The Game Writing SIG Arcjam is just over a week away, and we’re excited to announce the exciting prize pool generously donated by our community partners! Whether you’re competing for the top spot or just participating for the experience, every game submitted will earn rewards.
Rewards for All Participants
Every team that successfully submits a game will receive:
-
Arcweave Discount: Keep building your jam project! All jam participants get 20% off their first Arcweave workspace upgrade!
-
Game Design Skills Discount: All jam participants will receive a 20% discount for any Game Design Skills bootcamp during 2026!
Prizes for Award-Winning Games
A collection of prizes will distributed among the top games:
Professional Development
-
Free seat in the Game Design Skills course Game Narrative Bootcamp, taught by Kelly Bender
-
Free seat in the Designing Educational TTRPGs for Children course from D6 Learning, taught by Konstantinos Fousteris
-
Five Resume and LinkedIn Brush-Up Sessions from Richard King of Reign Recruiting
Tools & Memberships
-
Arcweave Pro Workspace with 3 team seats for 1 year
-
Free International Game Developer Association (IGDA) Memberships for one team (max 4)
Game Writing Resources
Courtesy of Richard Dansky:
- A signed copy of The Video Game Writer’s Guide to Surviving an Industry That Hates You by game writer and author Richard Dansky
Plus, courtesy of CRC Press (Routledge):
-
Two free copies of The Game Narrative Toolbox, 2nd Ed
-
One free copy of Branching Story, Unlocked Dialogue: Designing and Writing Visual Novels
-
One free copy of Freelance Video Game Writing: The Life and Business of the Digital Mercenary for Hire
Additional Recognition
In addition to prizes and top game placement, shortlisted games are eligible to receive:
Portfolio Feedback: All shortlisted games will receive personalized feedback from our expert judges on how well the game functions as a portfolio piece, helping writers understand what works and what could be strengthened for showcasing narrative design skills to potential employers or collaborators.
Special Recognition Awards: Judges will award special recognition for Excellence in Writing Craft, Excellence in Narrative Design, and Innovative Use of Technology.
Spotlight Features: Selected projects will be showcased and promoted across IGDA and Arcweave channels and platforms.
How Prize-Winners Are Determined
Games will be evaluated through community ratings and professional judge evaluations across these three criteria:
- Storytelling
- Gameplay
- Theme Interpretation
Community ratings and peer feedback will take place on the Itch.io platform. Organizers and judges will review and shortlist games for final evaluation. The panel of professional judges will rate the shortlisted games and vote to determine the top games and award recipients.
Join the Jam
Ready to compete for these prizes? Here’s what you need to do:
- Join the jam on itch.io
- Join our Discord
- Create your free Arcweave account
- Review our preparation guide
The jam starts November 21 at 5:00 PM EST and runs for 72 hours. We can’t wait to see what you create!
Thank You to Our Donors
These prizes are made possible by the generosity of our community partners:
Thank you for supporting game writers and the craft of interactive storytelling!
Questions about prizes or the jam? Join our Discord server or email info@game-writing.com.