The Gender Bender Jam is a casual annual jam to create gender bender, TG, TF, TSM and TSF games and media.
While we expect most of the submissions to be visual novels or narrative-driven games, any form of media is allowed provided it fits the genre.
So go make that romance visual novel, platformer with a genderbent main character, manga with a transgender protagonist or roguelike where swapping genders grants different abilities… all genres are welcome.
What is Gender Bender?
Gender Bender is a trope and genre where a character temporarily or permanently changes their gender, cross-dresses, or presents as a gender other than the one they were assigned at birth.
Screenshot of re:Dreamer, a gender bender visual novel about a college freshman who accidentally turns himself into a sexy and voluptuous young woman when he downloads a phone game.
In most Gender Bender stories, the physical, social or magical transformation of gender is the primary plot device that drives the story forward.
The genre generally splits into three main storytelling approaches:
- A character literally changes sex due to a curse, magic, an alien intervention, or futuristic technology. A classic example is Ranma ½, where splashing cold water turns the protagonist into a girl and hot water turns him back.
- Two characters of different genders swap bodies completely, forcing them to navigate each other's lives. The most famous global example of this is Makoto Shinkai's film Your Name.
- A character physically stays the same but disguises themselves as another gender to achieve a specific goal. This is often driven by survival, family honour, or getting into a specific school (e.g., Ouran High School Host Club, Mulan or Hana Kimi).
Examples of Gender Bender/TG/TF/TSF Games
Rules
- Submissions are done through itch.io (upload first, then link your project to the game jam page).
- You can begin creating your submission at any time, but the bulk of the work should be for this jam.
- Major updates to existing games (eg. new chapter of vertical slice) are allowed.
- Solo developers and teams of any size are welcome. Feel free to look for team mates in the Community tab!
- Any game engine can be used. Visual Novels, Interactive Fiction, comics, platformers, etc., are all allowed. Web-playable builds are highly recommended.
- Any art and audio assets can be used, provided you have the legal right to use them.
- Generative AI art and audio assets are not allowed.
- NSFW Content is allowed, but you must tag your game as Adult Content on itch.io.
- Transgender, non-binary and genderfluid themes are welcome and encouraged, but not a necessity for your game to be considered "Gender Bender." All interpretations of the theme (magical swaps, cross-dressing, body swaps) are valid.
