The 2nd GoedWare Game Jam Cutscene Edition has arrived! We're excited to explore this new challenge format once again, asking you to create a 30–90 second cutscene using any game engine of your choice. This time, it’s all about visual storytelling, real-time rendering, and creativity without traditional gameplay mechanics.

Ready to bring your cinematic vision to life? In this Special Edition, you’ll have a few days to produce a cutscene that captures a compelling story or mood within the given theme. Show us what you can do with camera work, lighting, sound design, and animation!

Share your progress and excitement on social media with the hashtag #GoedWareGameJam!

GoedWare:

Link to previous Jams #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 #10 #11 #12 #13 #14 #15 | ZERO UI | HALLOWEEN #1 #2 | CUTSCENE | LIMITED COLOR | LIMITED SHAPES

Rules & Requirements

Create a real-time rendered cutscene in any game engine (30-90 seconds) with minimal camera control, like panning or rotation, to showcase your storytelling and cinematic skills!

• Anyone, regardless of experience, is welcome to participate!
• Itch.io Account Required: An itch.io account is needed to join the jam and submit your entry.
  
• Engine Flexibility: You can use any engine or framework you like! For example: Unity, Godot, Unreal, GameMaker, etc. You’re also welcome to build your own engine if you prefer😉.
  
• Real-Time Rendering: Your cutscene must be rendered in real time in a game engine (e.g., Unity, Unreal, Godot). No pre-rendered video submissions allowed.
• Format: Submit a game format (e.g., .exe for Windows) that plays the cutscene directly. Optionally, you may include a YouTube/Vimeo link for sharing.
• Submission Deadline: You cannot edit your submission after the deadline, so submit your game a few hours early to address any last-minute issues.
  
• Multiple Entries: If you have the time and can manage it, you are welcome to submit multiple entries.
  
• Duration: Your cutscene should be between 30 and 90 seconds.
• Camera Interaction for Verification Only: Include a minimal real-time camera control, such as limited panning or rotation using the mouse or arrow keys. This interaction is purely for confirming real-time rendering and does not need to be part of the cutscene’s main narrative or storytelling. It should be subtle and non-intrusive to the cinematic experience. Any other real-time interaction is also acceptable (just mention it in your submission description). 
• The cutscene should be cinematic without interactive elements like dialog choices or player actions. Focus purely on storytelling!
• Optional Start Menu: You may include a simple start or main menu with a start button to trigger the cutscene and an optional credits screen. However, no additional interactive elements should be included beyond starting the cinematic and displaying credits.
• Music and Fonts: Any music must be royalty-free or copyright-free and properly credited. Fonts from the internet can be used as long as you have the appropriate licenses.
  
• Assets: You may use assets you already own, such as those from the Unity Asset Store or Unreal Marketplace. Ensure that all assets are properly licensed and that you have permission to use them. Avoid infringing on copyrights or trademarks. Assets bought in the stores usually (99.9%) have the correct license to use them in our jam.
• No NSFW Content: Games must not contain nudity, hateful language, or offensive visuals.
• Fair Voting: Any attempts to manipulate voting will result in removal from the jam.
  
• Team Participation: Teams are allowed, but we recommend keeping them to 4 members or fewer, as larger teams can be challenging to manage in 3 days. (Prizes are awarded to the team as a whole, not individual members).
  
• AI Assistance: You may use AI tools to assist with coding and asset creation (such as art, music, or sound effects). However, the majority of the code must be your own work, and any AI-generated content should be used thoughtfully and ethically. If you use AI-generated assets, make sure they respect copyright rules and do not resemble or replicate existing copyrighted content.

Submission & Judging Criteria

Your entries will be rated by your fellow creators in the following categories:

• Cinematography: Camera angles, framing, and movement for visual impact.
• Visuals & Art Direction: Quality and consistency of visuals, lighting, and art style.
• Audio & Sound Design: Effectiveness of sound effects and music in building atmosphere.
• Storytelling & Theme: How well does the cutscene communicate a story or mood? Does it align with the theme?

There will be a Judge/Jury Ranking where our panel will evaluate submissions based on personal preference and cinematic quality, balancing any unusual voting patterns to ensure fairness.

After the jam, a 6-day rating period allows participants to play and rate each game. Remember to leave constructive feedback. This is more helpful than just a rating and helps other participants discover your game! 😊

Note: To be eligible for prizes, each cutscene needs at least 10 ratings. Watching and rating others’ entries will also increase the chance of yours being rated.

*We reserve the right to remove any entries with clear vote manipulation.
**Minimum rating requirements may be adjusted based on the number of participants.

Prizes

Yes, this Game Jam will also have prizes for the winners 😊. These prizes are made available by our sponsor and organizer GoedWare.

Let's start by saying that if you press that join button and upload a cutscene before the deadline, you are already a winner!  Having fun while creating and finishing your cutscene project is an achievement in itself!  That experience is more valuable than money, but we do have some real prizes for the winners also 😉.

We have a public vote with prizes and we also have a jury ranking.

Public Voting

• #Overall winner: $75 gift card + Eternal Glory 😁
• #Runner-up: $50 gift card
• #3rd place: $25 gift card

Jury Ranking

• #1: $100 gift card
• #2: $75 gift card
• #3: $50 gift card

Special jury category:
#Feedback: Awarded to the participant who provides the most helpful, constructive, and insightful feedback on others’ cutscenes. This category values those who go above and beyond with thoughtful comments, tips, and encouragement to help fellow developers improve their skilss. The winner in this category will receive a $25 gift card as a thank-you for fostering a positive, supportive community!

NOTE:

• Participants will receive an Amazon gift card for the Amazon website that applies to their country. No other gift cards or prizes will be distributed or swapped.
  
• For the record for Brazilians, Madagaskar and Indian. Unfortunately, no gift cards are possible for amazon.com.br & amazon.in and we will give out gift cards for amazon.com online shop.
• Jury ranking prizes will stack with the public prizes.
• Because the organizers already know the theme in advance, we will merely be participators. If one of us gets voted to be winner of a category or the overall winner, prizes will be awarded to the next person instead. 
• The prizes may change a little bit before the Game Jam starts, but will mostly contain the content as it is shown now. Once the Game Jam has started the prizes will not change anymore!

Bonus Prizes from Our Supporting Sponsors

In addition to the main prizes sponsored by GoedWare, we also have bonus prizes generously provided by our supporting sponsors. These sponsors help make the jam even more exciting by offering extra rewards for the participants!

A big thank you to all our supporting sponsors for contributing these additional prizes and helping make this event even better!

Current Supporting Sponsors:

Pizza Doggy will sponsor the following prizes for the top 3 in the public ranking:

• #1 - PSX Mega Pack (https://pizzadoggy.itch.io/psx-mega-pack)
• #2 - PSX Mega Pack II (https://pizzadoggy.itch.io/psx-mega-pack-2)
• #3 - PSX Tech (https://pizzadoggy.itch.io/psx-tech)

CraftPix.net is an online store and resource specializing in providing high-quality premium and free 2D game assets for game developers, indie studios, and hobbyists.

CraftPix.net will sponsor the following prizes for the top 3 in the public & jury ranking:

• 1-year Craftpix Membership

FAQ

Also check the latest updated FAQ in our community

Question: What is the theme?
Answer: The theme will be announced when the jam begins.

Question: What assets can I use?
Answer: Feel free to use any assets you have proper licensing for. Original assets are encouraged!

Question: Can I submit an existing project?
Answer: No, all work must be created within the jam period.

Question: Can I edit my submission after the deadline?
Answer: No, so make sure to submit early to avoid last-minute issues.

Question: Is there a Discord I can join? 
Answer: Yes, click here to join. There is also a FAQ channel there.

LEGAL

• Anything you make during the GoedWare Game Jam is your property. GoedWare claims no rights or ownership of your game.
• Any game submitted to the GoedWare Game Jam may appear in a GoedWare YouTube video, social media, or website without additional permission.