Video game developers around the world will soon have a chance to enter the World of Darkness, as the upcoming Vampire Jam contest will allow creators to build a game set in the Vampire: The Masquerade universe, with a cash prize for the winner. Vampire: The Masquerade is one of the most popular tabletop RPGs in the world, yet there are many people who are more familiar with the video games based on the property than with the source material.
There has been a surge of new Vampire: The Masquerade video games in recent years, following the fifteen-year gap between Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines and Vampire: The Masquerade - Coteries of New York. It's easier than ever for gamers to enter the World of Darkness, as there are a number of Vampire: The Masquerade visual novels available on modern systems. There is also Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodhunt, which is a battle royale game that is currently in Early Access on PC, and will be coming to current-gen systems soon.
The people who want to create the next Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines will soon have their chance to do so, especially as the actual Bloodlines 2 isn't shipping anytime soon. A new contest called Vampire Jam has been announced by World of Darkness. Contestants will have from October 30 to November 30 to create a game set in the world of Vampire: The Masquerade. There are no limits in terms of genre or scope, so long as it can be completed within the time frame. Entrants can apply to join the Vampire Jam on its page on the official Itch.io website.
In order to enter the Vampire Jam, the entrants need to follow certain rules. The game has to be set in the world of the current edition of Vampire: The Masquerade, which means elements from previous games that have been retconned (like the Kuei-Jin) are banned. It's possible to use concepts from other World of Darkness franchises, such as the hunters from Hunter: The Reckoning, but the game should be about vampires. Creators are free to use characters from World of Darkness lore, including ones from L.A. By Night, but they cannot use content from the existing Vampire: The Masquerade video games. Those entering are free to do so as a solo effort or as part of a team, and they are free to use whatever game engine they choose. The finished game needs to have the Dark Park logo (available on the Itchi.io website) on one of its opening screens, and the game must be uploaded for free to Itchi.io, without any sort of monetization.
The winner of the contest will receive $1000 and their game will be added to the World of Darkness games on Steam, becoming an official part of the brand. The second-place winner will receive $750, while the third-place will receive $500. The top three will all receive pdf copies of all of the World of Darkness books released to date, as well as early access to Hunter: The Reckoning - 5th Edition and Vampire: The Masquerade: Second Inquisition.
The Vampire: The Masquerade Vampire Jam contest will run from October 31 to November 30, 2021.
Source: Itch.io