🧜‍♀️Welcome to the one-and-only MerJam!🧜‍♂️

A two-months-long visual novel jam dedicated to those iconic, water-dwelling beings that have captivated humanity for ages!

Have fun, and don't forget to read the rules before submitting!

🌊Rules

• The submission must feature at least one merfolkas a main character, or otherwise have merfolk as a major focus. For the purposes of this jam, the term "merfolk" refers to any mythical creature that is distinctively part-human(oid), part-aquatic creature. As such, things like _mermaids/mermen_,_cecaelia_, _selkies_, _merrows_, _sirens_, _fishmen_, etc. are all permitted.
• The submission must be a visual novel at its core. Hybrids are permitted, as long as the additional mechanics don't overshadow the visual novel aspect.Please consider the narrative relevance before adding any minigames, and accessibility options to make them easier or skippable (e.g., Story Mode).
• Submission pages must include at least 2 screenshots of your project.
• Submissions must be made free-to-play during the duration of the jam. You're welcome to make the submission paid after the jam ends, but projects that are commercial upon submission will be removed.
• You may work solo or in teams, but try to keep your scope as manageable as possible to avoid too much stress.
• You may submit up to three games per group/project leader/creator. There's no limit to the number of teams an individual member can join.
• You may submit your entry to other game jams and vice versa, as long as your entry adheres to all the jams' guidelines.
• Mature content is allowed, but it must adhere to site rules and content warnings (even for SFW submissions)must be applied whenever applicable. Scenes featuring sexual content must only contain characters that are **18 years or older**(no loli/shotacon, no high schoolers), and all participants **must be of sound mind and willing**. Also, nothing extreme (anything involving bodily waste, snuff, etc.)

🌊What's Not Allowed?

• Anything that endorses/glorifiesharmful behavior, bigotry, or discrimination of any kind.
• Generative AI in all its forms(graphics, text, music, etc.) is strictly forbidden. Yes, even if it's edited by a human, and even if you own the training data.Do keep this in mind if you're planning on using third party assets, as this rule applies to them as well.
• Heavy gore (death, blood, and violence are acceptable as long as it's not too graphic. Keep it PG-13, at most.)

🌊Additional Info

DevTalk (https://discordapp.com/invite/VzM6DeQ) — A highly-active Discord server dedicated to general Visual Novel development.

Lemmasoft Forums (http://lemmasoft.renai.us/forums/index.php) —Not quite as active, but it's got several helpful resources for visual novel developers if you're looking for some.

🌊FAQ

(feel free to ask more, they will be added here)

Is this a ranked jam?

No. This isn't a competition, there's no official ranking or prizes. Playing each other's entries is encouraged, however.

Can I submit a previously started game/WIP/demo?

Yes.Though it's encouraged that submissions be during the jam's timeframe, previously-started on entries are allowed as long as they follow the jam's criteria. Finished entries are also welcome, so long as they include new content at the time of submission(minor things like grammar/bug fixes do not qualify).

What engines can I use?

Any engine works, but the final product must be a visual novel in some capacity. If you're new to visual novel development, some popular engine recommendations includeRen'Py (https://www.renpy.org/)and Unity frameworks like Naninovel (https://naninovel.com/).

Can I use premade (non-AI) assets in my project?

Yes. Just make sure to abide by the creator’s licensing.

Can I make a fangame for an existing IP?

You can,but to avoid the risk of legal trouble,you must make sure that it adheres to the fangame guidelines for your chosen IP. If you're not sure, or can't find any guidelines, then it's better to err on the side of caution and go with something original instead.

Are late entries allowed?

Yes and no.It's highly encouraged that you submit your page early to circumvent any last-minute complications (you can always polish your submission at a later time). However, under very, very specific circumstances (like, maybe your internet cut off last minute before you could submit), you can notify me within 24 hours after the jam's over and I'll add your entry manually.

Do projects have to be in English?

No. It'd be nice, but it's not a strict requirement.

Does the project have to follow a specific theme?

No. While the theming of the jam is cute, that's more owing to me being a sucker for pastel colors and yumekawaii aesthetics. Even more grimy games qualify as long as they also comply with the rules.