The Loose Playbooks Jam is an event encouraging the creation of playbooks! Make a playbook for your favorite game! Make a playbook for your least favorite game! Make an extra playbook for your own game! Make a playbook that isn't attached to any game at all, you just really like the structure of Belonging Outside Belonging but simply haven't the wherewithal to make a whole gosh darn game about it despite the multitude of concepts you're sitting on all of the time (don't @ me)!

After the first run in early 2023 was as successful as it was, we're back under new (i.e. the same but renamed) management to run the Loose Playbooks Jam again! Back and with exactly the same text as ever! Even the same layout you knew and loved because I'm not actually any good at graphic design! Wow!

What is a playbook? 
Within the context of tabletop roleplaying games, a playbook is a class—more or less. It's a series of guidelines and prompts that you create (usually) a character based around. A playbook will usually tell you what a character can do. You've probably seen it in the context of games based on Powered by the Apocalypse (Masks, Root, Monster of the Week) or Belonging Outside Belonging/No Dice No Masters (Wanderhome, Dream Askew, Venture & Dungeon), and perhaps even Forged in the Dark (Blades in the Dark, Scum & Villainy, Beam Saber). Of course, plenty of other systems use playbooks! Playbooks aren't even restricted to just character creation, technically. For example, some games use playbooks for settings, giving a place a narrative role and actions it can take in this way. 

Playbooks are often based around archetypes or tropes associated with the genre or premise of the game they're for, but not necessarily. You're more likely to see the term in narrative-focused games, rather than "crunchy" games that use a lot more mechanical focus, but that isn't a hard and fast rule. A lot of the difference between playbooks and classes is, in all honesty, about vibes.  

So what can I submit?
Playbooks! I'm not going to sit here and build strict guard rails on what counts and what doesn't, and simply ask you to use your best judgment. Regardless of what (if any!) game the playbook is attached to, you can submit it. You can submit singular playbooks or collections of playbooks. I just ask that you don't submit whole games just because they use playbooks—if you start making some playbooks and a game grows out of them, though, that's fine!   

What games can I make playbooks for? 
Whatever games your little heart desires! More or less. Please be mindful of the original game creator's guidelines on creating derivative content. Most of the time, though, you're going to be in the clear for that kind of thing, especially within the indie ttrpg community. But it's always good to check!   

A handful of creators have offered up their games, listed down at the bottom, to highlight! Those games all use playbooks and the creators would be more than happy to see you make something for their games. You are absolutely not restricted to that list! It's a great place to begin if you can't find a starting point yourself, though.   

You can also make a playbook unaffiliated with a game entirely! You can just make a playbook to roll around at the bottom of your purse like an extra quarter or a mint you stole on your way out of a restaurant and then forgot about! Sometimes you have a concept strong enough to write about but not to make a whole dang game out of, you know? Here's your chance to do something with that!     

If I make a playbook that's not for a game, what do I do with it afterwards? 
Make the game! Adopt it out and let other people make a game with it! Use it for a completely unrelated game! Admire your creation and be content with the fact that you have created for its sake and put the fruits of your labor out into the world! I don't know, I'm not your mom.  

If there's interest, we can consider some kind of follow-up event where we do something with unaffiliated playbooks, but let's move one step at a time!     

Can I submit playbooks I've already made?
Please only submit playbooks made during the jam period. If you've done something like start a project only to abandon it, though, and you pick it back up for this jam, that's fine.     

When can I start working on my playbook? 
Feel free to plan and plot in the time leading up to the jam, but please only begin writing once the jam kicks off!     

Can I charge for my playbook? 
This depends on the game you're creating for! Please make sure you're following all derivative creation guidelines set out by the creator of the game you're making a playbook for, if you're making a playbook for a game. If they allow it, if you're creating for your own game, or if you're just making an unaffiliated playbook, you are not only allowed but encouraged to charge for your creations. 

To save you some time, I've ensured that all games highlighted in this jam description allow you to charge for the content you create based on them!

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Game Suggestions

A big list of games that use playbooks will go here by April! Do you want your game to be on this list? Fill out this handy dandy form! Detailed requirements are on that page, but the main thing I ask is that 1) just use your best judgment if your game qualifies as having "playbooks," even if they aren't by that name, but understand that I'm willing to be generous with that term; and 2) be willing to have community copies available around the jam start time.

There may also be a bundle of games here if creators are so willing—but even if you don't want your game in such a bundle, I'm still happy to highlight it!

Submissions close at the end of March so I can get all games up at once in April!