Elevator pitch

A two stage jam where we all design TTRPGs that build on each others' entries.

The first stage of the jam has already generated 36 short seed games that YOU can build on to create a brand new game.

You can take the game and extend it, redesign it, hack it, reskin it, combine it with another seed game - anything you like.

Hopefully we'll get some cool cross-pollination of ideas.

Full pitch and jam rules

I love collaboration jams. Love love love them. But they can be a bit hit and miss because you're reliant on someone else to stay committed, and it can be a bit random who you get paired with.

So! This jam is to try a different way of doing this. You get to choose which game you're going to build on, and then hack, redesign or extend it without the admin faff of directly collaborating with the designer (though you can do that if you both wish to).

You'll each create one seed game of 500 words or less and submit them by 22 November. This is stage 1 of the jam. 

Once that has happened,  anyone is free to pick up one of the seed games and build on it, by the stage 2 deadline of 31 December 7 January. (I will update the jam deadline once the stage 1 entries are in; I've set it to 22 November initially to make sure nobody thinks they can enter stage 1 later on.)

Stage 2 entries can use the stage 1 entries in any way you like: hack them, reskin them, use them for inspiration, combine them, produce a game that reacts to them.

By submitting to stage 1, you're agreeing to let anyone else submit a stage 2 entry that incorporates your stage 1 entry as long as they credit you, including:

• Directly copying your wording
• Amending or recontextualising your wording 
• Using your mechanics or ideas with their own wording
• Offering any of the above as a paid-for product, if they wish to

Note: anyone who submits to stage 2 but breaches the rules of the jam  may not take advantage of the above agreement. In particular we will take down any entry that promotes fascism, racism or other bigotry, so you are not agreeing to let anyone use your words in such a game.

Your stage 1 seed idea may not get picked up. Don't be upset if nobody uses it.  You retain ownership of your stage 1 seed game and can build on it yourself within or outside the jam if you want to.

Feel free to discuss stage 2 ideas with the stage 1 author(s) whose work you are building on but this is not required. The whole point of the jam is to enable a form of collaboration that doesn't require lots of discussion and risks a failed project if one party drops out.

There are some other rules to be aware of:

• Entries must be TTRPGs.
• You don't have to have taken part in stage 1 to take part in stage 2.
• It's allowed for more than once person to build on the same stage 1 seed game.
• It's allowed to combine multiple seed games if you want, or submit multiple entries based on the same or different seeds.
• No racism or other bigotry, no fascism.
• No intentionally parodying another person's entry, including the stage 1 entry.
• You can set a price for your entries as you wish, but bear in mind that charging for your stage 1 game makes it less likely that others will build on it in stage 2.
• Be excellent to each other!

FAQ

Q: What the heck is a seed game?

It is whatever you want it to be! You could create a set of mechanics, an inspiring setting, a complete self-contained game, or something else entirely. Anything you can do in 500 words or less is legit. Your aim is (probably?) to inspire people to build on it, so have that in mind.