Literary Games is how I've referenced some of my own work in the past. Things like Endsville, Lilancholy, and now Melancholy Island. I can't tell you the definition or the bounds of the term because it hasn't reached those bounds yet, but I can tell you the direction to go. 

Literary Games are: 

1. Bigger lyric games, or
2. Collections of smaller lyric games under a theme/idea
3. Games involving short fiction or ergodic texts
4. Games where reading is a primary "mechanic."
5. Still very much up for interpretation.

What does that mean though? Well, it means that you should write! Write something, anything. Expand on a lyric game you like, write a game using only play reports, keep a dream journal, anything. Be inspired to create something that turns heads, that pushes the form of lyric games, that tells its story, its theme, through several smaller games.

I want everyone to write a piece of short fiction, non-fiction, some poems, an epic. I want everyone to create blackout poetry using your favorite (or least favorite) TTRPG. I want everyone to explore a more experimental form that isn't going to take itself too seriously. You can't be judged for "doing it wrong." I want to recapture that feeling of wonder and awe that happened as lyric games burst onto the indie TTRPG scene. 

This jam runs for 1 month and I want you in on it. Today. Right now. Start writing into a notebook or your notepad doc. Write something we can read and be inspired by. 

This jam would not be possible without the SnowTTRPG discord server, where we've talked about this kind of thing before and will continue to do so.

~

Literary Game Jam Rules

1. Write something until you can't or you feel like it's done.
2. Upload it as a txt, pdf, jpg, html, mp3, .wad or any other format.
3. Add a title and submit it to the jam.
4. Check out at least two other submissions and rate them!

Appendix

• I made a ttrpg reading list a while ago that features a lot of experimental games that light my brain on fire: https://nerves.games/2023/07/26/snows-ttrpg-class-reading-list/
• The Lost, Broken, Unplayable Jam
• Check out the libre baskerville jam. Lots of great vibes here.
• Art is Ego jam
• This
• Lyrical Ludology Podcast