Welcome to the "Anomalous Entity" Game Jam, an analogue horror-themed jam hosted by HORRORVISUALS and Strange Creature Games, and sponsored by Critical Reflex! The theme of this jam is horror involving an anomalous entity, creature, or liminal spaces. Read below to find out more!

You begin your day as if it were any other day of the week. Clicking on your TV, you prepare yourself for your daily routine. There's a ominous knock at your door halfway through. When you check to see who or what was seeking your attention this morning, you find a small package at your doorstep with an official-looking sticker that has an odd logo on the front.

Opening the strange package, you find a folder reading “CLASSIFIED” in bold letters. It looks like one of the documents is missing from the folder. Maybe someone could have tampered with it? You pull out the remaining document, and after quickly glancing over it, you can discern that it seems to be a preamble to the second document, a part and parcel of the pair. Hopefully it wasn't important…

There's also a VHS tape labeled “Anomalous Entity Research Team: The Doctor." Putting it aside to watch later, you begin reading through what is left of the documents. It details various research procedures made cryptic by excessive censorship. “Don’t look at it if there isn't a ▇▇▇▇ in the room,” one line reads, and following that is a slew of meticulous information about various research subjects and the results of the experiments. There’s also an address and orders detailing the unnamed recipient to report there and presumably participate in an experiment or research assistance.

When you finally make it to the bottom of the page, it reads “Next Page for Containment Procedures." Your curiosity as to what this whole document means and who sent it is piqued. The next step is to watch the tape and decide whether you'll be following this mysterious thread.

It's time to let your imagination flow wild, dear researchers and readers. Your objective is to come up with an anomaly and/or entity and make a game about it. The main theme for this game jam is horror involving an anomalous entity, creature, or liminal space.

The top 3 rated jam entries will receive prizes sponsored by Critical Reflex!

First Place will receive a $100 Steam Gift Card

Second Place will receive a $50 Steam Gift Card

Third Place will receive a $20 Steam Gift Card

The "Anomalous Entity" game jam will begin on July 19th and will end August 2nd. The jam winners will be announced shortly after a 1-week voting period.

1. Work on a game within the time constraints of the 2-week jam period and submit it to this jam and no other game jams.

2. Only use assets that you have either created yourself (or team) within the jam period or have obtained the rights to use, and external assets must be credited on your jam entry page.

3. Please do not use generative A.I. models to make assets for your game. Obvious A.I. games will be disqualified.

4. This is a horror-themed game jam, so try to make a horror game!

5. Please do not include any inappropriate references or overly explicit imagery in your jam entry.

6. Teams will be limited to no more than 4 members, and all participating members must be included on your entry page.

7. You must be at least 18 years old in order to receive prizes. 

Voting and rating game jam entries will be open to everyone. However, to prevent foul play through any dubious means, such as botting, we do reserve the right to change the criteria that the entries are judged by.

Find more horror fans, look for team members, and talk with fellow game devs in the Strange Creature Discord! 

Additionally, you can also find many more fans of horror and video games over at the Critical Reflex Discord!

If you post about the jam on Twitter be sure to use our hashtag #AnomalousEntityJam!