Welcome to the Tabletop Train Jam, a game jam that started as a joke but got very real. Write an analog game about trains! It can be short, it can be long. It can be solo, duet, or for a group. It can be about contemporary trains, historical trains, toy trains, magical trains, or even imaginary trains!
RULES
1. Write an analog/physical tabletop role playing game. I’m talking about the “physical games” category on itch, not the “video games” category. Zines, board games, card games, LARP (live action role play) elements, are all fine. Modules for existing games, hacks of games, a ruleset for adding trains to a game, live your best life! It’s OK if your “physical” game can be played online, it still counts.
2. No hate speech, bigotry, or racism will be tolerated. If your game violates this rule, it will be removed from the jam.
3. No generative AI content is allowed in this jam. No exceptions.
4. You can charge for your games if you want. However, please consider making copies available during the jam. You could offer community copies, or share a file in the Tabletop Train Jam channel of the TTRPG Collective discord, or make it available in some other way!
5. Simultaneous submissions to other jams are OK as long as your game genuinely suits the themes of each jam you’re submitting to, and you’re not spamming.
6. New projects only! Create something new rather than re-submitting something old. It’s totally fine to finish a previously-started WIP or create a brand-new addition to something pre-existing.
FAQ & COMMUNITY
Q: I don’t know a lot about trains, can I still enter?
A: Absolutely! There is no need to get into the complicated workings of trains, you can keep it as simple and whimsical as you want. You can get really niche and specific about the trains you are familiar with. You can get inspired by a movie train, even if that movie train is deeply unrealistic. This isn't a test and I'm not going to be fact checking to see if you know everything about trains.
Q: Can I make something that is train-adjacent?
A: Sure! If it’s train-related, it can work for this jam! You could make a game about train stations, train conductors or crew, passengers, subways, train tunnels and bridges, train tracks, areas where trains are, model railroads, trollies, toy trains, train signals, train control buildings... I could keep going but I think you get the idea.
Q: Does it have to be realistic?
Absolutely not. Space trains? Fantasy trains? Scary trains? Surprise me!
Q: I have a question, where should I ask it?
A: I will be available to answer any questions you have here on the jam page's Community tab. However, you're also welcome and encouraged to join the TTRPG Collective discord server! There will be a thread there for you to ask questions about this jam, discuss your progress, chat with others who are participating, and generally have fun! The TTRPG Collective is a wonderful community of awesome people, and even outside of the jam it's a welcoming and inclusive space.
Q: Is there a prize:
Nah. This is an unranked, non-competitive jam for funsies. Make something and don't stress! But if you really want a prize, I will make you a participation trophy certificate.
Q: Where'd you get that cover image?
A: It's a public domain image of Wellington Harbor by an unknown artist.
THE HISTORY OF RAILROADS IN THE UNITED STATES
Trains are my favorite vehicle, and they are beloved by many. I am a huge fan of accessible public transportation. However, I also want to acknowledge the unpleasant but very-real history of trains in the United States. Pre Civil War, train tracks in the southern United States were built almost entirely using the labor of enslaved people. Even during and post Civil War, cheap labor using incarcerated African American people was used to the same effect nationwide. Many Chinese immigrants were underpaid to build train tracks on the west coast.
When developing entries for this jam, please be respectful and mindful of this history, and of the history of any real railroad you're looking into. While making games about trains of the past is fine, please be thoughtful when navigating this period of history. Ask yourself: Is the story you're telling helpful or harmful? Are you the right voice to tell a story about a specific aspect of railroad history?
I have included some links to further reading if you'd like to learn more about the history of railroads in the United States.
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