etiolles are celebrating their 50-year anniversary! The research team wishes to promote the results of their work in an original way, by organizing a game-jam — which is to say a hackathon aimed at producing video games. Its theme will be the scientific discoveries accumulated by the team during 50 years of excavations.