Creating a game entirely from scratch is a challenging but exciting endeavor. Here's a simplified outline of how you might go about it:

1. Conceptualization: Start by brainstorming ideas for your game. What genre will it be? What will the core gameplay mechanics be? What's the story or objective? Consider what sets your game apart from others.
2. Design: Once you have a concept, start designing the game mechanics, characters, levels, and environments. You can do this on paper or use digital tools like graphic design software.
3. Programming: If you're proficient in programming, you can start coding your game. Choose a programming language and game development framework or engine that suits your skills and the requirements of your game. If you're not familiar with programming, you'll need to learn or collaborate with someone who does.
4. Art and Assets: Create or acquire the visual assets for your game, including character sprites, background art, animations, and user interface elements. You can create these yourself if you have artistic skills, or you can hire artists or use pre-made assets.
5. Audio: Design and implement sound effects and music for your game. You can create your own audio assets or use royalty-free music and sound effects available online.
6. Testing and Iteration: Test your game extensively to identify bugs and gameplay issues. Gather feedback from playtesters and iterate on your design to improve the overall experience.
7. Polishing: Once your game is stable and playable, focus on polishing it to make it as engaging and immersive as possible. This may involve refining gameplay mechanics, optimizing performance, and adding additional features or content.
8. Release and Distribution: When you're satisfied with the quality of your game, prepare it for release. This may involve creating promotional materials, setting up a website or social media presence, and distributing your game through online platforms such as Steam, itch.io, or the App Store.
9. Support and Updates: After releasing your game, continue to support it by addressing any issues that arise and releasing updates or patches as needed. Engage with your player community to gather feedback and maintain interest in your game over time.

Concept: "Echoes of the Abyss" is a text-based horror game set in an abandoned research facility deep underground. The player assumes the role of a lone survivor who wakes up in the facility with no memory of how they got there. As they explore the dark corridors and rooms, they uncover the sinister experiments that were conducted there and encounter terrifying entities lurking in the shadows.

Gameplay Mechanics:

1. Exploration: The player navigates through the facility by choosing different paths and exploring various rooms. Each choice they make affects their progress and influences the story's outcome.
2. Resource Management: The player must manage their limited resources, such as flashlight batteries and medical supplies, to survive the horrors of the facility. Finding additional resources becomes increasingly difficult as they delve deeper into the darkness.
3. Puzzle Solving: To progress through the facility, the player must solve puzzles and unravel the mysteries hidden within its walls. These puzzles range from deciphering codes to manipulating machinery, adding a layer of challenge and tension to the gameplay.
4. Stealth and Survival: The player must avoid detection by hostile entities that roam the facility. Sneaking past them undetected or finding creative ways to distract or incapacitate them is essential for survival.
5. Psychological Horror: Through atmospheric descriptions and eerie encounters, the game creates a sense of dread and suspense that keeps the player on edge throughout their journey.

Story: As the player explores the facility, they uncover audio logs, documents, and remnants of past experiments that shed light on the facility's dark history. They learn about the unethical research conducted by the facility's scientists, the supernatural forces they unleashed, and the tragic fate that befell its inhabitants. Ultimately, the player must confront the source of the horror lurking at the heart of the facility and escape before it consumes them too.

Safety Note: It's crucial to ensure that the horror elements in the game are tastefully executed and that there are appropriate content warnings for players who may be sensitive to such themes. Additionally, the game should include mechanisms to provide support or resources for players who may experience distress while playing.

Certainly! Here are some rules you might consider for a game jam:

1. Theme: Provide a theme or prompt that participants must incorporate into their games. This could be a single word, a phrase, or a more detailed concept. The theme should be broad enough to allow for creativity but specific enough to provide direction.
2. Time Limit: Set a specific time limit for the game jam, such as 3 month. This encourages participants to work efficiently and fosters creativity within constraints.
3. Solo or Team Participation: Decide whether participants can work individually or in teams. If allowing teams, specify the maximum team size and any restrictions on team formation.
4. Original Work: Require that all games created for the jam be original and created specifically for the event. Participants should not reuse previously developed games or assets.
5. Submission Requirements: Outline what participants need to submit at the end of the jam, such as a playable game prototype, a demo video, screenshots, and a brief description or pitch of their game.
6. Judging Criteria: Define the criteria by which games will be judged. This could include factors such as creativity, adherence to the theme, gameplay mechanics, visual/audio design, and overall fun factor.
7. Prizes: Determine if there will be prizes for winning entries and specify what those prizes will be. Prizes could include cash rewards, software licenses, merchandise, or opportunities for further development or publication.
8. Code of Conduct: Establish a code of conduct that outlines expected behavior and prohibits harassment, discrimination, or any other form of misconduct. Ensure that all participants feel safe and welcome to participate in the jam.
9. Accessibility: Encourage participants to consider accessibility when designing their games, such as providing options for customizable controls, subtitles for dialogue, and adjustable difficulty levels.
10. Community Engagement: Encourage participants to share their progress, ask for feedback, and support each other throughout the jam. Consider hosting virtual meetups, forums, or social media groups where participants can connect and collaborate.
11. Have Fun: Above all, emphasize that the primary goal of the game jam is to have fun and enjoy the process of creating something new. Encourage experimentation and creativity, and celebrate the diverse range of games that emerge from the event.

By establishing clear rules and guidelines, you can ensure that your game jam runs smoothly and that participants have a rewarding experience.

That sounds like a great incentive for participants! Collaborating with the winners of your game jam on future projects can be a fantastic way to foster a sense of community and encourage continued engagement with your creative endeavors. Just make sure to communicate the terms and expectations for this collaboration clearly, so everyone understands what opportunities they're competing for and what it entails. Additionally, it's essential to be transparent about how winners will be selected and what criteria you'll use to evaluate their contributions to your projects. By offering such collaboration opportunities, you're not only rewarding participants for their creativity and talent but also building valuable connections and potential partnerships within the game development community.

Remember, creating a game from scratch is a complex and time-consuming process, so be patient and persistent. you have three months to make your game Good luck!