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The TF TTRPG jam has begun!
2 years ago
In case you missed my last journal about this, the Transformation Tabletop Role Playing Game Jam is a 2-month period where a bunch of people are coming together to make games centered around TF!
I'd really recommend giving this a shot! Game jams are tons of fun to participate in, and tabletop game jams in particular are really easy to get started with. All you need is an Itch.io account and an idea (or failing that, a team to collaborate with!).
If you'd like to find a team, the jam's forum or the To Change Discord server are both places to ask around. With two months to work, you could do everything yourself if you're not looking for that experience, though!
Plus, if you need a bit more motivation to participate, the prize pool has been expanded since the last time I talked about it, with art from Pobblebonked, PythosCheetah, (and potentially at least one more artist) up for grabs, along with copies of the video game Mice Tea, in addition to the previous prize pool (art from Mel, signed copies of To Change, digital copies of To Change, seeing your game played live).
And, since I promised some help with finding resources for the jam in my last post about it, here are some helpful links!
Public domain art:
https://www.oldbookillustrations.com/
https://artvee.com/
Icons & dice (CC-BY, so you need to credit the people who made them somewhere):
https://speakthesky.itch.io/typeface-dicier/
https://game-icons.net/
For anything card-related:
https://www.nandeck.com/
Fonts:
https://fonts.google.com/
Itch.io page layout help:
https://starwest.itch.io/itch-page-image-templates
If you're planning on designing game systems to go along with the narrative aspects of your submission, consider, browsing around on https://itch.io/physical-games, there's tons of neat stuff there. It could be fun to experiment in the realms of GM-less play, journaling games, or gamebooks!
Oh, and if you're looking for a pre-made TTRPG system that's tailor-made for telling TF stories, you could always buy To Change or make use of the instructions given in the jam's rules for obtaining a free copy.
I'd really recommend giving this a shot! Game jams are tons of fun to participate in, and tabletop game jams in particular are really easy to get started with. All you need is an Itch.io account and an idea (or failing that, a team to collaborate with!).
If you'd like to find a team, the jam's forum or the To Change Discord server are both places to ask around. With two months to work, you could do everything yourself if you're not looking for that experience, though!
Plus, if you need a bit more motivation to participate, the prize pool has been expanded since the last time I talked about it, with art from Pobblebonked, PythosCheetah, (and potentially at least one more artist) up for grabs, along with copies of the video game Mice Tea, in addition to the previous prize pool (art from Mel, signed copies of To Change, digital copies of To Change, seeing your game played live).
And, since I promised some help with finding resources for the jam in my last post about it, here are some helpful links!
Public domain art:
https://www.oldbookillustrations.com/
https://artvee.com/
Icons & dice (CC-BY, so you need to credit the people who made them somewhere):
https://speakthesky.itch.io/typeface-dicier/
https://game-icons.net/
For anything card-related:
https://www.nandeck.com/
Fonts:
https://fonts.google.com/
Itch.io page layout help:
https://starwest.itch.io/itch-page-image-templates
If you're planning on designing game systems to go along with the narrative aspects of your submission, consider, browsing around on https://itch.io/physical-games, there's tons of neat stuff there. It could be fun to experiment in the realms of GM-less play, journaling games, or gamebooks!
Oh, and if you're looking for a pre-made TTRPG system that's tailor-made for telling TF stories, you could always buy To Change or make use of the instructions given in the jam's rules for obtaining a free copy.
...and yeah, as a result I can't really give perfect advice, but I can see a few places that feel like logical first steps.
(for any paid things I've linked, you can click "get a community copy" to get it for free if you'd like)
It's possible to ignore the mechanics entirely! Making a system-agnostic setting by drawing a map, describing a few characters, and/or providing a bit of an outline for a story that could happen there (For example, Swamp Renewal or Misthaven) is plenty to get a game going without needing much information about whatever game systems the players are using.
Another option would be to start from a template, which some existing games offer. To Change is the one I brought up above, since it's specifically focused on making TF, and free copies are available for people who'd like to make something for this jam. That has 11 sample stories to draw from, with a fairly defined format. There are other options too though!
Actually, come to think about it, singleplayer games in general might be an easy place to break into making TTRPGs if you're interested in designing mechanics in addition to the story parts? Giving the player a batch of writing/drawing/whatever prompts which are randomly selected with dice or cards is the basis of most of those (examples: Artefact, Thousand-Year-Old Vampire, Animalesis), though plenty offer more structure for players in a more board-game-y fashion instead (examples: Ironsworn, You Died).
And of course, joining a team lets each team member contribute writing, art, playtesting, or anything else in their skillset, without needing to worry about the other parts of the puzzle, so that could also be an option.
And hey, if this jam in particular doesn't sound fun for you, there'll be plenty of similar opportunities in the future, for all sorts of other mediums, whether that's video game jams, multi-animator projects, zine collaborations, or whatever else! I'll definitely give hosting one of these a shot at some point.