Hiya! Welcome to NeverMore Niche's Autum Game Jam! We are a dedicated group of gamers, journalists and soon to be publishers working to bring more "hidden gem" indie games into the spotlight and support talented game developers along the way. 

We host three Game Jams a year, each with its own focus and theme. We are new to this, so any advice from veteran hosts and participants is always welcome. We want our jams to be fun and fulfilling, open to all levels of expertise. Most importantly, enjoy yourself!

Our theme this time is The Works of Poe. The ghoulish, spooky, scary season is upon us and what better way to celebrate than with games featuring works of the Godfather of Horror himself, Edgar Allan Poe. From "The Fall of the House of Usher," to "The Pit and the Pendulum," his creations embodied Gothic twists and emotional turmoil. His influence has been seen throughout the literary world, including such greats as T.S. Elliot, H.G. Wells, Lovecraft and Hitchcock. 

Even his own life and death was filled with horrific tragedy. His family was dysfunctional, his father leaving when he was young, and his mother dying soon afterwards. His wife, while very young when they married, also died young. Even his own death is still an unsolved mystery: found in an alley in clothes not his own, completely delirious, and on death's doorstep. His final words begged for mercy on his soul. His death records were mysteriously destroyed.  

With plenty of material to pick from, the Raven will not say "Nevermore" here!

Entries can be submitted at any time after the jam opens, but no later than September 30 at 11:59PM/PST.

You can find all of Poe's literary works, including his poems and short stories on the Project Gutenberg website. 

In addition to sticking to the Works of Poe theme, entries need to adhere to the following rules:

• All assets must be either created, owned by you or through a respected open asset source. In your entry description, please indicate what assets are yours and what are from a marketplace. 
• Entries must be playable. Even if they are only a demo or half completed, the judges need to be able to try out your game to be considered for judging. If possible, submit your entry as a browser game for best playability.
• Fan games are allowed, as long as it doesn't violate copyright laws. 
• Any style- 2D, 3D, Pixel, visual novel, first person,  ect is allowed. 
• NSFW and Gore are allowed, within good taste/fits the theme.
• Trigger warnings should be included at the beginning of the game.
• Games must be creepy, horror, unsettling and/or frightening. 
• Games must be free to play without microtransactions or in-app purchases during the jam. 
• Solo and team projects will be accepted, so grab a few friends and have fun creating!
• If your game is in another language other than English, please provide accurate English subtitles/menu options.
• No use of AI. This will result in automatic disqualification.
• 1 entry per person/team
• Submitters will retain all rights to their game after the jam. 

Our judges rank entries based on this rating criteria:

• Suitably fits the theme. It doesn't have to be a complete interpretation of his works, but it must have recognizable aspects from them.
• Creativity 
• Scary/Unsettling/Horror
• Enjoyable gameplay with minimal glitches
• Use of chosen art style
• Sound/Music

Top 5 entries will receive:

• Personalized piece of merch with their game art on it
• Special role in our Discord
• Opportunity to be on an episode of our Podcast
• Opportunity for a contract with NeverMore Niche's upcoming publishing branch, Liminal Pendulum. Includes PR package and promotion. Estimated opening Q2, 2025.

All entries will be played on our Twitch and YouTube channels during our Ghoulish Games Nights celebration at the end of October, with developer Q&A. 

PR package (press kit, press release and teaser trailer) will be available to all entries upon request. 

For more indie Madness and Mischief, visit our website.

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If you have any questions during the jam, please email ravensquills@nevermoreniche.com