Have you got a love of pixel art that you want to share with the world? Are you mad about 8-bit characters and want to test your skills? Well, I've got some good news for you, because the fourth Game Boy pixel art jam is on its way and coming to Itch.io!
The community event, held by Game Boy enthusiasts to champion all things low-res, will be held on the weekend of October 10th/11th and invites pixel artists of all levels of ability, amateur and professional, to take part.
I've been speaking with Philip Hunt, who has been organising the event along with the GB Studio Central Team since 2023. He had this to say on the upcoming event:
“When I organised the first Pixel Art Jam in 2023, I had no idea how popular it would be. Many participants have said how fun it was. The low barrier of entry, short time commitment, and some technical restrictions that challenge creativity, means it has been the first jam experience for some.
Our goal is to create a Game Boy playable ROM collection of all the qualifying entries. We don’t promise when, as we volunteer our time and sometimes life gets in the way, but it will happen. Promoting the event and seeing the number of joiners grow gets a bit stressful, so I have to laugh!"
So what's the brief? Well, you'll have a 48-hour timeframe in which to create an image 160px by 144px. Obviously, the theme hasn't been announced yet to keep everything fair - you'll find out what you're drawing once the competition starts. That way, everyone has the same chance. Once the event is over, the images are compiled into a downloadable ROM that you can view on an emulator as a downloadable file or purchase on a cartridge at cost price from InsideGadgets, who you might remember from our OrangeFM article.
According to the official press release, the images from last year's jam have been showcased across Europe at various events, so your artwork could end up becoming an international sensation! Head to the GB Pixel Jam page on Itch.io and get ready for the competition to start!
