RULES & CONDITIONS

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Why POWER UP! Exists

POWER UP! is not a competition. We don’t award prizes or chase high scores. Our mission is to:

  • Encourage creativity and experimentation
  • Promote professional development
  • Celebrate community, learning and fun
  • Make space for voices and creators that are often left out of traditional game spaces
  • Keep participation free and accessible

We’re here for the ideas and the impact, especially, when games are used to imagine positive futures, explore new stories or create change.
 

Participation requirements

Eligibility - Who Can Join?

  • POWER UP! is open to women, as well as non-binary people who are comfortable being part of a women-focused community (collectively referred to as “participants” throughout these Terms).
  • Participants from any country are eligible to join, provided they:
    • Meet Discord's age requirements applicable to their country of residence; and
    • Comply with all other Discord policies applicable to their country of residence.  
  • Prior experience in games development is not required to participate. 
  • Participation requires submission of an application form:
    • Participants can join as an individual, as part of a team, or assemble one through our Discord server.

How It Works

  • POWER UP! Game Jam is a free-to-join event for all participants.
  • The POWER UP! Game Jam is an exclusively online event. All communications and updates will happen via the POWER UP! Discord server. Participants will get access to it after registering.
  • All participants must register before the event via this form.
  • Registered participants  will get access to resources, support and mentorship during the event.
  • The jam runs over 4 days to cover the weekend across all time zones. You can use as much of that time as you see fit.
  • You can:
    • Jam solo,
    • Join with an existing team, or
    • Find international teammates via our Discord community.
  • There is no size limit for teams.
  • A theme will be announced when the game jam officially starts.
    • Participants will be making a game based on the announced theme.
    • You can start something new or work on a personal project. Just make sure what you’re doing fits the spirit and announced theme of POWER UP!

Game Submission requirements and rules

  • All games must be submitted before the deadline based on the instructions you receive after registering.
  • Submitted games will be made public and showcased on our website.
  • Your name (nicknames allowed) and/or team name will be credited. Your work may be featured in our communications and social media.
  • You may receive feedback from organisers, mentors and fellow participants.

Content policy

All games and materials submitted must follow these guidelines:

  • No hate speech or discriminatory content
  • No explicit sexual content or graphic violence
  • No promotion of harmful ideologies or harassment
  • No copyrighted content you don’t have rights to use

We reserve the right to remove games or content that we feel are in breach of these guidelines. 
We will always aim to talk with you first, but final decisions rest with the organisers.

AI Policy

At POWER UP! Game Jam, we value creativity, originality, and ethical use of technology. Participants are welcome to use AI tools during the jam, provided they follow these guidelines:

  1. Transparency – If AI tools are used to generate any part of your submission (including art, code, writing, sound, or other assets), you must clearly declare this in your project description.
  2. Originality – AI-generated content should be used as a supportive tool, not as a complete replacement for your own creative input. We encourage participants to make meaningful contributions beyond simply prompting an AI.
  3. Ethics and Legality – You must not use AI to create or replicate content that infringes on copyright, violates intellectual property rights, or uses another person’s likeness without permission. All AI-generated content must comply with relevant laws and the jam’s Code of Conduct.
  4. Offensive Content – AI must not be used to create discriminatory, explicit, harassing, or otherwise harmful material. Any content that breaches these rules may result in disqualification.
  5. Responsibility – You are responsible for any AI-generated work you submit, including ensuring it aligns with the event’s values of inclusivity, respect, and creativity.

By participating in POWER UP! Game Jam, you agree to use AI tools in a way that respects other creators, upholds our community standards, and champions original creativity.

Intellectual Property

  1. Ownership of Submissions – Participants retain all rights to the original work they create during the Game Jam. By submitting your project, you confirm that you are the rightful owner of all content within it, or that you have obtained the necessary rights or licenses to use any third-party materials.
  2. Third-Party Content – Any use of third-party assets (including but not limited to images, audio, fonts, code, or AI-generated content) must comply with the asset’s licensing terms. It is the participant’s responsibility to ensure that their submission does not infringe on the intellectual property rights of others.
  3. Grant of Rights to Organisers – By taking part in POWER UP! Game Jam, you grant the organisers a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide licence to display, distribute, and promote your submission for the purposes of event promotion, publicity, and documentation, including on social media, websites, and press materials. This licence does not affect your ownership of the work.
  4. Responsibility – Participants are solely responsible for any legal claims arising from their submission and agree to indemnify the organisers against any such claims related to intellectual property infringement.
     

Privacy Policy

Storage and Security

We may store:

  • participant email addresses
  • usernames
  • submitted games
  • project descriptions
  • screenshots
  • videos
  • livestream recordings
  • event participation records
  • optional profile information

Participant information is stored using secure online services selected by the organisers. Access is limited to authorised organisers and technical administrators who require access to operate the event. Reasonable security measures are used to protect participant information from unauthorised access or disclosure.

Data Retention

We may retain information about participants and submissions for as long as reasonably necessary to document the history of the event. Participants may contact us to request that a submission be removed from public display or that its visibility be restricted. Requests involving collaborative submissions may need to take into account the rights and wishes of other contributors.

Third-Party Services

POWER UP! relies on third-party services to operate the event.
These currently include:

  • Discord (community communications)
  • Google Analytics (website analytics)

These providers operate under their own privacy policies and terms of service.

Participant submissions

By submitting a game or related content to POWER UP! , participants give the organisers permission to use and share the submitted content for purposes related to the event, including showcasing and promoting the event and its participants. This permission is non-exclusive, meaning participants retain ownership of their work and can continue to use it elsewhere. 

We may use games and related content submitted to POWER UP! to showcase the event and the work created by participants. This may include:

  • publishing or displaying submissions
  • showcasing completed games
  • creating highlight reels
  • using screenshots, trailers or other promotional material
  • including submissions in event livestreams
  • maintaining an archive of past events
  • promoting future POWER UP! activities
     

Our Code of Conduct

POWER UP! is committed to providing a safe, inclusive, and harassment-free experience for everyone. We expect all participants to act with kindness, respect, and integrity.

Unacceptable Behaviour Includes:

  • Harassment of any kind
  • Discrimination or hate speech
  • Sexual harassment or unwelcome sexual attention
  • Bullying, intimidation, or targeted personal attacks
  • Posting or creating offensive or harmful content (racist, sexist, ableist, etc.)
  • Violating the age restriction or attempting to join under false identity

We reserve the right to remove or reject any participant or content that violates our values or makes our community feel unsafe.

Online Communication and Safeguarding

  • All communications between participants and mentors must occur through Discord.
    • Mentors must not contact U18 participants outside of the POWER UP! Discord Server leading up to and during the event.
  • All members of the POWER UP! Discord server must abide by Discord’s age policy applicable to their country of residence at all times.
  • All members of the POWER UP! Game Jam event and Discord must abide by our Rules and Conditions. Breaches may result in removal from the event, restriction of access to the Discord server, and further action where required, up to and including legal action.
  • Please do not share personally identifying information with other participants or mentors, such as:
    • Full legal name
    • For students, what school you go to
    • Home address
    • Personal phone number
    • Personal social media accounts

Mentor Code of Conduct

Mentors help create a welcoming, supportive and safe environment for everyone taking part in the game jam. To support this:

  • Keep all communication within the official POWER UP! Game Jam event Discord server.
  • Use group or public channels for mentoring and event-related discussions rather than private one-to-one conversations.
  • Keep interactions professional, respectful and focused on the game jam.
  • Maintain appropriate boundaries in your interactions with participants.
  • Be mindful of participants' privacy and do not request personal contact details or seek personal relationships with participants.
  • Communicate with U18 participants exclusively via the POWER UP! Discord server.
  • If you have a concern about a participant's wellbeing or safety, please contact the organisers via our contact page so we can provide appropriate support.

How We Handle Concerns

If you experience or witness any behaviour that makes you uncomfortable during the jam, please contact an organiser immediately via the Discord moderation team or through our Contact Page.

We take all reports seriously and will respond promptly.

Our Values & Affiliations

POWER UP! is an independent initiative. While we are not run by or affiliated with the New Zealand Game Developers Association (NZGDA), we align with and support the NZGDA Code of Conduct and its vision for a respectful, inclusive game development community.

We believe in uplifting underrepresented voices, fostering new talent, and building spaces where everyone can thrive.

 

Last updated: July 27, 2026