Touhou Project. Now there’s a video game series with a history. One dating all the way back to 1997’s Highly Responsive to Prayers too, and it’s still going strong with its quite recent 18th release, Unconnected Marketeers. Undeniably groovy stuff. Oh, speaking of Touhou: how about making or helping someone make an LGBT-themed fan game? Touhou Pride Game Jam 3 is right around the corner!
So, for the uninitiated, Touhou Project is essentially a series of bullet hell from Japan with an all-female cast “who are just loosely defined enough to let our headcanons go wild”. Sounds like a solid foundation for all kinds of fangames, across every genre imaginable. Visual novels, platformers, walking sims, racers, RPGs, shooters, bullet hell, sports – anything goes, really, as long as the game is connected to the Touhou universe/characters and explores LGBT themes. Well, anything… that doesn’t use assets from official Touhou games, promote bigotry or intolerance or feature unethical ships such as incest or child/adult pairs. Actually, just in case, be sure to read the rules yourself.
No game is too small, so take your time and do your best if you wish to participate. Jam veterans should still read the rules below because there are some additional guidelines to take note of.
Engine? Maker’s choice: Unity, GameMaker, RPG Maker, Ren’Py, Twine, Unreal Engine, Godot, Touhou Danmakufu, or something else entirely – including made-from-scratch – are all valid options. Oh, and if you’re interested in chatting with other people who share an interest in Touhou fangames, the Touhou Game Dev Hub Discord is open for business, complete with chat channels for the jam to keep the conversational flow organized. Last but not least, I’d recommend following @TouhouFanJam for updates.
Actually, wait. There’s something else: dates! I mean, given the LGBT-centric nature of Touhou Pride Game Jam 3, the fact that it’ll run from June 1, 2021, to June 15, 2021, is unlikely to surprise many (hint: Pride Month!), but still – there ya go. The first two weeks of June, which means you have less than a month to brainstorm ideas. Start those engines!
(Note: screenshot is from Touhou Pride Game Jam 2 submission, Beneath The Willows, a Touhou Fangame.)
