Gaming Like It's 1925: The Third Annual Public Domain Game Jam Starts January 1st
Sign up for the Public Domain Game Jam on itch.io »
Lots of people will be exchanging gifts tomorrow, but we all get one on January 1st when new material enters the public domain in the US for the third year in a row — and, also for the third year in a row, we're hosting our public domain game jam, Gaming Like It's 1925. We're looking for designers of all stripes to create games using some of the works from 1925 that are running out of copyright protection in the new year, and offering prizes in a bunch of categories. We announced this one a bit early to give people time to make plans, and you can sign up on the jam page on itch.io before it officially launches on New Year's Day!
You may have heard about The Great Gatsby entering the public domain, but while it's one of the highest-profile 1925 works, it's not alone: works by Agatha Christie, Aldous Huxley, Ernest Hemingway, Virginia Woolf, Noël Coward, Zora Neale Hurston and more are joining it, along with films like Harold Lloyd's The Freshman and Charlie Chaplin's The Gold Rush — and that's not even mentioning the artworks and musical compositions. Our jam page has links to several lists of 1925 works including Duke University's always-excellent roundup.
We're long-time believers in the value of a robust public domain and this game jam is all about showing the kinds of amazing new things that are created when old works are opened up. Get all the details on itch.io including complete rules, categories and prizes, and the list of judges — and get ready for January 1st when it's time to start gaming like it's 1925!