Are you just starting out with game development or are you already an experienced game developer? Do you want to create a horror game? Are you looking for a game jam to motivate you to finally finish something? Are you willing to follow a certain theme, in order to find inspiration and maybe try something else you wouldn't normally consider? Whether you plan to make a serious, dark horror masterpiece or a B-movie style game about typical horror movie protagonists going into spooky places where no sane man would ever dare to tread, this game jam is for you! Hopefully, at the end of the game jam you will have something playable you can be proud of!

Discord: Here's the link to the Discord server!

Theme: For this game jam, you will have to select one of the five Themes.

You need to incorporate your chosen Theme into your game in some way and before you submit it, you will need to write atleast 1 short sentence about how your game fits your chosen Theme. It's completely up to you how you interpret the theme. Feel free to be creative with it.

Bonus Challenges: Unlike the Theme, these are entirely optional. Feel free to do one, two, all of them or ignore them completely. Each Theme will have three bonus challenges associated with it.

*Themes and Bonus Challenges associated with the Themes have been revealed!*

Theme 1: Witching Hour

Bonus Challenges:

1 - Witchcraft: The player character is able to cast spells and/or perform magical rituals.

2 - Familiar: The player character is assisted by some kind of magical being who helps out the player in some way (for example it could fight alongside the player, be used in puzzles, used to distract enemies, provide helpful advice, act as a save-point/restore HP etc.)

3 - Not What It Seems: One thing in the game that seems to be dangerous turns out to be harmless. And one thing in the game that seemed to be harmless will turn out to be truly dangerous.

Theme 2: The Grim Aftermath

Bonus Challenges:

1 - Post-Apocalypse: The game has a post-apocalyptic setting.

2 - Journal: The game features some kind of journal that is continuously updated over the course of the game.

3 - Fight To Survive: The game includes some kind of combat mechanics.

Theme 3: Hope Dies Last

Bonus Challenges:

1 - Race Against Time: There's a time limit to finish the game.

2 - Don't Give Up!: The player periodically receives messages in the game encouraging them to keep on going (for example whenever they fail at a task, get a game over etc.)

3 - Hourglass: The game features an hourglass in some way.

Theme 4: Killer In The Darkness

Bonus Challenges:

1 - Mundane Horror: There are no overtly supernatural elements in the game.

2 - Blackout: The game includes a scene where a brightly lit area is suddenly plunged into darkness.

3 - Hide Under The Bed: The game features a stealth system with hiding places.

Theme 5: Seeking Freedom

Bonus Challenges:

1 - Chains That Bind You: The player character spends the majority of the game physically restrained/impaired in some way.

2 - Choose Wisely: The player has to make a difficult choice at some point in the game.

3 - Walls Are Closing In: There's a scene in the game where the surrounding environment starts closing in on the player character, threatening to crush them.

Rules:

- You can only start working on the actual game project after the submission period starts, but you can start planning and creating/gathering assets and other resources before that time.

- There's no restriction on the Engine, Libraries or Framework you can use to develop your game. Feel free to use Godot, Unity, Unreal Engine, Game Maker Studio, Construct, Pixel Game Maker, Adventure Game Studio, RPG Maker or anything else you want.

- Your game must be a horror game, or atleast have horror elements. It doesn't have to be outright scary, so long as it can even remotely be considered one.

- You can use premade assets, so long as you have the rights/license to use them, abide by their Terms of Use and give credit.

- Your game must incorporate your chosen Theme in some way.

- Abide by itch.io's Terms of Service.

- Provide content warnings for your game if needed. This includes marking the game as Adult Content if it's necessary.

- Suggestions: Try to include a Browser version of your game if you can. It's not a requirement and you don't have to do so, but you will get a lot more people to play your game if it can be played in a browser.