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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallYou can start a game jam from an existing repository only if the event’s current rules allow the old work you plan to reuse. Before changing the project, record its event-start state, check the rights and disclosure requirements for every reused component, and write down each required build format and upload destination. Jam rules differ, so neither reuse permission nor an expected export format is universal.
Check the named jam’s current rules first
Find the rules for the specific event and edition you are entering. Verify how they define the start of the jam, what pre-existing code or assets are allowed, whether reused material must be disclosed, and which deliverables are required. An event may permit some previously made work under conditions while another may impose different limits.
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For example, the HAGJ rules allow certain previously created assets, features, or components subject to that jam’s conditions, including restrictions and disclosure expectations for some pre-made, free, or AI material. That is an example of one event’s policy, not a general game-jam rule: HAGJ rules.
For work or ideas created by others, itch.io’s creator quality guidelines say: “If you intend to re-use the work or ideas of others, always seek permission from the original creator and give proper credit, otherwise do not upload it.” Read the event’s rules alongside the relevant creator and platform terms: itch.io creator quality guidelines.
#1 Best Overall
Mark the repository’s event-start state
Do not assume the files in the current checkout show the project’s full history. Git’s git clone creates a new directory, remote-tracking branches for repository branches, and an initial branch based on the source repository’s active branch. Clone options can limit which history or branches are available. Git documents these behaviors in its clone reference.
Before editing, inspect the project’s state and record the commit that represents the event-start baseline. Keep the existing history when possible, and use a clear branch or tag to identify that baseline. Then commit jam work as it progresses so the distinction between prior work and event work is auditable.
Rank #2
- Check the current branch, local and remote-tracking branches, tags, remote URL, recent commits, and whether the working tree has uncommitted changes.
- Confirm whether the clone is shallow or limited to one branch before relying on its history to establish when work was created.
- Record the event-start commit and mark it with a recognizable branch or tag before making changes.
- Keep dated, descriptive commits for work done during the jam; do not rewrite old history merely to make the project appear newer.
If you need a recoverable copy before reorganizing remotes or history, GitHub’s backup guidance describes mirror cloning, archiving, and restoring a repository. If the project uses Git LFS, fetch and preserve the LFS objects too; a Git repository copy alone may not include them. See GitHub’s repository duplication and backup guidance.
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Inventory reused code, assets, and tools
Make an inventory before submission, including your own older work as well as third-party material. “It works in the game” does not establish that you may publish the same files in a public source repository. Permission to use an asset in a playable build and permission to redistribute the asset’s source files are separate questions.
| Inventory field | What to record |
|---|---|
| Item or file path | The component’s name and where it appears in the project. |
| Author or owner | Who created or controls the material. |
| Source | Where it came from, such as an older project, an asset pack, or a plugin vendor. |
| License or permission | The license terms or documented permission that applies. |
| Use in the game | Whether the terms allow use in the playable submission. |
| Redistribution in source | Whether the actual files may be included in a public repository. |
| Attribution | The required credit wording and where it must appear. |
| Jam disclosure | Whether the event asks you to disclose the item or its pre-made status. |
Check plugins and purchased asset packs under their own terms; do not assume a purchase permits public redistribution of the original files. itch.io’s publisher terms also require uploaders to affirm that they hold the relevant rights for content they upload: itch.io terms. If a public source repository is required, include only material you are permitted to publish there.
Separate source requirements from license requirements
A jam may require a public source repository without requiring you to select an open-source license. In its FAQ for Game Off 2024, the host said participants’ source and distributable assets had to be in a public GitHub repository for that event, while an open-source license was not mandatory. The FAQ explains that copyright restrictions apply by default without a license. This describes that edition, not every Game Off or other jam: Game Off 2024 FAQ.
Follow the actual event’s instructions for source publication, and separately check what each contributor or asset license permits. Making a repository public does not itself grant permission to publish material belonging to someone else.
Write an export plan for every required deliverable
Use the event’s current submission instructions to decide what to build; do not assume a jam expects a particular operating system, engine format, or upload destination. One event may ask for a downloadable build, another may accept a browser-playable game, and another may require both a playable game and source.
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| Plan field | What to specify |
|---|---|
| Required target | The platform or operating system named by the event. |
| Build format | The deliverable format or browser-playable requirement stated in the submission instructions. |
| Included files | Required assets, data, or supporting files for that build. |
| Output directory | A distinct folder for the generated target so it is not confused with source files or another build. |
| Playability check | A practical check that the exported build launches and can be played as submitted. |
| Upload destination | The event’s required page, repository, or other submission location. |
Generate a fresh build for each required target, label it clearly, and test the exported output rather than assuming a successful export is a playable submission. Keep the source tree distinguishable from final deliverables. In the Game Off 2024 FAQ example, the playable game was submitted on itch.io and source code on GitHub; that split is event-specific, not a default export plan.
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