This jam is now over. It ran from 2023-02-01 05:00:00 to 2023-03-01 04:59:59. View 2 entries

Welcome to the fourth Aro Jam! If you’re looking for the first two Aro Jams, here’s the links: https://itch.io/jam/aro-jam, https://itch.io/jam/aro-jam-2021 and https://itch.io/jam/aro-jam-2022.

If you want to contact me for comment or questions, here's my email: metaparadox11 AT gmail DOT com

Aro Jam is a game jam about creating games with aromantic spectrum characters. This includes video games, tabletop games, and live games as well! Given that there are relatively few games out there with aromantic spectrum characters, let alone explicitly aromantic characters in primary roles, I thought I'd host a game jam to go about changing that. This jam is for people of all skill levels. If this is your first game jam, great! Never made a game before? Great. This is a low pressure, non-judged jam. It's all about creating more aro games for people to play.

While we don't have a Discord server specifically for Aro Jam, there is an #arojam channel in my Queer Game Dev server (for queer-identified game devs, but also respectful Straight+cis people interested in making games with lgbt+ characters) here: https://discord.gg/AxVTMrH

You don't have to be aromantic to join, but if you are not arospec, please be respectful in your game and do your research on aromanticism. (Hint: talk to aromantic people!) If you don't know the difference between asexual, aromantic, and agender or aren't willing to look it up on your own, this may not be the jam for you.

The Rules:

There must be at least one aromantic spectrum character in a primary role in your game OR your game must be about aromantic identity or experiences. Interpret this as you will, but the following roles are A-OK: protagonist, partner, member of a team, best friend. (If you're writing an aromantic antagonist, tread lightly and make sure that you aren't vilifying their aromanticism or dehumanizing them. A three dimensional antagonist, villain-as-protagonist, or antihero is fine.)
Use the word! Actually use the word "aromantic" or the specific aro spectrum identity of your character in the game. So often aro people have to resort to fan speculation or ask creators for "word of god" to find characters like them in media. Don't add to that problem with your game.
Be mindful of harmful stereotypes about aromantic people. (i.e. "Aromantic people are emotionless", "Aromantic people are not human", "Aromantic people are robots or aliens.") Tread very lightly if you have an emotionless, alien, or robot character. Do not promote overtly harmful tropes like saying "all aromantics are asexual" or vice-versa or "all aromantics are autistic" or vice-versa and especially not "all aromantics are damaged/mentally ill/physically ill or vice-versa. Feel free to have asexual or neurodivergent aromantic characters (I'm saying this as an aromantic-spectrum, autistic, chronically ill asexual), just be sure not to imply that all aromantic are this way or that all people who claim another identity are aromantic.
You may submit an unfinished game as a demo.
You may work on a game you started previously.
You may submit multiple games if you have time!
Teams of any size are permissible, as is working alone.
Since this is a chill jam with no winners or losers, feel free to start your game whenever you'd like. Only use assets you have the right to use, though. No breaking any copyright laws. (Or other laws!)
Your game can include sexual content, but no sexualized depictions of characters under 18. If your characters are teens, no relationships with age gaps over 3 years. No promotion or glorification of non-consent should be present in your game.
Content warn in your game page description for common triggers such as self harm, suicide, sexual assault, etc.
Obviously, no promoting hatred with your games, whether toward ace people, other LGBT+ people, or other marginalized identities. Basically, no racism, aphobia, homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, ableism, sexism, etc. These topics may be part of the plot, but don't use your game to promote them. Hateful games will be removed.
No jam spam! If your game doesn't follow the rules or is unrelated to the jam, don't submit it! It will be deleted!

New to game development? Not a programmer? Here's some free resources for you that are easy to medium difficulty to learn, though some are only free trials or only free for non-commercial use or releasing to certain platforms.):