Games culture moves fast. It is quick to forget, quick to move on from last week's release, quick to discard anything which can't be canonized as "essential." Games are lost, storefronts close down, cartridges and consoles find their way into landfills with only the crude scratch of a sharpie reminding us that someone once cared about them.

This jam is a chance to remember those games that meant something to you but that never broke through to a larger audience. This could be something you played as a kid, a budget title pushed out without fanfare, import-only games that never got a global release - any game that didn't receive the critical recognition you feel it deserves. There are no hard rules on what constitutes a "forgotten" game, so pick one that matters to you that you've been waiting for others to notice.

This is an essay jam, but if you feel compelled to experiment with other formats (Twine, video, music, whatever works for your topic) go for it. The only loose rule is that what you create is about a forgotten game(s). How you interpret that is up to you.

There are no prizes or rankings for this jam, but I will host an informal post-jam chat for anyone who wants to talk about their entry. Join the KRITIQAL Discord to share about your piece and (theoretically) collaborate with other participants.

JAM DATES

Entries accepted from September 1st-September 31st. Feel free to figure out what game(s) you're writing about ahead of time. I'm not a cop and don't really care if you start working on your piece early or finish it late, but hopefully having a deadline helps provide some structure.

SHORT LIST VERSION

• Pick a game that hasn't been talked about much and is old enough to have been forgotten.
• Write/create something about that game.
• Put that thing you made on itch so we can check it out (the essay doesn't have to live on itch, but it needs an itch page to be submitted).

OTHER THINGS

• Join the KRITIQAL Discord and talk about your process.
• Join the post-jam call and share about your entry (date forthcoming).
• Tell your friends/family/union to join the jam.
• Remember to drink water and sleep and be kind to yourself.