Welcome to TM/F Jam!

This jam exists to encourage creators to make more games and stories that feature romantic relationships (or situations) between a trans man and a woman. This is an unranked jam but there are prizes!

Banner art by me, Unicorn.

Background art by kingpains.

Themes

Two themes will be announced shortly before the jam begins. These themes are optional for jam submission but there will be a prize pool for themed submissions. You may choose to implement one theme or both (or neither). Interpret these themes however you like!

Theme 1 - To be announced

Theme 2 - To be announced

Prizes

Prizes below will be awarded to themed submissions only.

$100 USD - Host favourite

$50 USD - Runner up

There may be additional prizes at the host's discretion.

Prize amounts shown are before fees are applied so you may receive a lower amount.

The jam host may participate in the jam but will not claim a prize.

Rules

• Your project must contain at least one relationship between a trans man and a woman that is romantic in nature, but it does not have to be about being trans or romance.
• Characters in the pairing must be major characters.
• Your trans character must be acknowledged in game/story even if it's subtle.
• You may start working on your project before the jam as long as you publish your project during the submission period.
• You may not promote or endorse transphobia or any other forms of bigotry. Stories about bigotry are okay, though be sure to use appropriate content warnings.
• Your project page must have at least one file (a html file for a browser build counts) and 3 screenshots uploaded.

What is allowed:

• Completed projects, unfinished works, prototypes and demos.
• Original, premade or public assets.
• Submitting one or more projects.
• Solo or team submissions.
• Mono and poly characters and relationships.
• Hetero and queer identities.
• Characters who are in a romantic relationship as well as characters who are romantically attracted to each other but not officially in a romantic relationship.
• Games as well as projects that are not games like comics, novels, animation etc.
• Submission to other jams.
• See Q&A below for more.

Making a visual novel? Join the DevTalk server for VN devs!

Q&A

Do I have to be trans to participate?

Anyone is welcome and encouraged to participate as long as your game follows the rules.

Are non-binary characters allowed in the TM/F pairing?

If you think it fits, go ahead! It's up to you to decide whether it's appropriate as I understand that not everything is so, well, binary.

Is AI allowed?

AI generated assets are strictly not allowed even if they are edited. This includes writing, music, art and anything else that goes into your game. Do not vibe code either.

What about using AI to help debug code, auto complete or polishing wording?

You won't be disqualified from this jam but I recommend exercising your brain cells and problem solving muscles.

Is NSFW allowed?

18+ NSFW is not allowed but you may link to a NSFW version or patch on your project page.

Are paid projects allowed?

Yes, but you must 1) provide a free demo/sample on your project page and 2) submit a download key using this form.

How will I receive my prize?

Prizes are going to be distributed via itch, so if you're releasing a free game be sure to make it pay what you want.

Otherwise, alternate methods using PayPal or Wise may be arranged.

Why create this jam when trans rep jam and transhet jam exists?

A common sentiment I see in some trans spaces is that there aren't that many stories about trans men in general, and there are even less about trans men in relationships with women. This jam is meant to encourage people to create more content in this particularly underrepresented area. I still recommend checking out and supporting these other trans-related jams!

What if I'm making an otome game where there are multiple romanceable characters and only one of them is a trans man?

That's more than welcome as long as the trans character option isn't a minor or hidden route.