Hi, I had a look at the comments for the game jam examples and some entries have been excluded because they didn’t include the game file. Others who have not (yet) been excluded uploaded the exported version instead.
I think a lot of entries were from first time itch uploaders who may not be familiar with the process which is why the GD video explaining how to export a project and upload it to itch was so helpful. It was clear and detailed, but it didn’t mention what to do about including the game file.
Maybe what to include and how to include it seemed obvious to the organisers, but I don’t think it was to everyone. It certainly wasn’t to me and while I did eventually figure it out, I had the time to do so.
I have to say that the itch upload submission page is a mess, it’s hard to make any sense of it especially for people who have worked hard on their game and then might not have a lot of time, brain function or energy left for navigating the final step of uploading the addtional game file.
So I hope that you don’t penalise the people who did not meet the requirements either because they submitted no file or the wrong one. It would be a nice gesture if you give them a chance to be part of the jam by letting them upload their game file afterwards.