Developers of all ages will be challenged to create video games inspired by Romanian mythology

Mythology and gaming will intersect at the Tales of Us Game Jam, an event that will bring together game developers who want to stand out by creating an original title. The Game Jam will take place from September 30 to October 2 at CINETic and is organized by Tales of Us and RGDA (Romanian Game Developers Association). The event aims to showcase local culture and the talent of young Romanian developers internationally.

The Game Jam is open to all Romanian programmers, artists and designers aged 18 and over. Every developer is welcome at the game jam, from those with little experience to experienced developers interested in a fun and interesting twist to their job as a game developer. To participate in the event, they can register on the RGDA website.

The event will be hybrid, with up to 30 places available on-site at CINEtic and unlimited places for those who choose to participate online. The application deadline is September 21, 2022.

”We are delighted that Tales Of Us has chosen Romania as one of its locations to find popular stories and tales. At RGDA, we see a lot of potential in blending Romanian mythology with great game design and we’re hosting this game jam in hopes that it’ll be part of a larger discussion about how our folklore and our folktales can be a great source of inspiration to create original IP games in our country that can succeed around the world,” says Andreea Medvedovici Per, Executive Director of RGDA.

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“My knowledge of Romania and its culture didn’t extend beyond the inappropriate stereotypes of houses hung with garlic and corny stories about vampires. Today, our work with Tales of Us allows us to support and explore the storytelling that grows away from those poorly told narratives and one-sided stories. We’re already amazed by the diversity of Romanian stories and myths we’ve uncovered and can’t wait to see what they will become at a Game Jam,” says Eva Vonk, Producer and Creative Director at Tales of Us.

On September 30, the event will be opened by some of the most skilled and passionate Romanian storytellers who will introduce game jam participants to the world of legends, archaic Romanian myths from several iconic regions of Romania: Danube, Transylvania , Maramureș and many others. Through 7 authentic stories, mentors will talk to young people about the nature of the characters, the symbolism of the stories, the cultural heritage and other interesting things that developers can use in the development of their games. For example, characters like the Wandering Prince, Ileana Cosânzeana or Prince Charming, or fabulous creatures like the dragon, the banshee, the undead or the witch could be the main actors in the games created by the participants.

Participants will have 46 hours to develop a video game, from September 30 at 5:00 p.m. to October 2 at 4:00 p.m. The presentation of the games, the evaluation and the awarding of prizes will follow on the same evening.

Following the game jam, 3 games will be chosen to continue in a prototyping phase, and at the end of the process, a game will receive funding to be produced and be part of World of Us, the platform developed by Tales of Us.

World of Us is an upcoming mythological digital platform where children travel, create and discover the world around them through play. World of Us is a bridge for ancient knowledge to reach a global audience, starting with stories from regions of Congo, Brazil and Romania. World of Us is produced by Tales of Us.

Additionally, the top 3 ranked games will receive a total of €3,000 as follows: First place – €1,700, second place – €800, third place – €500.

More details about the game jam can be found here.