Starter templates for Unity, Godot, and GameMaker, complete with smart .gitignore files and comprehensive guides to help you focus on making games, not setting things up.
- Click the "Fork" button at the top of this page
- Select your account
- You now have your own copy!
- Go to your fork's Settings > Collaborators
- Click Add people
- Add your teammates by username or email
- Open GitHub Desktop
- Clone your fork to your computer
- Open the
Unity/,Godot/, orGameMaker/folder in your engine - Start making your game!
New to Git? Read the complete Git guide for step-by-step instructions.
Read the full Game Jam Rules for:
- Jam schedule and deadlines
- Team size limits
- Submission requirements
- What you can and cannot use
For the Dundee & Angus Game Jam, we recommend GameMaker because:
- Fastest prototyping - Get a playable game running in minutes
- Beginner-friendly - Drag-and-drop or simple code, your choice
- Built-in tools - Room editor, sprite editor, everything in one place
- Easy exports - One-click Windows builds
- Great for 2D - Perfect for jam-sized games
- Free tier available - Export to Windows for free
That said, use whatever engine you're most comfortable with! A game you can finish beats a game you can't.
This template includes starter projects for three engines:
| Engine | Folder | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| GameMaker | GameMaker/ |
Fast 2D games, beginners |
| Godot 4 | Godot/ |
2D/3D games, open source |
| Unity | Unity/ |
2D/3D games, C# developers |
Each guide covers Git workflows, common issues, and tips specific to that engine:
- Git gotchas specific to game development
- Merge conflict strategies
- Code organization tips
- Testing before commits
- The placeholder art strategy (create boxes first!)
- Asset dimensions and formats
- How to use Git for art files
- Replacing placeholders
Never used Git before? No problem! We have a complete beginner's guide:
Git Guide for Complete Beginners
The guide covers:
- Installing GitHub Desktop (Windows)
- Forking and cloning
- Daily workflow (pull, commit, push)
- Using branches (highly recommended!)
- Working with your team
- Fixing common problems
- Always pull before you start working
- Commit often with descriptive messages
- Use branches for features
- Communicate with your team
When the jam ends, submit your game using GitHub Releases.
Read the full Releasing Guide for detailed step-by-step instructions.
- Build your game from your engine (Windows recommended)
- Test the build - run it outside your project folder
- Create a ZIP with all necessary files
- Create a GitHub Release:
- Go to your repo > Releases > "Create a new release"
- Tag it
v1.0.0 - Add a description with controls and credits
- Attach your ZIP file
- Publish!
- Share the release URL - that's your submission link!
- Test your build before uploading - run it from a different folder
- Include a README in your ZIP - controls, credits, known issues
- Download and test your own release to make sure it works
Dundee-Angus-Game-Jam-Template/
README.md <- You are here
LICENSE <- Project license
.gitignore <- Files to ignore
GameMaker/ <- GameMaker project (recommended)
Godot/ <- Godot 4.x project
Unity/ <- Unity project
docs/ <- Guides and documentation
GIT_GUIDE.md <- Git tutorial
GAME_JAM_RULES.md <- Jam rules
FOR_PROGRAMMERS.md <- Programmer tips
FOR_ARTISTS.md <- Artist tips
GAMEMAKER_GUIDE.md <- GameMaker + Git
GODOT_GUIDE.md <- Godot + Git
UNITY_GUIDE.md <- Unity + Git
RELEASING_YOUR_GAME.md <- How to submit your game
- Read the guides in the
docs/folder - Ask your teammates
- Ask the jam organizers
- Check the GitHub Desktop documentation
This template is released under the Unlicense - do whatever you want with it!
Your game and its assets belong to you and your team.
Good luck with the jam!