DevJam
What are DevJams?
DevJams are a regular series of developer events managed by the DevQuest team. Jams typically run every calendar quarter (3 months), and participants earn points toward site badge awards by creating sets in each event. These events operate in a similar manner to console rollouts but can focus on one or more consoles.
There are 2 types of DevJams:
- Standard Jams feature supported consoles that never received a rollout nor appeared in a previous Jam.
- Catch-up Jams feature a mixture of consoles that appeared in previous Jams.
Playjam
Each DevJam has a sister event called PlayJam that runs concurrently. A PlayJam features the sets released from the previous quarter’s DevJam event.
Goals
The primary goal of DevJam events is to create and simultaneously release a bunch of sets for consoles that need more developer attention. In addition to this goal, there are 2 types of secondary goals unique to each Jam that jammers can work toward as a group:
- General goals are simple objectives without a specific game list.
- Special goals ⭐ each have a specific list of games. Completing these goals requires sets being available for every game in the list when the Jam launches.
General Rules
- DevJams are not available for junior developers.
- Participation currently requires being active in the RetroAchievements Discord server.
- Participating jammers are developers who receive credit for at least one set in a particular DevJam.
- Only new sets for the consoles listed in a DevJam qualify for credit.
- Sets must be both locked in and signed off to qualify for credit.
- Releasing a set before the DevJam’s launch date and time will disqualify the set.
- Sets that you started developing before a DevJam begins qualify for credit as long as those sets remain unreleased prior to the Jam’s launch date.
- Sets submitted for DevJam credit are permitted to double-dip for credit with DevQuests and other events as long as those other events allow it.
How to Participate
- Sign up and stay informed
- Request the jammer role in the DevJam “Discussion” Discord channel.
- Watch the DevJam Discord channels for announcements, discussion, and to see which games and sets are being locked in and signed off by other jammers.
- Look at the DevJam sheet to see secondary goals unique to the current Jam and group progress toward completing them.
- Develop sets
- Claim a game lacking a set for one of the consoles in the current Jam.
- Lock in: Post your intention to lock in your claim toward the Jam in the DevJam “Lock Ins and Sign Offs” Discord channel. You can lock in multiple games at once, but you only get one free special claim slot for a lock in at a time.
- Develop the set, but do not release it! The achievements must remain unpromoted and the claim incomplete until the DevJam launch.
- Sign off: When you have finished developing your set, post that you are signing off the set in the DevJam “Lock Ins and Sign Offs” Discord channel using an unpublished achievements link for the set to confirm the set is ready to be released. You will then be eligible for a free special claim for another lock in.
- Repeat the above process for any other games and sets you wish to contribute to the DevJam.
- Launch all sets for the Jam as a group
- All of the sets created for the event are released at the same time at the event’s conclusion at a predetermined launch date and time. You will complete claims and post in the “Achievement News” Discord channel for all of your Jam sets at this time like you would for any normal set.
- If you are unable to promote and publish your set at the Jam’s launch date and time, that's okay! Post in the DevJam “Promotion Permission” Discord channel if you expect this to be the case, and the DevQuest team will work with you to make sure your set(s) still qualify for the event.
- Receive event badges when you earn enough qualifying points!
Special Claims
DevJam uses special claims for jammers so that sets involved will not count against a developer's primary claim total while waiting for a Jam’s launch day. All sets signed off and one set locked in will be marked as special claims. Early and existing claims toward a Jam won't be marked as a special claim until the start of a DevJam. If a set isn't completed in time for a Jam’s launch, the set will revert to a primary claim. See the Special Claims rules for more detailed information.
The Point System
The cumulative total points that a developer earns over the course of all DevJams are called qualifying points. Qualifying points are tallied toward earning DevJam badges.
Points can be obtained in 3 ways during each DevJam:
- Individual jammers earn points for each set they sign off and publish on launch day. Point values for set types may vary with each Jam depending on the console(s) active.
- All participating jammers earn bonus points for each general goal completed.
- Jammers who contribute at least one set to a completed special goal receive catch-up points for that goal.
The maximum points you may earn for each Jam has a limit (usually 6). This cap affects points received from sets and general goals (bonus points). If a jammer has excess catch-up points beyond this cap, those extra catch-up points are converted directly into qualifying points as long as the jammer hasn't reached the qualifying point limit.
Total qualifying points are limited to the sum of point caps across all completed Standard DevJams. This limit to qualifying points will increase with each Standard DevJam until all 4 DevJam badges are available to earn. Catch-up Jams do not increase the qualifying point limit.
Late Submissions
Late submissions are considered sets released for a Jam at least 24 hours after a Jam’s launch day but before the start of the next Jam. Sets are ineligible for credit for a previous Jam once the next Jam begins. Starting with Volume 3, late submissions are worth 1 less point than the set would earn otherwise, and these submissions are not eligible for bonus points or catch-up points. Check the individual Jam page for normal set point values.
Badges
The event badges consist of 24 achievements each with these achievements representing the 24 qualifying points required for each badge. Badges are awarded to jammers in ascending order starting from DevJam Vol. 1.
| Badge | Name | Qualifying Points Required | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|
 | DevJam Vol. 1 | 24 | 2024-08-31 |
 | DevJam Vol. 2 | 48 | 2025-09-30 |
 | DevJam Vol. 3 | 72 | TBD |
 | DevJam Vol. 4 | 96 | TBD |
Schedule
Each volume of DevJams consists of 4 Standard Jams. Starting with Volume 2, we also feature Catch-up Jams for interludes. Check the links below for more info for each individual Jam.
| Number | Type | Console(s) | Number of Participants | Sets Promoted | Event Period |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Volume 1 | |||||
| DJ01 | Standard | Sega SG-1000 | 30 | 60 | 2023-07-01 - 2023-09-30 |
| DJ02 | Standard | Sega Saturn | 28 | 56 | 2023-10-01 - 2024-01-31 |
| DJ03 | Standard | PC Engine / PC Engine CD | 28 | 60 | 2024-02-01 - 2024-04-30 |
| DJ04 | Standard | Arcade | 33 | 80 | 2024-05-01 - 2024-08-31 |
| Volume 2 | |||||
| DJ05 | Standard | PC-8001 / PC-8801 | 25 | 40 | 2024-09-01 - 2024-11-30 |
| DJ06 | Standard | Apple II | 20 | 40 | 2024-12-01 - 2025-03-16 |
| DJ07 | Standard | Sega CD / 32X | 27 | 40 | 2025-04-01 - 2025-06-30 |
| DJ08 | Standard | MSX | 26 | 79 | 2025-07-01 - 2025-09-30 |
| DJ09 | Catch-up | Consoles from Volumes 1-2 | 18 | 40 | 2026-02-01 - 2026-04-30 |
| Volume 3 | |||||
| DJ10 | Standard | Game Gear / Master System | 36 | 76 | 2026-05-01 - 2026-07-31 |
| DJ11 | Standard | Famicom Disk System | ?? | ?? | 2026-08-01 - 2026-10-31 |
| DJ12 | Catch-up | Consoles from Volume 1 | ?? | ?? | TBD |
| DJ13 | Standard | TBD | ?? | ?? | TBD |
| DJ14 | Standard | TBD | ?? | ?? | TBD |
| DJ15 | Catch-up | Consoles from Volume 3 | ?? | ?? | TBD |
| Volume 4 | |||||
| DJ16 | Standard | TBD | ?? | ?? | TBD |
| DJ17 | Standard | TBD | ?? | ?? | TBD |
| DJ18 | Catch-up | Consoles from Volume 2 | ?? | ?? | TBD |
| DJ19 | Standard | TBD | ?? | ?? | TBD |
| DJ20 | Standard | The Magnificent Seven | ?? | ?? | TBD |
| DJ21 | Catch-up | Consoles from Volume 4 | ?? | ?? | TBD |
Standard DevJams
Shortly before a new Standard DevJam begins, the console(s) for it are determined randomly by a wheel spin. After the spin is complete and the result announced, the slots for the winning console(s) are removed from the wheel while every other slot remains.
Each participant of a Jam who reaches the point cap is allowed to make a selection from the solo or multi-console lists below. Each of these selections is then added as a slot to the wheel. Developers may choose the same selection over multiple Jams if they wish to add more slots for that selection and increase its odds of winning in a future wheel spin.
Solo Consoles:
- 3DO
- Nintendo DS
Multi-Consoles:
- Neo Geo Pocket | WonderSwan | Atari Lynx
- Atari 2600 | Atari 7800 | Atari Jaguar
- ColecoVision | Intellivision
Final Standard DevJam (cannot be selected for the wheel):
- "The Magnificent Seven" (Mega Drive, Nintendo 64, SNES, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color, NES)