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AnonymousHippopotamus7 days ago (1 edit) (+12)(-6)

Comparing a game jam to professional documentaries or films is a huge reach. Documentaries have years of research, massive budgets, and legal teams to make sure they’re being ethical, and even still there's a lot of debate about whether they are ethical or not. They also often get permission from the families when doing the documentaries, and it is generally frowned upon when they don't. You’re expecting game devs to achieve 'impactful, grounded exploration' of real-life trauma in a matter of couple of weeks is unrealistic. Games also differ as a medium because they allow the player to DO things. You aren't just watching some facts about a terrible event, you are participating in it.

I appreciate the reply, but I think you might be a bit out of touch on this. This is a horror jam, horror is generally not a moving story about being a victim or whatever you are trying to say, and few are going to interpret the theme this way. The rule about no NSFW or sexual content is just so out of touch with what real serial killers are and do. Changing the names of the victims doesn’t really show respect when you're still requiring the "direct depiction" of the crimes that killed them. I would have sooner expected the theme to be serial killers and a rule to be that you are not allowed to depict real killers...

I do see you added some additional rule explanations, I think that's better than nothing. You don't need to respond to me again, I am sure you are busy and I am probably stressing you out with this lol. Just food for thought. Good luck!

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Flare7 days ago (1 edit) (+8)(-1)

I think there is a middle ground to consider. As game creators, developers, and writers, we don't necessarily need deep documentation game to show the killer, but his methods.

Some of the most compelling games based on true events are exactly those that take creative liberties. The inspiration for Fears to Fathom is based on real events, and The Dark Pictures Anthology – The Devil in Me was based on H.H. Holmes, but it was not based on his actual events. They were based on his methods, his psychology, and his inspiration but created an alternate universe around it. 

That is actually a very viable approach for this jam. You could take inspiration from a real killer's signature, like the Zodiac's ciphers, a poisoner's methods, and build an original AU story around it. The feeling of it is there, but without actually depicting any real victims’ deaths or names etc. Even something like The Shining shows how environmental storytelling can make a space feel deeply disturbing without ever needing to be explicit.

It's also worth noting that not every serial killer case revolves around SA. Many were motivated by money, power, fame,  etc.  They are more easily researched and less traumatic than the SA ones and actually offer very compelling material to work with. 

I think it is actually up to how we, as game creators, choose to approach it. Treating it as a creative jumping-off point rather than a literal recreation seems like the right move

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