Yaoi Game Jam, Itch.io and Gay Visual Novels

Yaoi Game Jam has already kicked off on June 15th, running all the way through to August 21st. And yes, we at Boys Love Universe are thrilled! The game jam features games revolving around male-identified characters in queer relationships. While we aren't participating this year with our visual novel universe "I Married a Monster on a Hill", we will be supporting the creators who spend time making Yaoi exclusive content.

This event, which first drew inspiration from the Yuri Game Jam of Fall 2015, has blossomed into a communal space where creators gather to craft games focused on queer male experiences. These narratives can span from platonic friendships to whirlwind romances and everything in between.

Here's a fun fact for the curious mind: you can dive into the treasures from previous years, starting from 2016 right up to 2022. Go on, immerse yourself in an array of games that came to life during these jams, and you'll get an idea of the brilliance that the Yaoi Game Jam encourages.

Now, if you're wondering about the guiding principles for this year's jam, the rules are pretty straightforward. First and foremost, your game must focus on the queer male experience or queer relationships between men. This includes all male-identified LGBTQIA characters, so it's as inclusive as it gets.

You might be a novice game developer or a seasoned pro, everyone is welcome to join in. However, creators are urged to be mindful of their themes and material to respect fellow creators and players' sensibilities. Another important point to remember is that all games submitted must be new and created exclusively for YaoiGameJam2023.

At BLU, we live and breathe Yaoi, and our founders, the Stec Sisters, Katya and Tatiana, are thrilled to announce that they'll be doing gameplays of the games from Yaoi Game Jam. We're all about spotlighting queer narratives, and what better way to do it than to engage with these games directly and introduce them to a wider audience? If you're curious on what these gameplays will look like just jump over to All Ages of Geek on YouTube.

Now, the Yaoi Game Jam isn't just about churning out games; it's about furthering the representation of queer narratives in gaming. It's about ensuring that these stories are told, heard, and celebrated. Don't just create a game to get a following, create it to tell beautiful Yaoi stories. And for us at Boys Love Universe, it aligns perfectly with our mission.

We can't wait to see the innovative games that the event will produce and the unique Yaoi narratives that will unfold. And yes, we're ready for all the fun, excitement, and, most importantly, the celebration of queer representation that it will bring.

We hope to see you there creating gay games and Yaoi stories!