This is a casual jam for creating games that would fit in with the games released for the DOS operating system during the 80s and 90s. DOS-inspired utilities, zines about DOS games, and tabletop games inspired by games from that era are welcome too! This jam hopes to be a good opportunity to start creating games if you've never made one before. There's no voting in this game jam so feel free to experiment and try new things. If you're unsure what game engine to use, consider checking out this site

There is an optional theme relating to the end of the year. This can mean doing seasonal games (winter or summer themed depending on where you live), any games related to holidays you celebrate, or games about the end of the year. It's not required and is just available if you're having trouble thinking of ideas.

If you're looking for inspiration, consider checking out some of the games here or entries from the previous DOS August Jam, DOS Games Spring Jam, DOS Games Autumn Jam, 2021 End of the Year Jam, and original DOS Games Jam.

Here are some tools to help you in the game jam:

• PunyInform is a library written in Inform 6 which allows people to create text adventure games / interactive fiction to be played on 8-bit computers as well as newer platforms.
• LoveDOS - A framework for making 2D DOS games in Lua.
• dos-like is a programming library/framework, kind of like a tiny game engine, for writing games and programs with a similar feel to MS-DOS productions from the early 90s.
• Lantern Text-Adventure IDE lets devs create text adventures for retro computers in an approachable way
• DOjS is a JavaScript programming environment for systems running MS-DOS, FreeDOS or any DOS based Windows (like 95, 98, ME).
• jSH is a script interpreter for DOS based operating systems like MS-DOS, FreeDOS or any DOS based Windows (like 95, 98, ME).

If you have game development questions or just want to talk about DOS games in a welcoming and inclusive environment, consider joining the DOS Shareware Zone discord

RULES

• The submission should be inspired by PC games from the DOS era - It should somehow use the aesthetics of DOS games or be inspired by games from that era. Games can be for any platform. This jam is just a celebration of games from that era. Tabletop games inspired by DOS games, zines about DOS games, and applications inspired by DOS-utilities are welcome too.
• Any state of work is fair to submit - Games can be previously-published, starting from scratch, current works-in-progress, etc.
• Games in any language are fine to submit.
• You can submit any number of games.
• Games created for the jam can be at any price point - Games created for jams are often free but if you feel like charging for your game, go for it!
• Include content warnings on the game's page if your game includes any material that could be considered adult or sensitive.
• Bigoted content of any kind is not allowed and will be removed from the jam.

This game is hosted by the DOS Shareware Zone discord community. If you have any questions, feel free to ask in there or on the discussion group for the jam on Itch.