/!\ WARNING /!\ WARNING /!\ WARNING /!\ WARNING /!\ WARNING /!\ WARNING /!\ WARNING /!\

Mysterious hostile creatures are appearing all over the earth. Civilians are advised to evacuate to the nearest bomb shelter.

/!\ WARNING /!\ WARNING /!\ WARNING /!\ WARNING /!\ WARNING /!\ WARNING /!\ WARNING /!\

Our conventional weapons don't seem to be working. The Humanity Defense Forces have been annihilated! Should we launch the nukes? Approved? Understood.

Even nukes are not working!?!? What can we do! Humanity is done for!

"It's too early to give up! Magical Girl Salt has come to save the day! Raz, Chiffon, let's go! We have monsters to defeat and people to protect!"

"Yes Ma'am!!"

"You must be the leader. Begone! Earth is not for you to invade!"

BOOM!!!

T..they did it! They cleansed the world of the evil beings! We are saved!

Welcome to Magical Girl Game Jam #10!

This is a jam celebrating the Magical Girl/Mahou Shoujo genre.

The Magical Girl Game Jam is held twice a year, during the spring break and summer break in Japan (Feb-Mar and Aug-Sept), with the length of the jam usually 30 days long. 

(This jam started informally in early 2020 with the expectation that this jam would only exist once or twice during the pandemic; but as the pandemic drags on and the community grows, it is decided that the jam is going to be held regularly twice a year.)

Discord Server

Big thanks to TypeG4 who went above and beyond to draw the banner for this jam. I also would like to express my gratitude to everyone who have participated in drawing a banner for MGGJ10: tlst9999, Falass, Dress_Up_Vault, Jintor, AphoDev, and Polegacy.

Trailer by ShibeyFaceGames:

Themes

The themes for MGGJ10 will be taken from song titles of various rhythm games:

1. PANDORA PARADOXXX (from maimai)
2. Recollect Lines* (from オンゲキ)
3. World Vanquisher (from CHUNITHM)
4. Grievous Lady** (from Arcaea)
5. Freedom Dive (from Sound Voltex)
6. Re:Unknown X (from 東方ダンマクカグラ)

Pick at least one of the themes and make a game from it. 

To be clear, you are supposed to interpret these song titles word for word divorced from the context of the games they are taken from. In general it is fine to interpret just one of the words to fulfill a theme, with a few notes:

*"Recollect" as in "Recollection", so "Memory Lane" is a perfectly valid interpretation

**There is a subtle distinction between "Lady" and "Girl"; don't just say "My game has got a magical girl so it automatically fulfills Grievous Lady". To be safe you may want to interpret both.

The time until the start of the jam should be used for planning. Well I can't check if you start right away, but I highly encourage the pre-jam time to be used only for planning so your project is hopefully more refined.

Optional Challenge:

The optional challenges for MGGJ10 are:

• Human metronome: Make the genre of your game a rhythm game.
• Pana-sonic: Involve a washing machine for a primary mechanic/plot point in your game.
• AE86: Let one of your music be a Eurobeat genre.

These challenges do not affect ratings. They are optional and should be picked just for fun and not under pressure.

Rating:

Your submissions will be rated publicly based on the following criteria. Non-submitters will be given rating queue where they need to rate at least three random entries before being able to rate any specific entry.

• Magical Girl Concept
  • How creative and well crafted are the magical girl ideas in the game?
• Engagement/Fun
  • Duh. How fun the gameplay/story is
• Originality/Creativity
  • The creativity of the gameplay mechanics primarily
•  Aesthetics
  • How well the game looks in general
  • Are the artstyles consistent? If the game is in pixel art, do they have consistent pixel sizes?
• Audio
  • How well the audio enhances the gaming experience
  • Includes music if the game has one
• Gameplay Polish
  • Primarily talks about gameplay/experience polish. Is the difficulty balanced? Does the game give good player feedbacks, making it more fun to play? Special effects? If it's mostly narration are the texts properly screened for errors that may ruin player experience?
  • Graphics and audio polish should be rated based on the previous criteria
• Theme Interpretation
  • This is talking about the six themes, not about the whole premise of the jam being themed around Magical Girls.

What is a Magical Girl?

Some people unexpectedly joined the jam without knowing what the Magical Girl genre is in the first jam, so from MGGJ2 onwards, I decided to put this section to explain a bit about what the Magical Girl genre is.

To put it simply, the Magical Girl genre, or Mahō Shōjo (魔法少女) in Japanese, is a genre about cute girls having cute magical powers -- often associated with anime, manga, and other Japanese works. Although not always, Magical Girls often have expected traits such as being cute, wearing cute battle outfits, having cute power, innocent vibes, feminine in nature, sometimes having transformation sequence, etc. These are just expectations however, and expectations can be subverted (especially since 2011 the genre is a popular target for deconstruction thanks to a certain work).

For the purpose of this jam, the definition of a "Magical Girl" is simply a girl having magical power. The definition of "girl" and "magical" are explained in the rules and FAQ section but in general I let the author declare them.

Some examples of Magical Girl works:

• Puella Magi Madoka Magica
  • The work that made the genre a popular target for deconstruction. It's very cute I recommend watching this one :3

• Sailor Moon
  • A classic from the 2000s

• Pretty Cure
  • Another standard traditional Magical Girl

• Minky Momo
  • Probably the original Magical Girl; an ancient anime dating back to the Showa era

If you are previously not familiar with the Magical Girl genre, I hope this explanation at least gives you a vague idea of what you should be aiming for.

For more information, you can check the TV Tropes page for it. While to avoid removal it is enough to fulfill the definition "girls with magical powers", I want you to aim for TV Tropes's Magical Girls

Rules:

Unfortunately, we had some problems in MGGJ9, and thus the rules have undergone some revisions for MGGJ10. Please read them carefully.

In general, the rules have become more flexible. These should from now on be treated not as rigid rulebook but as general boundaries with nuances:

• Put at least one Magical Girl character in your game -- it can be your main character, the enemy, anything. Creating an original character is strongly encouraged. For the purpose of this jam, the bare minimum requirement is a "Girl with Magical Power"
  • "Girl" and "magical power" can be based on author's intention (implied through designs or directly declared as such). Further details may be found on FAQ section.
  • The Magical Girl should play a somewhat major role in the game.
• Properly follow the themes (or other forms the specific MGGJ might have).
• Keep pornographic materials away from this jam.
  • G*nitalia and female n*pples will 100% lead to disqualification no questions asked. NSFW games that are otherwise still acceptable should have content warning.
  • Avoid explicit r*pe scenes; if you have to include r*pe in your game's plot, I suggest simply implying it and not showing it.
  • In general though I want to be loose with this rule; but more risque submissions may be scrutinized with my subjective judgement.
    • As a quick test imagine your character in a beach. If what your character wears (in terms of coverage) seems sus even in a beach environment you may want to ask me first; otherwise you are 100% safe.
  • Gore NSFWs are generally fine, but please don't go overboard.
• Keep real money away from this jam.
  • Only submit free games, and do not put in-app purchases. I would love to see if your jam project becomes a commercial product, but please during the duration of the jam keep real money away.
• Submit video games.
• You are free to use any assets you have legal access to -- however, I encourage you to create as much as possible during the jam, and during submission you will be asked about it -- players might rate more harshly if your game is mostly purchased/premade assets.
  • Assets made using AI generations from scratch are generally forbidden. Reasons include possible legal infringement and incompatibility with the spirit of the jam. This rule may change as AI technology and ethics surrounding its use matures in the future, but for now it is generally forbidden. A few possible exceptions may apply (nuances and contexts may apply):
    • The AI is trained only using your own creations (or others' you have obtained explicit consent from)
    • The AI is only used as tool to modify existing assets minimally (e.g. upscaling, generating in-between animation frames)
    • The Ai is only used for brainstorming ideas (e.g. brainstorming story ideas, brainstorming character design ideas that you later develop yourself)
    • If you are not sure consult me.
• Answer the submission fields/questionnaire properly. Your answers are checked by a human for quick screening.
  • Do not give vague, non-descriptive answers especially for the "How does your game fits the Magical Girl genre?" question. If how your magical girl would be like in the game is hard to understand from the answer alone, your game may get disqualified.
    • Bad examples (will definitely get disqualified):
      • "This is a magical girl game."
      • "This game has magical girls."
      • <Flowery words to describe nonsense>
    • Somewhat bad example (may get disqualified depending on context):
      • "<Character> is a magical girl."
    • Good example (definitely safe):
      • "<Character> has the power to <insert description of power here>."
  • Intentional falsehoods in the answers, if caught, may lead to disqualification depending on the significance.
  • Please answer the questionnaire in English. Non-English games are allowed, but English is required for the questionnaires for quick screening.
• Treat this jam (or any jam really) with respect. Submissions with obvious malicious intent deemed harmful to the spirit of the jam, and/or attempts to skirt the rules through loopholes to test boundaries in a disrespectful manner may lead to disqualification.
  • Respect the unwritten rules for game jams in general.
    • Only submit games that are made for the sake of this jam. To quote itch's quality guideline: Do not add your game to unrelated jams for promotion.
    • Keep toxicity away from this jam... or any jam for that matter. Toxic behaviors may lead to the ban hammer.
  • Inquiry on my rules and/or decision to disqualify a submission should be done respectfully and civilly.

The one running this jam is a human who understands nuances, not a rigid rulebook. If you have good intentions with your submission, the host too does not want to disqualify it. Against submissions that are otherwise harmful to the vision of the jam, the experience of other jammers, etc. for reasons impossible to fully explain in rules though, the host will do whatever it takes to protect the jam.

There are also further clarifications as well as advices:

• Unfinished games shall be allowed. If you couldn't finish on time, it is advised to submit an unfinished version first then update later, since this jam allows for updates during rating period (although please leave the original version available if possible).
• If you want more chance for the host to play your game, it is advised to create a browser playable game with managable difficulty and reasonable length.
• Prioritization of quality over quantity is advised.
• Please be very careful if you ever decide to insert politics into your game. Due to the toxic and divisive nature of the topic, I have always discouraged the inclusion of politics into my jam since the start of MGGJ.
  • Despite my discouragement however, submissions with political undertone/statements are generally safe from removal as long as it is kept civil,
  • However, submissions with toxic messages such as those that target/judge/harass people based on identities/groups, especially ones that can't be reasonably changed, may be subject to removal.

• Have fun! :)

Also while this is not really a rule, I would appreciate it if you put the following hashtags if you tweet about this jam: #MGGJ, #MGGJ10

FAQs:

A few questions that came up a few times in past jams in my discord server that may be in your head too if you are new:

• What do you define as "Magical Power"?
  • For the purpose of this jam, there are a few ways it can fit:
  • A power the author declares as magical in nature.
  • A power that may not be explicitly declared as such by the author, but natural explanations for the power is not given.
  • A power the author may declare as not magical (e.g. machines), but somewhat intends to feel magical and/or mimics something you may expect if it were magical. For a quick test, try to replace the supposed "non-magical explanation" with "magic" and see if it makes sense and does not feel forced.
  • However, for a power to be considered magical, it needs to be an ability that is actually extraordinary -- something that can't normally be done. Please do not use flowery words to describe nonsense or an ability that is otherwise ordinary. Bad examples:
    • Magical Girl Centrisia has the ability of neutrality, which is the ability of everything and nothing at the same time.
    • Magical Girl Neuro has the ability to send electrical signals from her brain to her muscles through her neurons, allowing her muscles to contract and move her body.
• Do Magical Boys count?
  • In general, no; but as long as the magical form is a girl, you may have the non-magical form as any other forms including animals, boys, objects, etc. and it still counts -- or maybe the opposite such as a girl having the ability to change into objects. As long as we can see a girl wielding some sort of magical power in action, it is good. 
    • In addition, as long as you put at least one Magical Girl I don't mind what else you put into your game as long as it doesn't get you into legal troubles.
• Can I submit my game into other jams?
  • If it also fits that jam, yes. Feel free to do multiple jams in conjunction if it happens to coincide with MGGJ (assuming that jam also allows submissions to multiple jams).
    • Beware though if you submit to so many jams, it might look suspicious. If I see your game being submitted to jams that your game doesn't actually fit into, even if your game fits my jam, I might question whether or not your game fitting into my jam is just a coincidence.
• Can I submit multiple games into this jam?
  • If you have the time, sure! You can also participate in multiple teams; your choice. As long as you have the time, and your games all fit into the themes.
• Can I continue my project from previous MGGJs?
  • Creating a new entry to a series is fine. Updating an old project, however, is not.
• Does a commercial game with a free demo fulfill the game has to be free rule?
  • No. You are saying you made a game worth paying in a month-long game jam, and you offer to submit a demo whose content is a fraction of that, time wise a fraction of the month-long period, for this jam? I don't think so. Instead you should simply make a jam version and then continue to expand it into something worth paying.
• Can I pick multiple themes?
  • Yes. Picking multiple themes is logically also picking at least one theme. If I were to forbid this all you needed to do would be to pretend as if you only had picked one theme and just coincidentally had matched the other themes.
• Can I modify my game during the rating period?
  • I am very lax regarding this, so in this casual jam, I do not lock submission modification during rating period. However, I request you include all versions every time you add a new one -- or at least just the original one or the last one submitted before the submission period ends.
• Can I submit my game late?
  • I used to be more lax regarding this, but now, unless your reason is very, very convincing (e.g. you finished your game way before and was ready to submit 24 hours before the closing, but then a magnitude 9 earthquake destroyed your house's electricity and internet connection for a few days), I do not intend to accept any late submissions. Rather than submitting late, if you are unable to finish your game on time but still want to submit, it is better to submit first then modify later (do keep the original if possible tho). 
• The themes are revealed 1 week before the start of the jam itself. Why?
  • My jam, my rules XP. However, the primary reason is to let players ponder about the theme for a week first before jumping straight into coding/asset making/etc.; I want you people to have a mature concept/plan first. Can you start making your game anyway during that time? Yes; and I can't check. It's really up to you, although I think it's much better to work on the concept first (^.^;
• Why are there multiple themes anyway?
  • My jam, my rules :/. The reason is that I don't want the themes to be restrictive. I want the themes to function as inspiration, not as restrictions. The idea came from a story my friend told me of a Game Jam he participated in. I can't go into details but the jam in question is said to use Sonic titles as themes.
• With your definition <non-Magical Girl character X> is a Magical Girl (or vise versa)?
  • Well obviously I want as many obvious Magical Girl characters in while keeping as many obvious non-Magical Girl characters out... We however, are dealing with art and fiction, and it is basically impossible for me or anyone to enact a hard-line one fits all definition to categorize everything perfectly. If there were such a thing, people will always find ways to subvert it. Because of that, what I put is simply a bare minimum definition that is as loose as possible which in consequent may technically allow obvious non-Magical Girl characters in (e.g. Wizards, some Sci-Fi chars); but I want you to aim for TVTropes' ideal. If you have better ideas for the definitions however, I will welcome it.

Previous jams

Some of you who are new might want to see games (or themes) from previous jams. Here are some links to the previous jams:

• MGGJ1
• MGGJ2
• MGGJ3
• MGGJ4
• MGGJ5
• MGGJ6
• MGGJ7
• MGGJ8
• MGGJ9