Eniko Fox11h ago

here's a free idea: RAM shortage jam, where you have to make a game for a system with low RAM capacity. like maybe less than 128mb or something

edit: OOM jam is a much better name than what i came up with https://mastodon.gamedev.place/@aeva/116362518081235814

aeva (@[email protected])

@eniko "oom jam" has a nice ring to it

Gamedev Mastodon
Show threadaeva11h ago
@eniko i like that threshold. 128 megs is positively roomy for us custom engine folks but haw good luck submitting anything made in unreal or electron or whatever
Show threadaeva11h ago
@eniko each successive jam should lower the threshold a touch until we find the sweet spot :3
Show threadV10h ago
@aeva @eniko I love the idea of progressively tightening the memory constraints... 128MB is a lot... the playstation 1 had like 2MB+1MB vram (if you include vram), the ps2 had like 32MB+4MB vram. The gameboy has 8KB+8KBvram, [up to 128KB with expansions on-cart (yay bank switching!)] which I think is the smallest I've done anything on.
Show threadEniko Fox

@miss_rodent @aeva tbh i came up with 128mb by taking the PSP's amount and doubling it, it was not a very rigorous process >_>

but i figured it would exclude most "basically a modern OS but just doesn't get security updates anymore" type platforms

9:02amWeb
Show threadV10h ago
@eniko @aeva Tinycore (linux distro) runs on 46MB, and microcore on 24MB... though if you want to add a game to that and stay under 128 you're still not using unity or rpgmaker or whatevr the kids use these days.
Show threadV10h ago
@eniko @aeva whether either of those can be considered 'modern operating systems' is arguable.... they're in a nebulous space between embedded system and modernOS honestly.
and it still cuts out most of the standard game-making tools in use in the last decade or so either way.
Show threadEniko Fox10h ago
@miss_rodent @aeva nebulous space sounds good to me
Show threadV10h ago
@eniko @aeva Nebulous spaces are a good setting for game jams tbh