GENERAL INFO // CODE OF CONDUCT
Last updated: August 1, 2025
Website: powerupjam.com
General Information
What Is A Game Jam?
A game jam is a fun, fast-paced event where people come together to create games around a shared theme within a specific time limit. The games can be digital or physical, and depending on the event guidelines, made from scratch or using pre-existing assets.
What Is POWER UP! Game Jam And Who Is It For?
POWER UP! Game Jam is an event dedicated to empowering women interested in making games and supporting career opportunities in the game industry.
POWER UP! Game Jam is a chance to make games! Our game jam is all about women coming together to create tabletop and digital games in international teams in a genuine and authentic environment.
The event is for:
- women who are curious about tech, games and trying new things.
- women trying to find their way into the game industry
- women already established in game development
- women who want to create games as a hobby
The game jammers will time over 4 days, including sleep, to create something new, creative, weird, experimental or personal. The goal is to try things out, connect with others, and enjoy making something playable by the end of the jam. Before the game jam event weekend there will be webinars and workshops providing an introduction and deeper insight into game development. During the game jam mentors will share their expertise to empower the participants in making their games.
POWER UP! Game Jam offers a creative space for networking, skill-building, and international collaboration by welcoming both aspiring newcomers and established professionals.
Who Can Join?
- POWERUP is open to women, as well as non-binary people who are comfortable being part of a women-focused community.
- Women aged 18 years or older. The event is strictly R18.
- Women of all skill levels and from any industry are welcome.
- Game Jammers can participate from any country.
- Women can join as an individual, with a team or assemble one through our Discord server.
How It Works
- POWER UP! is a free-to-join event for all participants.
- The game jam is fully online. All communications and updates will happen via the POWER UP! Discord server. Jammers will get access to it after registering.
- All participants must register before the event.
- Registered game jammers will get access to webinars, workshops 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.
- 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
- 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 jammers.
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.
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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
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 and discreetly.
Intellectual Property
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
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.
