It’s been a long time since screensavers were a big deal, but apparently, I’m not the only one who still remembers them. Especially the After Dark sort, like Fish and Messages 2, which can still be experienced here, powered by the magic of CSS. For those unaware, many years ago, screensavers helped prevent burn-in on CRT monitors, and today… it’s the theme of a game jam.
Gotta love the creativity of jam organizers these days. From the Rhythm Jam to the tower buzzing Air Control Jam and even one about making games based on public domain content – such variety! But this one, this Flying Toast With Jam, now that’s something else. Participants are essentially tasked with creating a game that’ll run from start to finish without user interaction, ending only – and potentially rather abruptly – at the press of a key.
Flying back twenty years
So calm and easy on the eyes
Revive a genre to your cheers
Now Flying Toast With Jam will rise!And it’s Code! Code! Code!
Code like you’ve never seen
It’s neither flim nor flam
We pop up to save your screen
For Flying Toast With Jam!
A simple enough concept, and hopefully one that’ll spawn some genuinely creative ‘games’, as there’s plenty of room for outside-the-box thinking. Just remember to include a warning label if your game is of the violent sort, or features otherwise “potentially objectionable content”, because if you don’t, well, instant disqualification.
Feel like partaking in the autonomous screen-saving craziness? You’ve got until December 1, 2014, to craft and submit your entry. More details can be found on the Flying Toast With Jam website.
