Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) has offered indie developers a new creative opportunity with the announcement of SAAM Arcade 2021. This game jam won’t have judges and will be dedicated to projects about building community and embracing individuality.
SAAM Arcade 2021 will take place from August 2-7. Any person with the itch.io account can submit their game during this period and participate in the game jam.
“At the Smithsonian American Art Museum, when we think about games and art, we think about how interaction can be both an individual experience and an opportunity for communication and connection […] Any form of art can encourage conversation and contemplation, both individually and communally, and that’s the spirit of this year’s theme,” the official statement reads.
It means that SAAM is interested in games that explore the nature of community building or consider the importance of personal singular experiences. The museum is also looking for projects with unique game mechanics and artwork that explore the “concepts of community and/or individuality.”
According to SAAM, you can make a game with the help of any software. The only thing is that you shouldn’t write code in advance. However, developers still can use any assets or art that they have rights to use.
More information about SAAM Arcade 2021 can be found on itch.io.