The Spooktober Visual Novel Jam is expanding its partnership with colleges and universities through our new University League competition! We’re seeking instructors, program directors, department chairs, and other higher education professionals who work in disciplines adjacent to visual novels, interactive narrative, game development, creative writing, art, audio, and related fields.
The prize
Students from participating institutions may compete for a dedicated $300 USD University League Award at no cost to them or the school. Participants simply enter Spooktober on itch.io like any other team or creator, and provide their academic email address from a participating institution during submission to be considered for the award.
Competitors must be 18 or older to be eligible for the prize. The prize will be awarded as a lump sum through an itch.io payment to the account that submits the winning submission.
What is Spooktober?
Since 2019, Spooktober Visual Novel Jam has brought together writers, artists, musicians, programmers, voice actors, and creators from around the world to create original horror and Halloween themed visual novels.
Every year, hundreds of creators gather to learn new skills, meet teammates, experiment with new ideas, and bring stories to life. Some participants are creating their very first game. Others are industry veterans exploring new concepts, finding collaborators, or building the foundations of future commercial projects.
Spooktober is organized by the Visual Novel Development Network and DevTalk, a year-round community dedicated to helping visual novel creators learn, collaborate, and succeed.
About DevTalk and the Visual Novel Developer Network
Throughout the entire year we host events, networking & team-building activities, game jams, community resources, and creator-focused programming designed to help visual novel developers improve their skills and connect with one another.
We are a vibrant network of creatives passionate about story telling through visual novels and other narrative games. Our mission is to help others create incredible and unforgettable visual novels and help them through their journey of being a visual novelist.
How to participate
To help promote participation, we provide promotional materials including handouts, student information cards, digital graphics, and other resources that can be shared in classrooms, student organizations, and campus spaces. Participating instructors may also be invited to assist with judging the University League category while spaces are available. No contract, payment, or legal agreement is required for institutions to participate.
If you’re interested in bringing Spooktober to your institution, we’d love to hear from you! Please contact UniLeague@SpooktoberVNJam.com to learn more about participating campuses, available materials, and partnership opportunities.