Junction Jam

Will there be WiFi on the train?

Probably not. We advise jammers to download all the tools and materials they need the night before, and organizers will have USB sticks with common tools and resources on hand to distribute to jammers in need.

Cell service along the routes is generally available for all major carriers, so you can tether to your phone if you have that capacity, but service may be slow or spotty in certain areas, so connectivity is not guaranteed for the entire route.

Is there a competition, or prizes?

No, Junction Jam is not a competitive game jam. Making a game is hard enough!

Should I have a team or a game idea before the jam starts?

Nope! You may network with fellow jammers ahead of the event, but you are encouraged to come as you are. Conductors will help folks form teams once the jam starts, and make sure that everyone who wants to be on a team is on one.

Likewise, while you are free to prepare project templates helper libraries to help you get started, we encourage you to wait until you have formed your team and learned the jam theme before you start brainstorming ideas.

How do we submit our games at the end of the jam?

Organizers will share a link to an itch.io hosted jam page when the jam begins, and instructions for submitting your game will be made available on the Junction Jam Discord server. Organizers will be on hand to help teams submit their games as the jam ends, but in case of connectivity or site issues you will have a few days after the jam is over to submit your game, so you don’t have to worry about a strict cut-off time during the event itself.

Do I need to make a game to attend?

While the purpose of a game jam is to make a game (or something!), we understand folks may prefer to use the time for networking or other tasks/purposes. Everyone with a ticket is welcome to attend as long as they’re over 18 yrs old and are respectful and considerate of people who are jamming.

Are there rules about what I can make? What OS I should target, etc?

There are no restrictions on format or build targets whatsoever. Make your game for Windows, Linux, web, pen-and-paper, Wonderswan, whatever!

When booking my train ticket, should I choose a seat on the Upper Deck or Lower Deck?

It’s up to you, but if your train gives you the option, we are recommending jammers book a seat on the Upper Deck, so that our group is more likely to be able to sit together. In general when riding on an Amtrak train, the lower deck has a bit less side-to-side movement, while the upper deck has better views and easier access to adjacent cars, so you can take those factors into consideration if they are important to you.

There is no “fasten seatbelt sign” on an Amtrak train, and most trains have dedicated dining and/or observation cars with open seating, so you are always free to move about the train car to talk/work with teammates and organizers.