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{{Infobox
The '''Spooktober Visual Novel Jam''' is an annual event where participants [[Visual Novel Jam|create a visual novel]] themed around Halloween and/or a "spooky" or horror theme during the month of September. Entries are judged and prizes are awarded to winning participants in October.
| bodyclass  = vevent
 
| titleclass = summary
The jam is run and strongly promoted by the [[DevTalk]] visual novel developer community, and preparations for the jam start months in advance. The jam's official itch page allowing participants to join is usually published about 1 month prior to the start.
| labelstyle = white-space: nowrap;
{{Infobox jam
| title      = Spooktober VN Jam
| name = Spooktober Visual Novel Jam
| image      = [[File:Spooktober 2022 key art.jpg|200px]]
| logo = [[File:Spooktober key art.png|200px]]
| caption    = Key art for Spooktober 2022
| theme = Spooky, Horror, Halloween, non-NSFW
| label2    = Years active
| timing = September; 1 month
| data2      = 2019 to Present
| status = Ongoing
| label3    = Host
| most_participants = 1,487 (2024)
| data3      = [[Remort Studios, LLC|Remort Studios]]
| most_entries = 272 (2024)
| label4    = Duration
| started = 2019
| data4      = 1 month (September)
| creator = [[Stella]]
| label5    = Theme
| host = [[DevTalk]], [[Stella]]
| data5      = Spooky, Horror, Halloween, non-NSFW
| cumul_participants = 4,167 (incl. 2024)
| label6    = Prior work
| cumul_entries = 813 (incl. 2024)
| data6      = Not allowed
| records = Most entries (1st);<br />most participants (1st);<br />most cumulative participants (1st);<br /> 2nd most cumulative entries
| label7    = Most entries
| stats = Spooktober Visual Novel Jam
| data7      = 160 (2022)
| url = [https://itch.io/jam/spooktober-2024 https://itch.io/jam/spooktober-2024]
| label10    = Latest URL
| data10    = {{URL|https://itch.io/jam/spooktober-vn-jam-2022}}
}}
}}


The Spooktober [[VN Jam]] is an annual event where in the month of September participants create a visual novel themed around Halloween and/or a "spooky" or horror theme, in any genre (e.g. drama, but also comedy is allowed). Entries are judged and prizes are awarded to winning participants in October, after the jam's main (creation) phase is finished. The name "Spooktober" references October 31th (Halloween).


The jam is run and strongly promoted by the DevTalk VN developer community, and general awareness and preparations for the jam start months in advance. The jam's official itch page allowing participants to join is usually published about 1 month prior to the start. In 2021 Spooktober VN Jam became the first and so far only itch.io VN jam to produce more VN entries than NaNoRenO in a given year.
== History ==
{{expand section}}


== History ==
The first Spooktober Visual Novel Jam took place in October 2019 and the event has grown each year since. 2020 saw a shift to September so that entries were available to play during Halloween season in October.


The first Spooktober VN Jam took place in 2019.
In 2021, Spooktober became the first recorded visual novel jam to produce more entries than [[NaNoRenO]] in a given year.


== Overview ==
Spooktober 2023 became the largest visual novel jam ever by a significant margin, with 1097 participants and 210 entries. It also had the largest total prize pot of any visual novel jam at $7,500 across several categories & awards.


There are two main phases to Spooktober, one being the creation phase, and an additional phase, where the jam promotes its creations and encourages people to "celebrate the spooky season" by playing its entries while the entries are being judged. The availability of VNs to play during the Halloween-themed time is the reason why the creation phase is in September. Only in its first 2019 iteration did the jam's creation phase take place in October.
Spooktober 2024 again took top spots for participants and entries, beating out Spooktober 2023 and SuNoFes 2024. It had 1,487 participants and 272 entries. The total prize pot was somewhat smaller than the previous year, at $4,550.


== Preparation Phase ==
Also in 2024, [[Stella]] and the DevTalk team underwent a number of marketing & promotional efforts for the jam and its games. VTuber [https://www.twitch.tv/chizu_koyote Chizu Koyote] hosted several streams sponsored by DevTalk, showcasing Spooktober Entries.


This natural phase of a jam consists of preparing for the "Creation Phase". Participants may sign up, form teams and do other typical activities allowed by the jam rules. Restrictions apply, such as for the creation of final in-game assets. In the DevTalk server two Meet and Greets are organized to facilitate team creation and recruitment. In this phase participants are encouraged to clarify open questions in regards to jam rules.
Also, an [[Genre#Advergame|advergame]] was put into production, which enabled the creation of a [[Twitch]] category to aid in visibility for streamers playing Spooktober games. The advergame unfortunately was not completed before the jam ended, though the Twitch category was live by September 11, 2024. The advergame is in late development as of October 2024.


=== Rules ===
== Rules ==


The jam's main rules are:
The jam's main rules are:
Line 44: Line 42:
* work on final assets can only start within the jam period
* work on final assets can only start within the jam period
* adherence to theme of Halloween, horror, etc.
* adherence to theme of Halloween, horror, etc.
* free availability of VN for the judging period
* free availability of the submission for the judging period
* no NSFW content / appropriate content warnings
* no NSFW content / appropriate content warnings
* Late submissions may be allowed on a case by case basis, but are not eligible for judging or prizes.


== Creation Phase ==
== Overview & Process ==


This is the "main" phase of Spooktober, taking place during September. Participants create, finish and must submit the VN to the jam page before the end of the submission window. Late submissions may be allowed on a case by case basis, but are not eligible for judging or prizes.
Before the jam begins, participants may sign up, form teams, and plan for story, art, or other aspects of the game. Work on final in-game assets may not be started before the official beginning of the jam. Two Meet and Greets are typically organized in the Devtalk Discord server to facilitate team creation and recruitment.


== Playing and Visibility Phase ==
After the jam submission period is finished, judging begins. To ensure fair treatment of all entries, Judges do not consider updates or changes to games that occur after the jam ends. The judging process typically involves individual shortlists, and typically not every judge will play every submission. Once a consensus on the winners is achieved, the results are published on the jam page, and announced though various other channels.


After the jam submission period is finished, the playing and visibility phase begins. At the same time that the judges start their process (see Judging Phase), DevTalk promotes and facilitates post-jam activities in the context of Halloween throughout the month of October. These are encouraging playing and commenting on entries, hosting or highlighting people's Let's Play streams, encouraging reviews, and working to increase the overall visibility of the jam and its VNs.
There are no set overall judging criteria, however each year judges will introduce themselves and present their personal focus points and judging values, e.g. focus on emotional impact, self-expression, or overall cohesiveness.  


== Judging Phase ==
While judging proceeds, DevTalk promotes and facilitates post-jam activities such as encouraging playing and commenting on entries, hosting or highlighting people's Let's Play streams, encouraging reviews, and working to increase the overall visibility of the jam and its submissions.
 
The judging phase also starts after the jam submission period is finished. Judges download all submissions as they are at the time of the jam's end, and disregard any updates to the VNs made between the end of submission period and announcing of results, to ensure fair treatment of all entries. Judges play and exchange views on submissions privately, and do not publish any preliminary results.
 
The judging approach is dependent on the number of expected submissions, and it is possible that not all judges will play all VNs. The judging process may involve individual shortlists, or splitting submissions between the judges. Once a consensus on the winners is achieved, the results are published on the jam page, and announces though various other channels.
 
There are no set overall judging criteria, however each year judges will introduce themselves and present their personal focus points and judging values, e.g. focus on emotional impact, self-expression, or overall cohesiveness.  


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left";
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left";
! Year !! Judging Team
! Year !! Judging Team
|-
|-
| 2022 || Nai, Arimia, HusbandoGoddess, John, Chaplin
| 2024 || Stella, Arimia, Chaplin, Vimi, shino, Mado, Cygni
|-
| 2023 || Arimia, Chaplin, Coda, Vimi, RedOwl
|-
| 2022 || Stella, Arimia, HusbandoGoddess, John, Chaplin
|-
|-
| 2021 || Nai, Arimia, Chloe, TundraFlame, Fra
| 2021 || Stella, Arimia, Chloe, TundraFlame, Fra
|-
|-
| 2020 || Nai, Arimia
| 2020 || Stella, Arimia
|-
|-
| 2019 || Nai, Arimia
| 2019 || Stella, Arimia
|}
|}


== Categories and prizes ==
== Categories and Awards ==
 
The award categories for Spooktober may vary from year to year. In addition to a "grand prize" awarded to the top three entries, secondary prizes are awarded in various categories. The amounts and types of prizes vary from year to year, even in the same category, as they are often dependent on sponsorship agreements made for that year. Prizes can be monetary, or license keys for software.


The prize categories for Spooktober may vary from year to year. In addition to a "grand prize" awarded to the top three VNs, secondary prizes in various categories may be awarded. The amounts and types of prizes can also vary from year to year, even in the same category, as they are often dependent on sponsorship agreements made for that year. Prizes can be monetary, or license keys for software.
Groupings of awards on this page are arbitrary, and generated only for readability. The competition itself does not arrange awards into groups.


=== Judge Favorite ===
=== Judge Favorite ===


This is the most prestigious Spooktober award and is given away by the judges for the "best overall" VNs in the form of a "top three" ranked order. This award serves to highlight standout titles rather than ordering all submissions, therefore no accompanying further or expanded ranked list is published.  
This is the most prestigious Spooktober award and is given by the judges for the "best overall" entries in the form of a "top three" ranked order.


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left";
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left";
! Year !! 1st place !! 2nd place !! 3rd place
! Year !! 1st place !! 2nd place !! 3rd place
|-
| 2024 || Spirit Driver || Märchen Line || MAMA
|-
| 2023 || Model Employee || The Final Prize is Soup || Reaplaced
|-
|-
| 2022 || Our Fantastic Wonderland || Elevator Hitch || All That (Probably) Glitters
| 2022 || Our Fantastic Wonderland || Elevator Hitch || All That (Probably) Glitters
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|}
|}


=== Judge Shortlist ===
=== Judge Shortlist / Honorable Mentions ===


Before the final three titles of the Judge Favorite award are established, a selection of candidates is picked by the judges from the entirety of the submission pool. These include the future Judge Favorite titles.
Since 2021, a list of honorable mentions is published for each competition. Before the final three titles of the Judge Favorite award are established, a shortlist of candidates is picked by the judges from the entirety of the submission pool, and these shortlisted games are awarded an honorable mention. These include the future Judge Favorite titles. Additional entries may be given an honorable mention by judges even if they did not make it past the formal shortlisting process.


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left";
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left";
! Year !! Count !! Titles
! Year !! Count !! Titles
|-
| 2024 || 63/272 <br/> (23%)  || A Song for the Damned, A Witch is Getting Married, A Zombie Head Went Missing at the Party Full of CUTE MONSTER GIRLS!?, Puppeteer's Lament, All Hallow's Eve, Awayuki Tasogare, BABELOMANIA, BAD MANORS, Beyond the Veil, CANIDAE, Casey Noir and Carved Pumpkin's Latte, Catfish in Disguise, Comme Tu Veux Demo, Corpse Flower, Death Love Repeat, Demons of the Venta Quemanda, Dream of Rosy Pastries, Drown the Bride, Elfin National Park, Epimutation, GIVE EVIL A FACE, HavE, Help! I Took My Little Brother to a Halloween Party and the Popular Kids Want to Sacrifice Him to a Demon!, Home Haunting, Infected Infestation, Intensive (S)care Unit, Killer Chat!, Knock-Knock, Let's Watch Steamboat Willie!, Lydia's Labyrinth, Märchen Line, MAD LAB PARTY, MAMA, Memory Recoil, Mothers, My landlord is an alien, Necromance, Never Play Again, Not My Body!, Not My Part, Oto-hime, Our Lamb Amidst Mortals, Parasocial! Paranoia! Paradise!, Pippa and Your Phantasmal Problem, PLAY OF WIRE, Red Caps Order, Rot in Paradise, rotten angel, Sayounara My Moon, Shut-in Vampire, Skin Deep, Spirit Driver, Still On Patrol, Sunk, Tell it Slant, The Death Night Show, The Hermetic Tower, The Stars Under Lockehurst, THE UNDERGLOW: Knowledge, Tricks, Treats, and Mirrors - An EoG Side Story, Undergrowth, UnderHolo, Zodiac Paradigm
|-
| 2023 || 53/210 <br/> (25%)  ||  Angel Hare's Learning Adventure, Are We Still Friends?, Ball of the Black Cat, Beary the Hatchet, Burdock, Counterpart, Curse of the Juniper Tree, Dead Set, Death is a Guest, DISCONNECT, Eldritch Idol, Eva and the Fallen Star, Fear Me: The Silent, Freak The Town, Ghostly Delights, Goblet of Mercy, Hardships Of A Vampire, Head Over Heels, How May I Direct Your Curse, I love my follower (count), Imago Dirge, It's Inside, Living With Ghosts, Long Time No See, Model Employee, Mycopsychosys, NG: Cursed in Love!?, No Time For Mercy, Please don't trust me, protoViolence, Reaplaced, Red Zero, Remnants: Counsel of the Dead, Satan is an Astronaut, Scarlett's Sorrows, Sempre, Shared Beauty, So Below, Stares Back, The Final Prize is Soup, The House on Limbo Lane, The Killer at Moonlight, The Phantom of the Black Rose Revue: Act 1, The Widow's Shadow, The Wrong Evelyn, This Magical Girl is a B⭐tch [ACT 1], Trashwing Crowchild, Trick or Treat, Undead Air, UNDERSTUDY, Undo the Mustache Curse Witch!, WITCHAROO, Wrong Turn
|-
|-
| 2022 || 32/160 <br/> (20%)  ||  All That (Probably) Glitters, Autumn Spirit, Beneath the Crushing Sky, Blue Thistle Ghosts, Cal's Costume Conundrum!!, Confessions Amongst the Poppies, Corvus Clueless, Curse in Bloom, Don't Die Alone, Elevator Hitch, Girlfriend Simulator, L.S.D.s --- AKA: Love-Sucking Demons, Lachesis ∨ Atropos, Loose Oddities and Entities, Melissa :heart:, Nameless - The Departed Cycle, Nowhereplatz U3, Offal, Our Fantastic Wonderland, Panacea: Rebirth, Parasite in Love, The Cryptic Caper, The Graveyard Shift, The Madness Of [Redacted], Vivica's Heart, VVVVV, waterborne: immersion (waterborne 2), Who Killed BigFoot?, Wilting Regrets, World of You, Yokai Detective Kou
| 2022 || 32/160 <br/> (20%)  ||  All That (Probably) Glitters, Autumn Spirit, Beneath the Crushing Sky, Blue Thistle Ghosts, Cal's Costume Conundrum!!, Confessions Amongst the Poppies, Corvus Clueless, Curse in Bloom, Don't Die Alone, Elevator Hitch, Girlfriend Simulator, L.S.D.s --- AKA: Love-Sucking Demons, Lachesis ∨ Atropos, Loose Oddities and Entities, Melissa :heart:, Nameless - The Departed Cycle, Nowhereplatz U3, Offal, Our Fantastic Wonderland, Panacea: Rebirth, Parasite in Love, The Cryptic Caper, The Graveyard Shift, The Madness Of [Redacted], Vivica's Heart, VVVVV, waterborne: immersion (waterborne 2), Who Killed BigFoot?, Wilting Regrets, World of You, Yokai Detective Kou
|-
|-
| 2021 || 39/112 <br/> (35%) || All That Ales Yew, Belladonna, Candy Scabs, The Case of the Serialized Killer, DUFE: Masquerade, Falling Stars, Frightwood, Ghost Switch, Graveyard Girls, The haunting of my childhood mall, Hearts & Hexes, The Housemate, Hush Little Lily, InSomno, Jill O’ Lantern: First Slice, Last One There, Limbo Line, The Life We’ve Chosen, Misty Hollow, Mitra, Mothdude, Moths to a Flame, Paranormal Buddies, Perfection Paper-thin, Pumpkin Face, Pusoy Dos, The Raven, Romancing Flesh, Scary Gourmet, Silverblood, The Spider and the Bride, Stardander Revenant, Stillwater, Tales of Misteria, To All the Wolves I’ve Slain, Up All Night: Rumination, waterborne, Wolfskin’s Curse, Who Is the Red Queen?
| 2021 || 39/112 <br/> (35%) || All That Ales Yew, Belladonna, Candy Scabs, The Case of the Serialized Killer, DUFE: Masquerade, Falling Stars, Frightwood, Ghost Switch, Graveyard Girls, The haunting of my childhood mall, Hearts & Hexes, The Housemate, Hush Little Lily, InSomno, Jill O’ Lantern: First Slice, Last One There, Limbo Line, The Life We’ve Chosen, Misty Hollow, Mitra, Mothdude, Moths to a Flame, Paranormal Buddies, Perfection Paper-thin, Pumpkin Face, Pusoy Dos, The Raven, Romancing Flesh, Scary Gourmet, Silverblood, The Spider and the Bride, Stardander Revenant, Stillwater, Tales of Misteria, To All the Wolves I’ve Slain, Up All Night: Rumination, waterborne, Wolfskin’s Curse, Who Is the Red Queen?
|-
| style="background-color:white" | 2020 || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(0)''</span>  || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
|-
| style="background-color:white" | 2019 || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(0)''</span>  || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span> 
|}
|}


=== Itch.io Favorite / Public vote ===  
=== Marketing Assets & Itch.io Design ===
 
==== Itch.io Favorite / Public vote ====
 
This is the result of the public voting system. It has been measured & awarded in several different ways over the course of the competition.
 
In 2019, the results for this section (labelled "community favorite") were announced with Not It (score 4,899 via 9 votes) in 1st place before Halloween Hearts and Bliss Cafe (both scoring 5,000 with 2 votes each) because of the weight of the quantity of votes.


This is the result of the public voting system. The system follows the itch.io 5-star system, and is calculated with the top result being the highest average score, regardless of the amount of ratings received. In 2019 the results for this section ("community favorite") were announced with Not It (score 4,89 via 9 votes) in 1st place before Halloween Hearts and Bliss Cafe (both scoring 5,00 with 2 votes each) because of the weight of the quantity of votes. In 2022 the winner was not determined by the jam's scoring system as the custom categories were created to add to the spooky nature of the jam rather than offer precise feedback to elements of the submissions, and the single winner was established via the popularity sorting rank on the submissions page.
In 2021, the awards were given according to the itch.io 5-star system. Rankings were calculated with the top result being the highest average score, regardless of the amount of ratings received.  


This overview lists the top three places only, following only the average score (not weighing in the amount of votes)
In 2022, the single winner was determined via the popularity sorting rank on the submissions page.
 
In 2024, the winner was determined by the greatest number of votes/rankings, regardless of the overall score.


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left";
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left";
! Year !! 1st place !! 2nd place !! 3rd place
! Year !! 1st place !! 2nd place !! 3rd place
|-
|-
| 2022 || Melissa :heart: <br/> (most popular) || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>  || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>   
| 2024 || Killer Chat <br/> (671 votes; score 4.725) || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span> || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
|-
| style="background-color:white" | 2023 || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>  || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>  || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
|-
| 2022 || Melissa <br/> (most popular) || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>  || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>   
|-
|-
| 2021 || Mitra <br/> (score 5,000 via 10 votes) || The Case of The Serialized Killer <br/> (score 4,941 via 51 votes)  || Up All Night: Rumination <br/> (score 4,929 via 14 votes)
| 2021 || Mitra <br/> (score 5,000 via 10 votes) || The Case of The Serialized Killer <br/> (score 4,941 via 51 votes)  || Up All Night: Rumination <br/> (score 4,929 via 14 votes)
Line 129: Line 144:
|}
|}


=== Thumbnail ===  
==== Best Itch.IO Page ====
This award was given only in 2023, to the most appealing Itch.IO page as determined by the judges.
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left";
! Year !! 1st place !! Nominated
|-
| 2023 || Shared Beauty || Satan is an Astronaut, Shared Beauty, DISCONNECT, The Final Prize is Soup, Sea Fever, NG: Cursed in Love?!, Model Employee
|}
 
==== Best Thumbnail ====  


Award for the best thumbnail image on the submission's itch.io page.  
Award for the best thumbnail image on the submission's itch.io page.  


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left";
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left";
! Year !! 1st place !! 2nd place !! 3rd place
! Year !! 1st place !! 2nd place !! 3rd place !! Nominees
|-
| 2024 || Pippa and Your Phantasmal Problem || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>  || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>  || Baths, MAMA, Late Night Surfing, Pippa and Your Phantasmal Problem, Never Play Again
|-
| style="background-color:white" | 2023 || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span> || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>  || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>  || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span> 
|-
|-
| 2022 || Yokai Detective Kou || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>  || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>  
| 2022 || Yokai Detective Kou || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>  || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span> || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span> 
|-
|-
| 2021 || DUFE: Masquerade || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>  || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>   
| 2021 || DUFE: Masquerade || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>  || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>  || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>   
|-
|-
| 2020 || Therapy with Dr. Albert Krueger || Bewitched Hearts || Oh! Terry!  
| 2020 || Therapy with Dr. Albert Krueger || Bewitched Hearts || Oh! Terry! || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span> 
|-
|-
| 2019 || It's Just The End of the World, Love || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>  || style="background-color:white" |  <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>  
| 2019 || It's Just The End of the World, Love || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>  || style="background-color:white" |  <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span> || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span> 
|}
|}


=== Logline ===  
==== Best Logline ====  


Award for the best log line (1-3 sentences with what the visual novel is about).
Award for the best log line (1-3 sentences with what the visual novel is about).


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left";
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left";
! Year !! 1st place !! 2nd place !! 3rd place
! Year !! 1st place !! 2nd place !! 3rd place !! Nominees
|-
| 2024 || Necromance || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span> || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span> || Necromance, Nine to Five AM, Let's Watch Steamboat Willy, UnderHolo
|-
| style="background-color:white" | 2023 || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>  || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>  || style="background-color:white" |  <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>  || style="background-color:white" |  <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
|-
|-
| style="background-color:white" | 2022 || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>  || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>  || style="background-color:white" |  <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
| style="background-color:white" | 2022 || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>  || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>  || style="background-color:white" |  <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>  || style="background-color:white" |  <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
|-
|-
| 2021 || Wolfskin's Curse || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span> || style="background-color:white" |  <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
| 2021 || Wolfskin's Curse || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span> || style="background-color:white" |  <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>  || style="background-color:white" |  <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
|-
|-
| 2020 || Up All Night || Devil's Door || Play Dead!  
| 2020 || Up All Night || Devil's Door || Play Dead!   || style="background-color:white" |  <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
|-
|-
| 2019 || I'm A Love Interest In my Childhood Friend's Halloween Story || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>  || style="background-color:white" |  <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
| 2019 || I'm A Love Interest In my Childhood Friend's Halloween Story || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>  || style="background-color:white" |  <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>  || style="background-color:white" |  <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
|}
|}


=== Monster / Costume Design ===  
===Art & Visuals===
 
==== Best Cinematography / Scene Presentation ====
Awarded beginning in 2021 to the submission judged to have the best cinematography and [[scene direction]].


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left";
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left";
! Year !! 1st place !! 2nd place !! 3rd place
! Year !! 1st place !! Nominated
|-
|-
| 2022 || The Cryptic Caper || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>  || style="background-color:white" |  <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
| 2024 || MAMA || MAMA, Home Haunting, HavE
|-
|-
| 2021 || Romancing Flesh || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>  || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
| 2023 || DISCONNECT || DISCONNECT, protoViolence, The Final Prize is Soup, First Do No Harm, Shared Beauty, The Widow's Shadow
|-
|-
| 2020 || What Grows in the Night || Were|House || Last Meal at Cafe Mori
| 2022 || Our Fantastic Wonderland || Our Fantastic Wonderland, LSD AKA Love Sucking Demons.
|-
|-
| 2019 || Bliss Cafe || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>  || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
| 2021 || Romancing Flesh || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
|}
|}


=== Best Cinematography / Scene Presentation ===  
==== Best Character Design ====
First awarded in 2023.


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left";
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left";
! Year !! 1st place !! Nominated
! Year !! 1st place !! Nominated
|-
|-
| 2022 || Our Fantastic Wonderland || Our Fantastic Wonderland, LSD AKA Love Sucking Demons.
| 2024 || Home Haunting || Infected Infestation, Home Haunting, Shut-in Vampire, Spirit Driver, Epimutation, Not My Part
|-
|-
| 2021 || Romancing Flesh || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
| 2023 || Pearl (Beary the Hatchet) || Penny (Model Employee), Tabbie (This Magical Girl is a Btch: Act 1), Lydia (Ghostly Delights), Mio (Reaplaced), Pearl (Beary the Hatchet), Plum (Love, Pumpkin, and Other Complications), Mirabell (Us Three Joined by Flesh), Kara (Trick or Treat), Letty (DISCONNECT), Cassie Cortega (Satan is an Astronaut)
|-
|}
| style="background-color:white" | 2020 || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span> || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
 
==== Best 3D Character Model ====
Awarded only in 2023.
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left";
! Year !! Winner
|-
|-
| style="background-color:white" | 2019 || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span> || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
| 2023 || First Do No Harm
|}
|}


=== Motif ===  
==== Monster / Costume Design ====
 
Awarded for the best recurring motifs in submitted visual novels.


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left";
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left";
! Year !! 1st place  
! Year !! 1st place !! 2nd place !! 3rd place !! Nominees
|-
| 2024 || Epimutation || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>  || style="background-color:white" |  <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span> || MAMA, Epimutation, Märchen Line, Intensive (S)care Unit
|-
| style="background-color:white" | 2023 || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>  || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>  || style="background-color:white" |  <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span> || style="background-color:white" |  <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
|-
|-
| style="background-color:white" | 2022 || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
| 2022 || The Cryptic Caper || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>  || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span> || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
|-
|-
| style="background-color:white" | 2021 || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
| 2021 || Romancing Flesh || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>  || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span> || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
|-
|-
| style="background-color:white" | 2020 || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
| 2020 || What Grows in the Night || Were|House || Last Meal at Cafe Mori || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
|-
|-
| 2019 || I'm A Love Interest In My Childhood Friend's Halloween Story
| 2019 || Bliss Cafe || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>  || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span> || style="background-color:white" |  <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
|}
|}


=== Best Unity Submission ===  
==== Best Graphical User Interface (GUI) ====
Awarded beginning in 2024.


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left";
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left";
! Year !! 1st place  
! Year !! 1st place !! Nominees
|-
|-
| style="background-color:white" | 2022 || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
| 2024 || Zodiac Paradigm || Pippa and Your Phantasmal Problem, Tell it Slant, Babbelomania, Zodiac Paradigm
|}
 
==== Best Video Effects (VFX) ====
Awarded beginning in 2024.
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left";
! Year !! 1st place !! Nominees
|-
|-
| style="background-color:white" | 2021 || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
| 2024 || UnderHolo || UnderHolo, MAMA, HavE
|}
 
==== Motif ====
 
Awarded in 2019 for the best recurring motifs in submitted visual novels.
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left";
! Year !! 1st place
|-
|-
| 2020 || Soft Drizzle: B-Track 
| 2019 || I'm A Love Interest In My Childhood Friend's Halloween Story
|-
| style="background-color:white" | 2019 || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
|}
|}


=== Best Score ===  
===Audio & Voice Acting===
 
==== Best Voice Actor / Human Voice Performance ====
Awarded beginning in 2020.


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left";
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left";
! Year !! 1st place !! Nominated
! Year !! 1st place !! Nominated
|-
|-
| 2022 || Parasite in Love || Parasite in Love, Autumn Spirit, Vivica's Heart
| 2024 || cobaltkobold || cobaltkobold as The Narrator in Tell it Slant, Ren Alberg as Cat in Zodiac Paradigm, itsnotmika as The Narrator in Demons of the Venta Quemada, Ryan X. Messcher as Jack 'The Voice' Reynolds in Song for the Damned
|-
| 2023 || Davon Oliver || Taylor Fernandez, Davon Oliver, Lauren Kong, Pamela Santos
|-
|-
| style="background-color:white" | 2021 || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span> || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
| 2022 || Rachel Schumacher || Trickle, Rachel Schumacher, Vera Tan
|-
|-
| style="background-color:white" | 2020 || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span> || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
| 2021 || Paradoxxxical || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
|-
|-
| style="background-color:white" | 2019 || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span> || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
| 2020 || Nick Chang || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
|}
|}


=== Best Voice Actor / Human Voice Performance ===  
==== Best Original Soundtrack ====
Awarded beginning in 2022 for the best original soundtrack, defined as a musical soundtrack produced entirely within the jam's timeframe.


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left";
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left";
! Year !! 1st place !! Nominated
! Year !! 1st place !! Nominated
|-
|-
| 2022 || Rachel Schumacher || Trickle, Rachel Schumacher, Vera Tan
| 2024 || Märchen Line || Märchen Line, Pippa and Your Phantasmal Problem
|-
|-
| 2021 || Paradoxxxical || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
| 2023 || Reaplaced || Reaplaced, Satan is an Astronaut, Undead Air, Phantom of the Black Rose Revue: Act 1, Model Employee
|-
|-
| 2020 || Nick Chang || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
| 2022 || Parasite in Love || Parasite in Love, Autumn Spirit, Vivica's Heart
|-
| style="background-color:white" | 2019 || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span> || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
|}
|}


=== Best Monster Performance ===  
==== Best Monster Performance ====
Awarded only in 2020.


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left";
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left";
! Year !! 1st place  
! Year !! 1st place  
|-
| style="background-color:white" | 2022 || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
|-
| style="background-color:white" | 2021 || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
|-
|-
| 2020 || MAHO Cody  
| 2020 || MAHO Cody  
|-
| style="background-color:white" | 2019 || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
|}
|}


=== Best Live Streamed Performance ===  
==== Best Live Streamed Performance ====
Awarded from 2020-2021 for the best voice acting performance during a livestream playthrough of a submitted game.


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left";
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left";
! Year !! 1st place  
! Year !! 1st place  
|-
| style="background-color:white" | 2022 || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
|-
|-
| 2021 || Project Flawesome  
| 2021 || Project Flawesome  
|-
|-
| 2020 || Tundra Flame
| 2020 || Tundra Flame
|}
=== Sponsored & Engine-Based Categories ===
==== Best Unity Engine Submission ====
Awarded in 2020 to the best submission created using the Unity engine. Sponsored by [[NaniNovel]].
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left";
! Year !! 1st place
|-
| 2020 || Soft Drizzle: B-Track 
|}
==== Best LightVN Submission ====
Awarded in 2024 for the best submission made with the [[LightVN]] engine. Sponsored by LightVN.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left";
! Year !! 1st place !! Nominees
|-
| 2024 || Play of Wire || Awayuki Tasogare, My Landlord is An Alien, Play of Wire
|}
==== Best Boys' Love VN ====
Awarded in 2024 and sponsored by [[JAST| JAST USA]].
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left";
! Year !! 1st place
|-
|-
| style="background-color:white" | 2019 || style="background-color:white" | <span style="color:silver">''(not awarded)''</span>
| 2024 || Our Lamb Amidst Mortals
|}
|}


Line 280: Line 362:
* [https://itch.io/jam/spooktober-vn-jam-2021 Spooktober 2021]
* [https://itch.io/jam/spooktober-vn-jam-2021 Spooktober 2021]
* [https://itch.io/jam/spooktober-vn-jam-2022 Spooktober 2022]
* [https://itch.io/jam/spooktober-vn-jam-2022 Spooktober 2022]
* [https://itch.io/jam/spooktober-2023 Spooktober 2023]
* [https://itch.io/jam/spooktober-2024 Spooktober 2024]


{{jam nav}}
{{jam nav}}
{{devtalk nav}}

Latest revision as of 08:36, 10 December 2024

The Spooktober Visual Novel Jam is an annual event where participants create a visual novel themed around Halloween and/or a "spooky" or horror theme during the month of September. Entries are judged and prizes are awarded to winning participants in October.

The jam is run and strongly promoted by the DevTalk visual novel developer community, and preparations for the jam start months in advance. The jam's official itch page allowing participants to join is usually published about 1 month prior to the start.

Spooktober Visual Novel Jam
Theme Spooky, Horror, Halloween, non-NSFW
Timing & Duration September; 1 month
Status Ongoing
Most Participants 1,487 (2024)
Most Entries 272 (2024)
Year Started 2019
Creator(s) Stella
Current Host(s) DevTalk, Stella
Cumulative Participants 4,167 (incl. 2024)
Cumulative Entries 813 (incl. 2024)
Record(s) Held Most entries (1st);
most participants (1st);
most cumulative participants (1st);
2nd most cumulative entries
Detailed Stats More Stats
Most Recent Jam Page https://itch.io/jam/spooktober-2024


History

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it.

The first Spooktober Visual Novel Jam took place in October 2019 and the event has grown each year since. 2020 saw a shift to September so that entries were available to play during Halloween season in October.

In 2021, Spooktober became the first recorded visual novel jam to produce more entries than NaNoRenO in a given year.

Spooktober 2023 became the largest visual novel jam ever by a significant margin, with 1097 participants and 210 entries. It also had the largest total prize pot of any visual novel jam at $7,500 across several categories & awards.

Spooktober 2024 again took top spots for participants and entries, beating out Spooktober 2023 and SuNoFes 2024. It had 1,487 participants and 272 entries. The total prize pot was somewhat smaller than the previous year, at $4,550.

Also in 2024, Stella and the DevTalk team underwent a number of marketing & promotional efforts for the jam and its games. VTuber Chizu Koyote hosted several streams sponsored by DevTalk, showcasing Spooktober Entries.

Also, an advergame was put into production, which enabled the creation of a Twitch category to aid in visibility for streamers playing Spooktober games. The advergame unfortunately was not completed before the jam ended, though the Twitch category was live by September 11, 2024. The advergame is in late development as of October 2024.

Rules

The jam's main rules are:

  • work on final assets can only start within the jam period
  • adherence to theme of Halloween, horror, etc.
  • free availability of the submission for the judging period
  • no NSFW content / appropriate content warnings
  • Late submissions may be allowed on a case by case basis, but are not eligible for judging or prizes.

Overview & Process

Before the jam begins, participants may sign up, form teams, and plan for story, art, or other aspects of the game. Work on final in-game assets may not be started before the official beginning of the jam. Two Meet and Greets are typically organized in the Devtalk Discord server to facilitate team creation and recruitment.

After the jam submission period is finished, judging begins. To ensure fair treatment of all entries, Judges do not consider updates or changes to games that occur after the jam ends. The judging process typically involves individual shortlists, and typically not every judge will play every submission. Once a consensus on the winners is achieved, the results are published on the jam page, and announced though various other channels.

There are no set overall judging criteria, however each year judges will introduce themselves and present their personal focus points and judging values, e.g. focus on emotional impact, self-expression, or overall cohesiveness.

While judging proceeds, DevTalk promotes and facilitates post-jam activities such as encouraging playing and commenting on entries, hosting or highlighting people's Let's Play streams, encouraging reviews, and working to increase the overall visibility of the jam and its submissions.

Year Judging Team
2024 Stella, Arimia, Chaplin, Vimi, shino, Mado, Cygni
2023 Arimia, Chaplin, Coda, Vimi, RedOwl
2022 Stella, Arimia, HusbandoGoddess, John, Chaplin
2021 Stella, Arimia, Chloe, TundraFlame, Fra
2020 Stella, Arimia
2019 Stella, Arimia

Categories and Awards

The award categories for Spooktober may vary from year to year. In addition to a "grand prize" awarded to the top three entries, secondary prizes are awarded in various categories. The amounts and types of prizes vary from year to year, even in the same category, as they are often dependent on sponsorship agreements made for that year. Prizes can be monetary, or license keys for software.

Groupings of awards on this page are arbitrary, and generated only for readability. The competition itself does not arrange awards into groups.

Judge Favorite

This is the most prestigious Spooktober award and is given by the judges for the "best overall" entries in the form of a "top three" ranked order.

Year 1st place 2nd place 3rd place
2024 Spirit Driver Märchen Line MAMA
2023 Model Employee The Final Prize is Soup Reaplaced
2022 Our Fantastic Wonderland Elevator Hitch All That (Probably) Glitters
2021 StillWater Stardander Revenant Romancing Flesh
2020 Therapy with Dr. Albert Krueger Last Meal at Cafe Mori Night of the Lesbian Vampires
2019 Not It (not awarded) (not awarded)

Judge Shortlist / Honorable Mentions

Since 2021, a list of honorable mentions is published for each competition. Before the final three titles of the Judge Favorite award are established, a shortlist of candidates is picked by the judges from the entirety of the submission pool, and these shortlisted games are awarded an honorable mention. These include the future Judge Favorite titles. Additional entries may be given an honorable mention by judges even if they did not make it past the formal shortlisting process.

Year Count Titles
2024 63/272
(23%)		 A Song for the Damned, A Witch is Getting Married, A Zombie Head Went Missing at the Party Full of CUTE MONSTER GIRLS!?, Puppeteer's Lament, All Hallow's Eve, Awayuki Tasogare, BABELOMANIA, BAD MANORS, Beyond the Veil, CANIDAE, Casey Noir and Carved Pumpkin's Latte, Catfish in Disguise, Comme Tu Veux Demo, Corpse Flower, Death Love Repeat, Demons of the Venta Quemanda, Dream of Rosy Pastries, Drown the Bride, Elfin National Park, Epimutation, GIVE EVIL A FACE, HavE, Help! I Took My Little Brother to a Halloween Party and the Popular Kids Want to Sacrifice Him to a Demon!, Home Haunting, Infected Infestation, Intensive (S)care Unit, Killer Chat!, Knock-Knock, Let's Watch Steamboat Willie!, Lydia's Labyrinth, Märchen Line, MAD LAB PARTY, MAMA, Memory Recoil, Mothers, My landlord is an alien, Necromance, Never Play Again, Not My Body!, Not My Part, Oto-hime, Our Lamb Amidst Mortals, Parasocial! Paranoia! Paradise!, Pippa and Your Phantasmal Problem, PLAY OF WIRE, Red Caps Order, Rot in Paradise, rotten angel, Sayounara My Moon, Shut-in Vampire, Skin Deep, Spirit Driver, Still On Patrol, Sunk, Tell it Slant, The Death Night Show, The Hermetic Tower, The Stars Under Lockehurst, THE UNDERGLOW: Knowledge, Tricks, Treats, and Mirrors - An EoG Side Story, Undergrowth, UnderHolo, Zodiac Paradigm
2023 53/210
(25%)		 Angel Hare's Learning Adventure, Are We Still Friends?, Ball of the Black Cat, Beary the Hatchet, Burdock, Counterpart, Curse of the Juniper Tree, Dead Set, Death is a Guest, DISCONNECT, Eldritch Idol, Eva and the Fallen Star, Fear Me: The Silent, Freak The Town, Ghostly Delights, Goblet of Mercy, Hardships Of A Vampire, Head Over Heels, How May I Direct Your Curse, I love my follower (count), Imago Dirge, It's Inside, Living With Ghosts, Long Time No See, Model Employee, Mycopsychosys, NG: Cursed in Love!?, No Time For Mercy, Please don't trust me, protoViolence, Reaplaced, Red Zero, Remnants: Counsel of the Dead, Satan is an Astronaut, Scarlett's Sorrows, Sempre, Shared Beauty, So Below, Stares Back, The Final Prize is Soup, The House on Limbo Lane, The Killer at Moonlight, The Phantom of the Black Rose Revue: Act 1, The Widow's Shadow, The Wrong Evelyn, This Magical Girl is a B⭐tch [ACT 1], Trashwing Crowchild, Trick or Treat, Undead Air, UNDERSTUDY, Undo the Mustache Curse Witch!, WITCHAROO, Wrong Turn
2022 32/160
(20%)		 All That (Probably) Glitters, Autumn Spirit, Beneath the Crushing Sky, Blue Thistle Ghosts, Cal's Costume Conundrum!!, Confessions Amongst the Poppies, Corvus Clueless, Curse in Bloom, Don't Die Alone, Elevator Hitch, Girlfriend Simulator, L.S.D.s --- AKA: Love-Sucking Demons, Lachesis ∨ Atropos, Loose Oddities and Entities, Melissa :heart:, Nameless - The Departed Cycle, Nowhereplatz U3, Offal, Our Fantastic Wonderland, Panacea: Rebirth, Parasite in Love, The Cryptic Caper, The Graveyard Shift, The Madness Of [Redacted], Vivica's Heart, VVVVV, waterborne: immersion (waterborne 2), Who Killed BigFoot?, Wilting Regrets, World of You, Yokai Detective Kou
2021 39/112
(35%)		 All That Ales Yew, Belladonna, Candy Scabs, The Case of the Serialized Killer, DUFE: Masquerade, Falling Stars, Frightwood, Ghost Switch, Graveyard Girls, The haunting of my childhood mall, Hearts & Hexes, The Housemate, Hush Little Lily, InSomno, Jill O’ Lantern: First Slice, Last One There, Limbo Line, The Life We’ve Chosen, Misty Hollow, Mitra, Mothdude, Moths to a Flame, Paranormal Buddies, Perfection Paper-thin, Pumpkin Face, Pusoy Dos, The Raven, Romancing Flesh, Scary Gourmet, Silverblood, The Spider and the Bride, Stardander Revenant, Stillwater, Tales of Misteria, To All the Wolves I’ve Slain, Up All Night: Rumination, waterborne, Wolfskin’s Curse, Who Is the Red Queen?

Marketing Assets & Itch.io Design

Itch.io Favorite / Public vote

This is the result of the public voting system. It has been measured & awarded in several different ways over the course of the competition.

In 2019, the results for this section (labelled "community favorite") were announced with Not It (score 4,899 via 9 votes) in 1st place before Halloween Hearts and Bliss Cafe (both scoring 5,000 with 2 votes each) because of the weight of the quantity of votes.

In 2021, the awards were given according to the itch.io 5-star system. Rankings were calculated with the top result being the highest average score, regardless of the amount of ratings received.

In 2022, the single winner was determined via the popularity sorting rank on the submissions page.

In 2024, the winner was determined by the greatest number of votes/rankings, regardless of the overall score.

Year 1st place 2nd place 3rd place
2024 Killer Chat
(671 votes; score 4.725)		 (not awarded) (not awarded)
2023 (not awarded) (not awarded) (not awarded)
2022 Melissa
(most popular)		 (not awarded) (not awarded)
2021 Mitra
(score 5,000 via 10 votes)		 The Case of The Serialized Killer
(score 4,941 via 51 votes)		 Up All Night: Rumination
(score 4,929 via 14 votes)
2020 (not awarded) (not awarded) (not awarded)
2019 Halloween Hearts + Bliss Cafe
(score 5,000 via 2 votes)		 Not It
(score 4,889 via 9 votes)

Best Itch.IO Page

This award was given only in 2023, to the most appealing Itch.IO page as determined by the judges.

Year 1st place Nominated
2023 Shared Beauty Satan is an Astronaut, Shared Beauty, DISCONNECT, The Final Prize is Soup, Sea Fever, NG: Cursed in Love?!, Model Employee

Best Thumbnail

Award for the best thumbnail image on the submission's itch.io page.

Year 1st place 2nd place 3rd place Nominees
2024 Pippa and Your Phantasmal Problem (not awarded) (not awarded) Baths, MAMA, Late Night Surfing, Pippa and Your Phantasmal Problem, Never Play Again
2023 (not awarded) (not awarded) (not awarded) (not awarded)
2022 Yokai Detective Kou (not awarded) (not awarded) (not awarded)
2021 DUFE: Masquerade (not awarded) (not awarded) (not awarded)
2020 Therapy with Dr. Albert Krueger Bewitched Hearts Oh! Terry! (not awarded)
2019 It's Just The End of the World, Love (not awarded) (not awarded) (not awarded)

Best Logline

Award for the best log line (1-3 sentences with what the visual novel is about).

Year 1st place 2nd place 3rd place Nominees
2024 Necromance (not awarded) (not awarded) Necromance, Nine to Five AM, Let's Watch Steamboat Willy, UnderHolo
2023 (not awarded) (not awarded) (not awarded) (not awarded)
2022 (not awarded) (not awarded) (not awarded) (not awarded)
2021 Wolfskin's Curse (not awarded) (not awarded) (not awarded)
2020 Up All Night Devil's Door Play Dead! (not awarded)
2019 I'm A Love Interest In my Childhood Friend's Halloween Story (not awarded) (not awarded) (not awarded)

Art & Visuals

Best Cinematography / Scene Presentation

Awarded beginning in 2021 to the submission judged to have the best cinematography and scene direction.

Year 1st place Nominated
2024 MAMA MAMA, Home Haunting, HavE
2023 DISCONNECT DISCONNECT, protoViolence, The Final Prize is Soup, First Do No Harm, Shared Beauty, The Widow's Shadow
2022 Our Fantastic Wonderland Our Fantastic Wonderland, LSD AKA Love Sucking Demons.
2021 Romancing Flesh (not awarded)

Best Character Design

First awarded in 2023.

Year 1st place Nominated
2024 Home Haunting Infected Infestation, Home Haunting, Shut-in Vampire, Spirit Driver, Epimutation, Not My Part
2023 Pearl (Beary the Hatchet) Penny (Model Employee), Tabbie (This Magical Girl is a Btch: Act 1), Lydia (Ghostly Delights), Mio (Reaplaced), Pearl (Beary the Hatchet), Plum (Love, Pumpkin, and Other Complications), Mirabell (Us Three Joined by Flesh), Kara (Trick or Treat), Letty (DISCONNECT), Cassie Cortega (Satan is an Astronaut)

Best 3D Character Model

Awarded only in 2023.

Year Winner
2023 First Do No Harm

Monster / Costume Design

Year 1st place 2nd place 3rd place Nominees
2024 Epimutation (not awarded) (not awarded) MAMA, Epimutation, Märchen Line, Intensive (S)care Unit
2023 (not awarded) (not awarded) (not awarded) (not awarded)
2022 The Cryptic Caper (not awarded) (not awarded) (not awarded)
2021 Romancing Flesh (not awarded) (not awarded) (not awarded)
2020 What Grows in the Night House Last Meal at Cafe Mori (not awarded)
2019 Bliss Cafe (not awarded) (not awarded) (not awarded)

Best Graphical User Interface (GUI)

Awarded beginning in 2024.

Year 1st place Nominees
2024 Zodiac Paradigm Pippa and Your Phantasmal Problem, Tell it Slant, Babbelomania, Zodiac Paradigm

Best Video Effects (VFX)

Awarded beginning in 2024.

Year 1st place Nominees
2024 UnderHolo UnderHolo, MAMA, HavE

Motif

Awarded in 2019 for the best recurring motifs in submitted visual novels.

Year 1st place
2019 I'm A Love Interest In My Childhood Friend's Halloween Story

Audio & Voice Acting

Best Voice Actor / Human Voice Performance

Awarded beginning in 2020.

Year 1st place Nominated
2024 cobaltkobold cobaltkobold as The Narrator in Tell it Slant, Ren Alberg as Cat in Zodiac Paradigm, itsnotmika as The Narrator in Demons of the Venta Quemada, Ryan X. Messcher as Jack 'The Voice' Reynolds in Song for the Damned
2023 Davon Oliver Taylor Fernandez, Davon Oliver, Lauren Kong, Pamela Santos
2022 Rachel Schumacher Trickle, Rachel Schumacher, Vera Tan
2021 Paradoxxxical (not awarded)
2020 Nick Chang (not awarded)

Best Original Soundtrack

Awarded beginning in 2022 for the best original soundtrack, defined as a musical soundtrack produced entirely within the jam's timeframe.

Year 1st place Nominated
2024 Märchen Line Märchen Line, Pippa and Your Phantasmal Problem
2023 Reaplaced Reaplaced, Satan is an Astronaut, Undead Air, Phantom of the Black Rose Revue: Act 1, Model Employee
2022 Parasite in Love Parasite in Love, Autumn Spirit, Vivica's Heart

Best Monster Performance

Awarded only in 2020.

Year 1st place
2020 MAHO Cody

Best Live Streamed Performance

Awarded from 2020-2021 for the best voice acting performance during a livestream playthrough of a submitted game.

Year 1st place
2021 Project Flawesome
2020 Tundra Flame

Best Unity Engine Submission

Awarded in 2020 to the best submission created using the Unity engine. Sponsored by NaniNovel.

Year 1st place
2020 Soft Drizzle: B-Track

Best LightVN Submission

Awarded in 2024 for the best submission made with the LightVN engine. Sponsored by LightVN.

Year 1st place Nominees
2024 Play of Wire Awayuki Tasogare, My Landlord is An Alien, Play of Wire

Best Boys' Love VN

Awarded in 2024 and sponsored by JAST USA.

Year 1st place
2024 Our Lamb Amidst Mortals

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