RootJam is back for 2025! Create a fan faction for Root within two weeks and help raise cash for Doctors Without Borders.

Donate here: https://events.doctorswithoutborders.org/campaign/RootJam-2025

Guide to Submitting: Itch.io Guide to Submit

Designers will have two weeks to design a new fan faction for Root from scratch. Then, on May 15th at 7:00 PM UTC, submissions will close and voting will begin! Members of the Woodland Warriors discord can vote on factions and leave feedback for creators directly on their submissions. Voting ends on May 29th, with the winners being announced on May 31st. 1st place will receive a $50 gift card to the Leder Games webstore! We’re also raising money for Doctors Without Borders. In addition to direct donations, you can also help by participating in the jam!

1. For every valid submission, I will put in $10 to the donation pool (up to $250).
2. For every faction that gets 10 or more votes, I will put in $10 to the donation pool (up to another $250, for a total of $500).
3. Patrick Leder of Leder Games is once again matching my donations! His gracious support throughout the years has been always appreciated - thank you again for everything!

100% of all money raised will go to Doctors Without Borders. For more info on the charity, check out www.doctorswithoutborders.org.

This year's theme is....

THE SWARM! 

What does it mean to swarm? 
Do you make a faction with a ton of warriors? Tokens? Cards? And how much is a "ton"? Maybe add 100 pieces, just in case!
Do they invade the entire board, or just swamp a single clearing into submission?
Do they tear up everything in their path like locust? Are they a hivemind in sync? Are they weak by themselves and get stronger when together? Or do you lose control when there's too many?
Your imagination is the limit - Good luck!

Here’s the rules for creation and submission:

1. Your submission will need a player board, with the setup and component list on the back, and any tokens or buildings players may need to play. It should be in a PDF or a file format that's easy to print. A “Law of Root” rule page or TTS mod are not required, although a rule page is recommended if your faction is complex. Make sure to upload your board as a screenshot for your entry!
2. You’ll have to create a itch.io account to submit and vote! You can register here: https://itch.io/register.
3. When uploading your faction, make sure to set Pricing to “No Payments”! Submissions with either a paywall or a prompt for optional payment will be disqualified.
4. You can participate solo, or with a co-designer. Your prize will be split into two gift cards for each person. In addition, feel free to use as many playtesters as you want to help. 
5. You can choose not to have art, create your own art for your fan faction, or may use art from either Leder Games or royalty free images. You must credit any source for art that isn’t your own.
6. Submissions must be original and your own! You cannot start on your faction design before the contest starts, nor can you submit a faction created before the contest. Please do not ask me what the theme is prior to May 1st! 

If you have any concerns or questions, please contact me at spshaman on Discord. Below are some links to good resources to help you create fan factions -

Vuoripeikko on the Woodland Warriors discord has created this template for fan faction creators: https://www.dropbox.com/s/n2oi43e5unpmd1d/Root%20Assets.zip?dl=0

St0l3n_ID has also created some assets for fan factions: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1nWp2XZQjZXZSN4HbzDscP3gtPTEvwhIs

I’ve created a very basic guide on how to make easy print and play kits here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1D-hqSnAo1JeL0nPjGAXLSvaFpYh12M98SoJC-t8GhJE/edit?usp=sharing

Fonts used on boards are Baskerville 10 Pro and Luminari.