On January 12, the gaming industry lost a beloved icon: Jennell Jacquays. Jacquays had an indelible mark on the game industry, both in the tabletop space and videogames. And to mark her passing, members of the industry have launched the Jennell Jacquays Memorial Game Jam.
The Jennell Jacquays Memorial Game Jam
According to the official itch page, the Jennell Jacquays Memorial Game Jam is seeking entries from various tabletop map designers. Once the game jam concludes, the entries will be compiled together into a massive book called Return To Perinthos.
This book will then be physically printed and sold, with the proceeds going to the non-profit organization Trans Lifeline.
Each entry must comprise one page for a map, one page for a map key, as well as an illustration and manuscript for the map and map key. The manuscript can be no longer than 750 words and all maps must have entrances and exits at the North, South, East, and West edges.
It must be noted that submissions to this game jam do not need to be for Dungeons & Dragons. Anything from Pathfinder to Dungeon Crawl Classics to Cyberpunk Red can be used. You just mention what system your submission uses in the text.
In essence, the Jennell Jacquays Memorial Game Jam highlights what Jacquays helped pioneer in the tabletop space. She was the co-founder of The Dungeonneer one of the earliest Dungeons & Dragons fanzines. She also designed several official modules such as Dark Tower, and Caverns of Thracia.
Those modules were notable thanks to their non-linear design. Dungeons had multiple entrances and exits, complex loops that take players back to earlier locations, as well as provide players with multiple paths and choices in how to proceed.
It is such a distinct approach it has led to the phrase "Jacquaying a dungeon" among tabletop designers.
But Jacquays' legacy is more than just TTRPGs. She also influenced several videogame franchises, including being a level designer on Quake 2 and Quake 3, and was even a lead level designer for EVE Online.
Finally, the Jennell Jacquays Memorial Game Jam supporting Trans Lifeline is a continuation of the designer's ardent supporter of trans rights. She served as the creative director of the Transgender Human Rights Institute in Seattle, Washington, and was involved in the "Leelah's Law" petition in 2015.
Submissions for the Jennell Jacquays Memorial Game Jam will be open until February 1st.
