Overview

The Help the Hive Game Jam is all about exploring the fascinating concept of shared sentience (hive minds) in tabletop games. We’re challenging you to design games that dive into hive mind communication systems, emphasizing unique and specific situations. Whether your game takes place in moss filled gas station road stops, a crashed ship in the icy expanse of the Arctic, or any other imaginative setting, we're excited to see how you interpret the theme!

Read into the background and prior-uses of Hive-mind tabletop roleplaying games here:
https://holisticdice.substack.com/p/hive 

What We're Looking For

In this jam, we're celebrating ingenuity and creative thinking. We want to see how you can make hive mind mechanics engaging, nuanced, and fresh. This isn't just about creating a game; it's about pushing the boundaries of how we think about shared consciousness in gameplay.

In a future newsletter, I’ll be highlighting some of the most innovative entries from this jam, so give it your all! I will be focusing on the following criteria:

• Creativity: How unique is your take on the hive mind concept?
• Gameplay: Does the game effectively engage players with the theme?
• Theme Integration: How well does the game incorporate hive mind communication with its mechanichs?
• Presentation: Is the game well-organized and easy to understand?

Rules & Guidelines

• No NSFW Content: Keep it family-friendly.
• TTRPGs and videogames: Videogames are allowed for submission, but TTRPG's are preferred and will be discussed in the newsletter. 
• Creation Period: All works must be created during the game jam's timeframe. No previously developed games, please!
• No Bigotry: Absolutely no transphobic, homophobic, racist, ableist, or otherwise bigoted content.
• Charity Bundle: If we receive enough submissions, we'll create a $5 charity bundle. All proceeds would go to the Western Environmental Law Center, supporting their work in protecting ecosystems and pollinators. Participation in the charity bundle is optional, and the choice will be provided upon entry to this Game Jam.
• Profit: No profits from the bundle will be shared with game designers or the organizer. This is a labor of love for the community and the environment!

Optional Submissions

• If you'd like to be part of a charity bundle, make sure to check the appropriate box during submission. Remember, your work could help protect real-world hives! Creation of this charity bundle hinges on enough entries into the jam to make it feasible.

Get Involved

Whether you're a seasoned game designer or just curious about trying something new, this jam is for you! Join us, experiment with hive minds, and let your creativity flow.

We can’t wait to see what you come up with. Let's help the hive together!