Welcome to the Tabletop Train Jam 2025! We're back for a second year, because people asked for it! Just like last year, your goal is to write an analog game about trains, or that is train-related in some way.
SOME QUESTIONS & SOME ANSWERS
Q: What kind of game should I make?
A: Please make an analog tabletop game or piece of game content. That definition can stretch to include a lot of things, like ttrpgs, board games, card games, zines, LARP (live action role play) elements, modules for existing games, hacks of games, a ruleset for adding trains to a game, rolling tables about trains... You can also just write your own game, using your own rules or the SRD (system reference document) of your choosing. Take a look at last year's entries if you're feeling stuck!
Q: How much do I need to understand about trains?
A: Nothing at all. There is no need to get into the complicated workings of trains. You could be simple and whimsical. You could get really niche and specific. You can draw inspired by a movie train, even if that movie train is deeply unrealistic.
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, roller coasters, train control buildings, a game you play on a train... I could keep going but I think you get the idea.
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. You're also welcome 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 link expires from time to time so let me know if you need a new one!)
Q: Is there a prize?
A: This is an unranked, non-competitive jam. Make something and don't stress! However, if you'd like to participate in the Train Bundle, you're welcome to opt in - more on that below!
Q: Where'd you get that cover image?
A: It's an old (1885) print available in the Public Domain via the Library of Congress: "Zig-zag passenger and freight train" by Forbes Albertype Co., Printmaker.
Q: Where can I find cool train images?
A: If you need public domain train images, check out the Library of Congress "Ride the Rails" collection, which is a free-to-use image repository. You'll recognize the jam art in there! You may want to browse around other LoC Free-to-Use collections, too.
THE RULES
1. Write an analog/physical tabletop role playing game. No video games, please!
2. No hate speech, bigotry, or racism will be tolerated. No room for that here.
3. No generative AI content is allowed in this jam. No exceptions. Please be careful when using sites like Canva, which can be filled with AI generated artwork.
4. You can charge for your games if you want. I actually encourage it! However, please consider making copies available during the jam for fellow participants, whether it's community copies or sharing a file in the Tabletop Train Jam 2025 channel of the TTRPG Collective discord. At the very least, please share a copy with me so I can verify it follows the rules.
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 fine to finish a previously-started WIP or create an expansion/addition to something pre-existing, but if you're updating an existing game, please make it clear what the update is, or reach out to me and explain it.
THE #TABLETOPTRAINJAM BUNDLE
Last year, a lot of folks requested a bundle of the games from the jam. This year, I'm going to deliver! After the jam ends, I will create a bundle with any games from the 2025 jam that opt in. You will have to provide an email and/or an alternate way to get in touch with you to be included in the bundle. The way Itch bundles are created, every single game designer whose games are included in a bundle has to approve their submission before the bundle can go live. Having a way to get in touch with everyone who opted in helps me to ensure the bundle process goes smoothly.
For this bundle, we're going to donate 50% of the total proceeds to charity, and split the other 50% of the proceeds between designers. (If you would rather donate your split to the charity, you can let me know when you submit your game!) I am working on connecting with a charity that relates to the complicated history of railroads in the United States; I'll hopefully be ready to announce it before the jam begins, but will definitely announce it before the jam ends.
The designer revenue will be split evenly between all of the participants - it will NOT scale based on how many games you submit. So if you submit 1 game or 3, you will still get an equal split of the bundle profits.
This will be my first time organizing a bundle, so please be patient with me! I'm hoping collecting contact information will make the whole process more smooth.
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. The advent of railroads across the country also impacted indigenous populations.
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. I will continue to try to expand this section as we go along.
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