This year we’ve decided to remove the Categories entirely and make the Challenges top-level, so they can be independent from each other, and you can pick on any of them, all at once, or ignore them as they are all optional.
We had two Categories in the prevous editions of the Gamedev.js Jam: Web Monetization and Decentralized. The Decentralized one was having Challenges from various partners, but it all revolved around the blockchain ⁄ web3 topic.
We wanted to change this in 2023 though, and it was because of two things: removal of the Web Monetization category, and the need to allow Challenges other than the ones from the Decentralized category.
Pausing Web Monetization
Recent news of Coil shutting down was a blow to the Web Monetization community, since the company was the only provider offering memberships utilizing on the Web Monetization API. The Interledger Foundation will pick things up from here, but this will all take time.
That’s why the Web Monetization Category is paused and might return as the Challenge next year if everything goes well, but it’s hard to predict right now what will happen exactly, and when.
Making Challenges top-level
Up until now all the Challenges were part of the Decentralized Category, so there was no room for anything outside the blockchain ⁄ web3 space.
This needs to change, as we will be having Challenges from our various partners who not necessarily need to operate in the Decentralized topic anymore. Expect some fun Challenges with great prizes being announced soon!
Open Source with GitHub
The very first announcement of 2023 is the fact that we’re partnering with GitHub again, but this time we’ll have a brand new Challenge: Open Source. As the name implies – if you happen to have the source code available on GitHub, you will be eligible to pick on this Challenge.
The decision was made after looking at how many developers did that already on their own last year, and seeing the top Open Sourced entries article from GitHub being very popular in the community as well.
Inviting more participation
We’re already discussing and confirming other Challenges with partners old and new, but there’s still room – if you, or your company, would like to offer a unique Challenge with cool prizes, then please get in touch!
HTML5 Game Developer, Enclave Games indie studio founder, js13kGames competition creator and Gamedev.js Weekly newsletter publisher. Mozilla Tech Speaker, Gamedev.js community firestarter. Organizes meetups / workshops / hackathons in Poland, passionate about new, Open Web technologies, excited about WebXR and PWAs. Likes eating sushi and playing Neuroshima Hex.
