Host: Indienomicon Foundation
Theme: Horror
Sponsors: OMG Labs, Papa Johns, Team Firestorm, E4C, The Florida High Tech Corridor, Orlando Tech Community, Cenfluence, VR/AR Association
Itch.io Page: https://itch.io/jam/all-hallows-jam-2024/entries
Before the Jam:
This jam marks a special occasion for me. I’ve been finding my flow with the tech and game scene in Orlando, Florida, for a year now. And it all began here with this jam, the first I attended. I’m delighted to see All Hallows Jam return. It is a good benchmark for everything I’ve accomplished since the previous one. I’ve met some fantastic people, experienced unforgettable things, and, most importantly, grown as a person and freelancer. Everything is slowly but steadily falling into place, and after this, I will make serious changes to my workflow. I AM READY to aim for higher places and receive greater boons. Special thanks to Orlando Tech News for allowing me to represent them. A link to the article will be posted at the end of the post. With that said, let’s jam!
Day 1: New Office
I was really excited about All Hallows Jam returning, and even more so because it was to be held at OMG Labs’s new office at the Orlando Tech Hub.
I’ve visited this building multiple times, and its clean, modern interiors are always a joy to walk through. The uninformed pedestrian, however, wouldn’t realize that just from looking at the exterior. This building was, in actuality, constructed in the 1920s, making it more than 100 years old. They couldn’t have hosted this jam at a more suitable place. Long before the office was repurposed as the Orlando Tech Hub, it used to be a funeral home and crematorium. In the basement, corpses were reduced to ashes or placed in coffins, preserving one’s remains long after the soul left for the unknown. Today, I hear that there are rumors of ghosts haunting the halls. Combine that with its overtly intricate and complex layout, and you will be as close to the Backrooms as possible. Really, the second floor is a maze, and the quiet, still, and eerie ambiance is perfect for this horror-filled event.
7:00 PM
Everyone gathered in the incredible auditorium and listened with bated breath to Kunal Patel’s introduction. With all of the industry-centered events Indienomicon hosts, it’s nice to see something more for fun and entertainment—specifically, themed entertainment.
I didn’t know until the opening speech, but Halloween Horror Nights is considered Universal Studios’ “Thirteenth Month” as they generate billions from the event. How ironic then that the grand prize for the jam is tickets to said event. I attended once many years ago, and I don’t understand why people enjoy being screamed at in the face…
That aside, the rules and categories haven’t changed since the year prior.
What has changed, however, is attendance. More than 30 applicants have applied, seeking glory and riches. I recognize most of them from September’s MeGa Health Jam. I also learned that the matriarch of OMG Labs, Isabella Johnston, invited several high school students to compete. I was pretty surprised to see one of the speakers of that jam, local celebrity Caris Baker, competing. She’s a senior tech artist for Capgemini Engineering and has made art for local indie game studio Astro Crow Games.
One competitor who caught my interest is Joshua Peters, who is actually competing solo. I first met him at Indinomicon’s Demo Day some time ago. He’s a web app developer for Apple, and his wife is an accomplished voice actress. The game he’s making is controlled by the player’s voice, like the Konami PS2 classic “Lifeline.”
Safe to say, there are plenty of vets and lots of rookies. I can’t wait to see what they come up with.
Day 2: Doubling the Journaling
1:00 PM
As I mentioned above, Orlando Tech News asked me to provide coverage for them. Orlando Tech News is an independent news publication founded by Marco Santana that covers the tech and gaming scene in the greater Orlando area. For my first official assignment, I was asked to summarize the day in 200 words, take pictures, and interview five contestants. Thankfully, I arrived just in time for copyright attorney Chrissie Scelsi’s seminar on the legality of games and AI.
I learned that software falls under literary work and the specifics of fair use, copyright, and patent rights, among other topics. One funny example Chrissie brought up was a case of cloning involving Tetris and Xio Interactive. Xio named certain elements in their game “Mino” after those of Tetris because they were huge fans, which cost them the case; self-awareness be damned. It made me think of all the unlicensed copycats running amok during the early years of video games, like Pac-Man and Taxman. Times and laws may have changed, but people still find ways to copy perfection.
3:00 PM
After that, however, it was time for pictures. My pictures have always been serviceable at best, but Orlando Life’s Christa Yates advised me to get more creative with them. I was initially going to take run-of-the-mill shots like before, but then I saw a little plastic knife.
Everyone gave me their slasher faces. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be the 9th pic. I don’t think I’ve ever had so much fun taking pictures. Maybe it indicates how much I’ve changed since covering these. Being there, on the scene, and just speaking about my experience through these blogs—it’s all a big rush to me now. Granted, I still have much to learn, and after the pictures, it was time for interviews. It is here that I must admit an embarrassing fact about myself: I’m a terrible talker.
4:00 PM
I had questions prepared, but my severe inexperience sometimes got the better of me. I aimed to get as much variety as possible from the contestants and snag a few extras for the blog. But being a bad talker, I didn’t record the entire conversation for some of them, sometimes cutting out my voice because I needed the brain to catch up. Down below, you will hear the unedited audio files for the interviews. I was debating whether to upload them, but I decided to suck up my pride and put them there for your hearing pleasure, dear reader. The audio was recorded with my Hollyland Lark M2 Microphones.
Chris Roda: Technical Art Director at FIEA (Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy)
Juan Rivera: Senior Digital Media Design Instructor at OCLS (Orange County Library System)
Willow Rachaels: 3D Character Artist & Concept Artist
Brian Strigel: Founder of Greatsword Studios
Rosa Farinaccil: Student at Embry-Riddle
Nikolai Hill: Student at Colonial High School
Matt Thompson: Sponsor and Founder of Team Firestorm
Seven interviews in total. This was the first time I’ve had to ask so many inquiries. I was both winded and proud of myself for getting through them without rambling on and on. There’s definitely a particular quirk that more experienced journalists have to be able to ask question after question while avoiding any awkwardness. If there’s one thing I took away from them, it is that there’s something genuinely special about the growing indie game scene in Orlando. Through these jams, I had the wonderful opportunity to witness their creative processes firsthand and watch them come to life. Making games brings people together, regardless of background or age. Matt Thompson, in particular, is a really cool dude, and I’m totally not saying that because I helped market his game “Blood on the Thames.” I hope he acquires those big sponsors.
With all of that done, the day ended, and I drove back home, hoping to be terrified the next day.
Day 3: I Came, I Cooked, I Saw a Hole, and I left
1:00 PM
I made it to the end of the jam, but this day did not go as expected. I arrived in time for a Publix lunch, but after conducting those interviews, I felt like I had nothing important to do as I waited for the judges to arrive. I did have a fun conversation with Joshua Peters—who I didn’t see at all yesterday—about his game. My day, however, consisted of me writing the draft.
I didn’t mind. The office was nice and quiet, yet part of me hoped that I would meet the possible phantom roaming the halls. But everything changed when Isabella brought the groceries and asked me to help her cook dinner. It was rather awkward because I also had to take pictures of the judges, but I pulled through. Pasta, anyone?
Somehow, the response was MUCH better than I expected. Maybe I’ll make something from me home country next time.
4:00 PM
Games & Summaries:
- Big Hole VR (Horror in the Experience)
Developers: Cole Montrose, Erik Larsen, Noa Baggs, Joseph Demartini
There’s a hole in the Marianas’ Trench. It’s dry, saggy, and loose. You and a partner must expedition down there to uncover the horror that caused all the water to disappear. As for what’s at the bottom… some things are better left unsaid. - Cheating Death (Calm Horror)
Developers: Alex Brown, Joshua Carver, Joshua Buscher, Liya Elan, Christain Mede, Nikolai Hill
You have died and decided to try your luck in a game of cards against death itself. I like that the game just ends, and you can’t restart if you lose. There’s definitely a good base here for gameplay expansion. - Inhuman Resources (Horror in the Mundane)
Developers: Juan Rivera, Julia Galimidi, Caris Baker, Brian Stabile, CJ Baker
You died and have been given a job in the underworld as a hiring manager. It humorously represents the mundanity of working a 9-5; the giant fantasy battle axe, however, is a bit much. - Flip the Switch (Horror of the Self)
Developers: Brian Strigel, Omer Ahsan, Shanti Dash, James Williams, Harper Ketchersid
Russian Roulette as a multiplayer game. A healthier alternative to playing the real game. - Follow Me (Calm Horror)
Developers: Joshua Peters
A narrative adventure where the player uses their voice to proceed. The voice acting from the developer’s wife was excellent. Although, I don’t know why anyone would let the guy who can’t see make the choices in a survival situation. - Monster Hands (Horror in the Experience, Horror of the Self)
Developers: Joey Fisher, Delano Igbinoba, Jonathan Montague
If you ever desired to be a kaiju wreaking wanton destruction upon the human ants beneath you, then this game is for you. - Phantom Focus (Spoopy Horror)
Developers: Kait Fitzgerald, Sofia Torres, Ari Logan, Kendra Kennedy, Sadie Raghunand, Brendan St. Esprit, Antonio Picasso, Chase Parker, Jade Hutson
Summary: This is an AR app where you work for a paranormal news press. AR games are prone to silly hijinx, and this app ramps it up to an extreme. - Scaredy Cat (Spoopy Horror)
Developers: Robert Kuropkat, Eytan Tal, Tony Bagsby, Colton Taylor, Jamil Ali
Summary: Cats are famously frisky, so why not make a horror game where you play as one trapped in an office of killer appliances? - STOP (Calm Horror)
Developers: Alexis Tjarks, James Furniss-Roe, Rosa Farinaccio, Ali Houssni, Ahmad Haron
Summary: You’re taking a driving test, and as someone who had terrible driving anxiety, I relate to this WAY too much. I bet we would all have an easier time, however, if there were giant eldritch monstrosities clogging the street. - The Trench (Horror in the Experience)
Developers: Willow Rachels, Maya Rachels, Jeffrey Zhang, Morgan Schafer
Summary: World War 1 horror. You explore a trench and solve puzzles, trying to escape the warzone. It used a haptic suit, which really enhanced the experience. With the proper funding, this game could be something special.
The devs came out swinging. While small in structure and time, the games presented here display a level of ‘homestyle’ innovation that you would be hard-pressed to find in the AAA horror space. My personal favorite was “Follow Me” for its gimmicky voice controls. However, if I had to put on my judging glasses, I would elect “The Trench” for its atmosphere, gameplay, and haptic immersion.
Presentations and Winners:
I must clarify a few things before I disclose the winners. Unlike the MeGa Health Jam, there is only one winning team. Everyone was also pressed for time because it was getting late, and Hurricane Harvey was soon upon us. Seriously, the entire city was being evacuated, so the event was on a timer. That said, we all gathered at the auditorium one last time to see the fruits of everyone’s labor and some fun extras. I was actually wearing an old musketeer outfit I bought at a renfaire. I had a sword to go with it, but its sheath broke.
I was praising the sun, I think, I don’t know…
Best Costume:
Kendra Kennedy as “Korra!”
Best Scream?:
A tie! You decide who won.
Alexis Tjarks
Jonathan Montague
Scariest Face:
Nikolai Hill! Holy crap!
Best Use of Diversifier:
The winner is…
I was genuinely surprised at this outcome, but after careful consideration, I can understand why it was picked. Inhuman Resources wasn’t scary, nor did it try to be, but the lack of horror was made up by excellent humor. It’s a relatable game with hilarious sound design and voice-acting, backed up by charming visuals and art. I would also argue that they also had a big edge in the experience department, with their members having developed and putting games on the market. They had a genuine scope for their project and made their game fit those exact tight metrics.
Final Thoughts:
Another Jam for the books. Even though it’s only been one year since I began documenting these events, I feel oddly nostalgic. It felt like just yesterday when I spent three days at UCF’s downtown campus, making an honest attempt at journalism. I still remember the excitement I felt when I saw those humble little games being made. I feel honored knowing I was welcomed into this community and hold a small place in the bigger indie gaming scene. There’s still a lot of work for me to do, but I’m confident I’ll get there. I can’t wait for the next jam!
Orlando Tech News Article:
Embrace the Pixels 