We're talking adventure game dungeons filled with OSR-style puzzles and challenges.
At the end of the jam, I'll highlight some of my favorite submissions and publicize them during the crowdfunding campaign for A Familiar Tower during Zine Month in February 2026.
Once or twice during the jam, I will give public feedback on early submissions. The feedback will be professional criticism you might receive from any peer. The goal is not to bash entries, it's to help everyone produce the best adventures they can. Submissions will be reviewed in the order they were received and you can update them at any time.
Format: Submissions must be in PDF format. The maximum space your adventure can take up is 4 full size sheets (A4 or Letter) formatted however you'd like. So double-sided is 8 pages or 16 half pages (A5 or 8.5"x5.5"). Covers are optional, but any included must fit within these bounds.
System: You may use whatever ruleset you'd like or make your module system agnostic.
Price: Ensure your submission is set as "Free to download" or "Pay what you want" on your itch.io page. Once the jam has ended, you may change the cost of your adventure to whatever you'd like.
No AI content of any kind is allowed.
This stuff is all optional. Use whatever inspires you and helps you create.
Community
- Zine Month discord server - Instead of creating a new discord for this jam, I want to direct folks to this creator-focused server which is active all year round. This is a great place to connect with contributors and ask all your zine and adventure creating questions. I'll also be there for advice if you need me.
Theory
- Overview of OSR-style puzzles
- Puzzle Dungeon Design: Themes & Gimmicks
- How to run a puzzle dungeon
- The Legend of Zelda puzzle box dungeons
Procedure
Art
- Gordy's Public Domain Fantasy Art Pack 3 - This is where the jam itch page assets are from!
- More of Gordy's work (also CC0) available on their itch page
- New School Revolution Public Domain Art curated selection