2022-05-31
Tomorrow begins the 2022 OSR June Jam. I learned of it from a helpful Reddit thread. That thread also has an explanation of what a game jam is, if you're unfamiliar. If you remember the 24 Hour RPG from 1KM1KT back in the day (are they still doing that?) or have ever done a video game jam, the idea is the same. 225 people have officially joined, at the time of this writing!
I haven't participated in a game jam for years, but I've been feeling inspired by the AD&D blogs I've discovered these past months. I'm tempted to undertake a particular AD&D project which would take longer than one month – especially since I'm running two separate D&D campaigns. Still, the OSR June Jam seems like a decent time to get started.
I've been considering doing a deep dive into 1st edition for over a month now – to study Gary's rulebooks in a way that I never have. Though I've run brief (<1 year) 1e/OSRIC campaigns, I've never read the original books front-to-back. Before I write any serious AD&D content of my own, I'm due for a full read-through of at least the three core books and Unearthed Arcana.
So for this OSR June Jam, my goal is to do that read-through and to take good notes while I'm at it. I know taking notes on RPG rules isn't the typical product of a game jam, but it's in the right spirit. I expect my studies will prompt some blog posts, too.