We are trying out a new genre for practice game jams. This time, we will be focusing on electronically-distributed table-top RPGs (meaning you can view/purchase them on your computer, even if it is just a PDF of rules that you can download or print off...not necessarily that you have to play it electronically). This will be a beginner-friendly jam, even for those who are interested in making such a game, but have no prior experience.
In the lead-up to and throughout the jam, we will be posting resources to help introduce and familiarize jammers with the genre. So keep checking back for more updates!
We also have a Discord server with a channel devoted to making TTRPGs, if you'd like to join and start/join a discussion: https://discord.gg/XUpShgAtH2
This version of the jam is not ranked, so there is no winner. To join the competitive version (strictly for feedback, no prizes) please view this link: https://itch.io/jam/ttrpg-practice-game-jam-1-ranked-version
Optional Game Jam Theme: Rumors
As with all our practice jams, if you are going to submit a game, please keep it safe for work and non-political.
Some Introductory Resources
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiRTjIkJqswb3F38hBxIYJP_9Wznrxl8s
The Beginner's Guide to Tabletop Gaming
The Best Virtual Tabletop Software in 2023
Here is the Jam Info!
TTRPGs are a huge topic, especially for beginners. We could probably spend lots of time, too much even, on various aspects (and there are many great books and resources from people more knowledgeable than me, I'm certain).
Even as the host of this jam, I am also new to TTRPGs. I know about Dungeons and Dragons through the novels and video games, and about RPG video games in general and their roots in TTRPGs (including the appearance of many famous D&D beasts in various JRPGs), but this is really my first time taking a closer look at TTRPGs, so I humbly request your patience and understanding in putting this jam together, as I am learning myself. I will also greatly refer and defer to lots of experts and resources. I will make updates and corrections to the jam and necessary, and am opening to shaping this jam to be better for all participants.
For the purposes of these jams, we are going to focus on smaller aspects in each iteration of the jam. For this first jam, we will do an introductory challenge to get a taste of common aspects in TTRPG and a chance to create them. TTRPG development is very open-ended, and I encourage creativity, but hopefully this provides some structure.
Your Game Submission
For the submission, we will be creating a PDF file or electronic document, suggested length of 1 to 3 pages, detailing a game of your creation. The idea is that a gamer can download and/or print your document and be able to play solo or with a team. I am aware that there are many options for distributing and playing TTRPGs electronically, including virtual tabletops and fully electronic play (so basically a video game or electronic simulator), and we can discuss those later, but right now, we are starting with just the PDF/electronic document. Create your Itch.io project page and upload your document for download.
Here are some steps/guidelines for what to include in your game:
1. Choose a genre/setting
2. Decide the number of players (might be solo)
3. Write an overview of the background story.
4. Choose an overall goal for the player/s.
- You can set a goal, or you can give the player/s a mechanism for determining a goal. For example, you can give them options that they can choose, you can give them a table that they can use some determiner to select (they roll a die, use a random number generator, draw a card, etc), you can let them fill out MadLibs to create goal, and so on.
5. Provide rules/guidelines for character creation. You can outline the attributes that your player has, how to decide them (a roll of the dice? Inspired by something in the room? etc). Some things to consider, all optional and up to you:
- Names
- Stats/player traits
- Player skills/abilities
- Items that the players can use or have in their inventory
6. Outcome/scenario resolution tool or mechanic: One of the biggest features in an RPG is how to decide if players' actions are successful, and/or what the outcome is. In this section, you detail how that works in your game. For example, in combat, you have to decide if your players' actions are enough to defeat an enemy. You might use player stats to help determine success, and combine it with a roll of dice to add a random chance of whether the actions are successful.
7. Necessary equipment to play the game. Pen and paper? Dice? Cards? Mapping paper? It's up to you.
8. Obstacle/scenario generation mechanism. For our purposes, a TTRPG is an open-ended, non-linear experience, where the story is created as you play. This usually means that, unlike a game with preset paths (including many video game RPGs), any scenarios, obstacles, character/enemy encounters, and so on are generated dynamically. How will your game provide these scenarios for your players to play through? Will a Game Master create them, will players use some method to collaboratively come up with scenarios? Or maybe you can include some reference tables or MadLib-style forms/sheets to determine scenarios. For example, maybe in a certain room, you have a table of possible enemies, problems, or NPCs that you can encounter in that room, and you use some mechanism to choose from the possibilities.
9. End conditions: Is there a set of conditions for determining when play is completed? Does the game end when players complete a goal or meet with some failure? Or can the gameplay continue on indefinitely across multiple hours and sessions?
On Game Masters
Many RPGs have a game master (GM). The GM can be a critical decision maker for things like story, setting, determining action outcomes, presenting the next scenario or obstacle, etc. Whether or not you want to have someone fill that role in your game is up to you. Just know that usually, this means that you will need to provide your GM with information that the rest of the players are not privy to. For example, the team enters a new room...the GM probably knows what is in the room (again, this depends on your specific game), but the players are left to discover that information through the gameplay.
Some reading:
https://rollforfantasy.com/guides/first-time-gm.php
https://unpossiblejourneys.com/level-up/become-a-game-master/
https://www.reddit.com/r/RPGdesign/comments/16hi7tx/how_to_structure_a_ttrpg_rul...
https://www.reddit.com/r/RPGdesign/comments/tnv9fj/what_to_include_in_the_game_m...
Solo Play
Often we think of TTRPGs as a team affair, but it is also possible to create games for solo players, or for players to solo a game that was originally created for multiple players. Here are some resources on solo RPG play:
Solo basics: https://jvhouse.xyz/solo-rpg-basics/
https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/solo-rpg-how-would-you-make-it.485566/
https://www.dieheart.net/getting-started-solo/
Other Jams and Resources
When I was first asked about creating this jam, I was not aware that there were already TTRPG jams on Itch.io. I recommend taking a look at them, including past jam submissions, to get some ideas and creative inspiration (I mean, I don't encourage you to straight up copy other peoples' work, but it is often helpful to see examples of such games so that we better understand what we are trying to accomplish.) If you'd like, you can even join some of the other jams, and of course, by all means, please do support other projects and creators that you find and enjoy. The goal for this jam is to make a more beginner-friendly learning environment, though all experience levels are welcome.
Here are some other jams and resources to look at.
https://itch.io/jam/one-page-rpg-jam-2022
https://itch.io/jam/one-page-rpg-jam-2021
https://itch.io/jam/one-page-rpg-jam-2023
https://itch.io/jam/one-page-rpg-jam-2024 (Currently ongoing, feel free to join that one too, but use a different game)
https://www.reddit.com/r/RPGdesign/
https://www.reddit.com/r/onepagerpgs/
https://www.skeletoncodemachine.com/
Preventing Spam Submissions
We also have an antispam policy to keep people from just mass submitting games for marketing and publicity. Here are the guidelines:
- In your submission, on the Itch.io project page, please write a short sentence or two about how you incorporated the jam theme.
- If you choose not to incorporate the theme, please share something you learned or improved during this jam (you can also do this if you do use the theme, but it's required if you don't use it).
- During the submission period, your game can only be submitted to this jam. If we do a ranked/voting version, you can submit the same game to both, but no other submissions during the jam and voting duration.
Any submissions that do not follow these guidelines will be removed, after the submitter has been contacted but fails to update the description within a day. If you feel that you have updated your submission to meet the guidelines but it has been removed, you may resubmit.
I think that's everything! Please contact me or leave a message on Discord or in the forum here with any questions, comments, or concerns.
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