Inspired by the desire to shake off the dust and get back into some good old tabletop game design, Darling Bat Games presents the (No) Strings Attached Game Jam.

What does “(no) strings attached” mean?

“(No) strings attached” could mean lots of things; that’s why we chose it! Maybe it’s about leaving behind old relationships; making fae bargains; puppets cutting their strings; or maybe even spiders getting divorced. It could be about finding new connections; starting over without baggage; fierce competition at a knitting contest; or kites on a windy beach tangling people together. Or it could be none of those things.

All of that is to say that the theme is open to broad interpretation, and you should go wherever you’re inspired to go with it!

What can I submit?

1. Submissions should be original works created specifically for this jam. Preexisting works will be rejected.
2. While this jam is meant to encourage the creation of tabletop rpgs (“physical games,” in itch.io’s terms), other types of work are allowed, such as: game supplements, playbooks, video games, essays, interactive fiction, etc.
3. AI generated assets are not permitted. Submissions that are suspected of containing AI generated assets will be reviewed and potentially removed from the jam.
4. Mature content (18+, sexual content, gore) is allowed but should be content warned as appropriate.

Will jam submissions be judged? Will there be a winner?

Nope! Use this jam as an external motivator to explore and make something that interests you.

Can I charge for my work?

You are welcome to charge for any work created for this jam. Keep in mind that if you are creating a supplement for a preexisting game, there may be licensing/derivative creation rules you need to follow, depending on the game.

Thank you to Christie R Fremon for suggesting the theme!