I've posted the theme of the contest. For your conveniance, they are also below in this post.


To take part, register and create a ticker on the ticker site (link below). Post an update there with your basic idea and the theme you chose. You may still change that later, it's just so we have a general idea when you began.

You will have to be finished after 48 hours. Have it uploaded by Monday afternoon! Good luck!




The theme
Your game has to fit our given theme. How you interprete it and how much you let that theme influence you depends on you - but remember that other users will judge your game on it!
This contest has TWO THEMES to chose from. It's up to you which you chose! Or you could try to combine them (which might be quite the challenge!)


1) Create a heartwarming game!
Christmas is over, but aren't we still all in the mood? Now that we've been bombarded by dozens of christmas-specials and now that we've spent time with our family, it's time to transfer all that into a game! Will it be a bittersweet kind of heartwarming, or will it be the corniest thing ever? Will it include puppies and kittens, or will it be about saving christmas for a little girl? Be creative and focus on characters!

2) Create a psychological horror game!
And this isn't too far off christmas either - You did christmas shopping too, right?
In seriousness, your task is to create a game that makes the player feel uncomfortable and makes them think. What kind of world will you let the player explore? Will the player be weak and unable to defend themselves? and what kind of evil shall we overcome? Try not to make it cliche: Something that's NOT about zombies or other standard-horror-creatures would be appreciated (See also this). Or how about an artistic statement? Can you turn mobbing, or other "everyday evils" into true psychological horror?

I hope these themes give you plenty of ideas! A little brainstorming goes a long way. Note that both themes do not limit the genre in any way. If you do it right, you can also make heartwarming puzzlers or psychological racing games. Both are an exercise in setting up an athmosphere, and it will be difficult to achieve both without a small story.

By the way, if this contest becomes a success, then we might do it again soon. The winner of this contest may then choose the theme of the next contest