Description


The old clock on the wall turned to 3:33am. Punctual as ever, the noises started once more.

Every night of the last week had been the same. As soon as the time came, strange sounds could be heard somewhere in the depths of the cellar below your house. Every night you would gather your courage and burst through the cellar's entrance armed with whatever you could find only to discover nothing amiss or any signs of disarray in the insides of the chamber.

Tonight things were different. This time, the noises could be heard even closer and louder than ever. In a surge of exhausted agression you took the rifle by your nightstand and rushed to the basement entrance, kicking the door down while roaring madly hoping to frighten whatever had decided to nest inside.

As your eyes adjusted to the darkness in the pitch black room and darted around trying to look for any proof that your senses were still those of a sane person, you find nothing. The fine layer of dust on every surface told of the state of neglect the objects had been in before your intrusion.

But then, you heard the sound of flipping pages and a soft 'thud', you spun around with your weapon at the ready, and then you saw it, all of your hairs standing on end; A book, completely out of place given it's clean appearance, placed neatly in the middle of a small table at the back. The sound you heard had been that of the book opening. There were no footsteps on the dust below the table however, and there were no marks or fingerprints anywhere near the book.

Despite your instincts screaming and begging you to turn back, you could not help but to approach the book. You begin reading the words on the page, and you feel an unseen force pulling you inside! Before you can do anything, you get sucked inside the book!


This year's halloween event is to make a game using an entry from H.P. Lovecraft's "Commonplace Book"!

"This book consists of ideas, images, & quotations hastily jotted down for possible future use in weird fiction. Very few are actually developed plots—for the most part they are merely suggestions or random impressions designed to set the memory or imagination working. Their sources are various—dreams, things read, casual incidents, idle conceptions, & so on."H. P. Lovecraft

Basically, it's Lovecraft's notepad of ideas, most of which he never got to use in one of his horror books. Each participant will receive a random entry from the book, and you have to make a game inspired by it, either literally or metaphorically. Given that it's a halloween event making a horror game is encouraged but not an obligation. You can very well use the prompt to make a dark love story perhaps? Or a comedy horror kind of thing, it's up to you.

Example: Entry #23 reads:

"#23 - The man who would not sleep--dares not sleep--takes drugs to keep himself awake. Finally falls asleep--& something happens."

If you get this, then maybe you can make a game about insomnia and the person going insane to the point where the dream world and the real world have fused together, or maybe the story is about how a person is already in their desired world that they found while sleeping, and if they "fall asleep" in the dream, the dream residents will die a horrible fate, so the protagonist needs to find methods to keep themselves "awake" in the dream world.

I have personally taken out entries in the book that are too vague, cryptic or hard to understand, so that most of the prompts people get will be easy to think something for, but if for any reason you feel yours is too hard, you can reroll your theme, but only once.

◄ How To Participate ►

- Join the event.
- When event starts you'll receive a random entry via PM.
- You have a month to make a game based or inspired by your entry.

DATE EVENT STARTS: October 1st, 2021 00:01am (GMT)
DATE EVENT ENDS: October 31st, 2021 00:01am (GMT)
(Don't forget to change your timezone in your RMN settings so the site reflects your time correctly! Go to 'Edit Profile' under your name in the top bar, then click on 'Settings' under 'Profile Sections'!)


• This is a Single Player event.
• Any engine allowed as long as the game can be played in a Windows computer!
• Minimum of 10 minutes of gameplay to qualify for a Cool Badge.
• Make a gamepage! Upload your game there, then in the event page click on the 'Submit' button in the top right corner and choose that gamepage download.
• Using RTP is allowed, but game must be able to run without it installed (Guide for 2k3 click here).
• A single re-roll is allowed per participant in case you're unhappy with your entry.


You can earn one of these badges!

• "Do Not Stare Into The Abyss"
10Ms Badge - Participated in event.

• "Witness Of The Veil"
15Ms Badge - Posted something during the midpoint checkup.

• "The Abyss Stares Back"
50Ms Badge - Finished a game for the event.

• "From Beyond The Stars"
70Ms Badge - Finished a game for the event without asking/using a reroll.

Details

  • 10/01/2021 12:00 AM
  • 11/01/2021 01:00 AM

Achievements

Registration

You must be logged in to sign up for Commonplace Book.

Posts

Will be some limitation in resources and plugins / scripts (only RTP, no plugins / scripts, e.t.c.)?
Or "All-In"?

upd:
And there some limit on created games during event? What if the Entry is abstract and allows multiple interpretations for several projects within the Event?
Mirak
Stand back. Artist at work. I paint with enthusiasm if not with talent.
9300
author=DarchanKaen
Will be some limitation in resources and plugins / scripts (only RTP, no plugins / scripts, e.t.c.)?
Or "All-In"?
As long as the end result runs fine on any windows computer without needing to install anything feel free to use whatever engine, resources, plugins, scripts, etc you want.
I am currently planning to develop an EarthBound-style game, but it may not fit the theme this time.
Mirak
Stand back. Artist at work. I paint with enthusiasm if not with talent.
9300
Earthbound was pretty much eldritch horror at the end tho.
Frogge
I wanna marry ALL the boys!! And Donna is a meanc
18536
author=Ulevo
I am currently planning to develop an EarthBound-style game, but it may not fit the theme this time.

To quote the event page;
author=Evént Pajeh
Given that it's a halloween event making a horror game is encouraged but not an obligation. You can very well use the prompt to make a dark love story perhaps? Or a comedy horror kind of thing, it's up to you.

Also i said this on the discord but mirak this css is sick my man
Mirak
Stand back. Artist at work. I paint with enthusiasm if not with talent.
9300
thx forgge! and also unity I missed the comment in previous page
This one seems fun! I always wanted to make a Lovecraft inspired game, but wanted to do more than just Cthulu.

Looking forward to October 1st!
I wonder what would think Lovecraft of the Cthulhu waifus roaming the interweebs.
pianotm
The TM is for Totally Magical.
32347
orochii
I wonder what would think Lovecraft of the Cthulhu waifus roaming the interweebs.


I honestly think he'd believe it a very predictable reaction from humanity given that he considered madness our natural state.
https://wapsisquare.com/comic/older-than-ancient/ ...

(Yes she says that Cthulhu is more comfortable around her now)
Mirak
Stand back. Artist at work. I paint with enthusiasm if not with talent.
9300
All prompts have been sent!

I will keep monitoring the member list in case somebody joins, but if you notice I haven't sent you your theme, please let me know.
Mirak
Stand back. Artist at work. I paint with enthusiasm if not with talent.
9300
Attention, 3 things i didn't communicate well or at all!

• The number at the beggining of your entry is NOT part of the prompt. That number is the number of the line in the Actual Book (available online, it is public domain) in case you were curious to read the other entries.

• Sharing your prompt is up to you, it's not forbidden. You can also join the RMN discord in the #eventofthemoment channel if you wish to maybe show your prompt and ask for suggestions on how to tackle the theme you got, in case it's giving you trouble.

• Worst case scenario, you can ask for a single re-roll for a try at a different theme. Doing this means you won't get the "From Beyond The Stars" badge worth 70ms though, so I reccomend doing the previous thing I said in point 2.
Hi guys! I have a small question: if I would ask for a reroll, but the reroll turns out to be even worse than the first one, can I still choose to use the first one?
Mirak
Stand back. Artist at work. I paint with enthusiasm if not with talent.
9300
author=Make_it_MagiK
Hi guys! I have a small question: if I would ask for a reroll, but the reroll turns out to be even worse than the first one, can I still choose to use the first one?
Yes, you can use the first one you got if you don't like the second, but even if you go back to the first one and use that one for your game, you won't get the "From Beyond The Stars" (70ms) badge. I reccomend coming to the RMN discord to brainstorm with peeps if you're lacking ideas first if you're aiming for that badge!
if you reroll you will never 100% RMN sadge
KrimsonKatt
Gamedev by sunlight, magical girl by moonlight
3326
I got a really cool one. Something about an ancient colossus in the sands. Have a bunch of ideas already brewing. Can't wait to start tomorrow!
author=Mirak
Yes, you can use the first one you got if you don't like the second, but even if you go back to the first one and use that one for your game, you won't get the "From Beyond The Stars" (70ms) badge. I reccomend coming to the RMN discord to brainstorm with peeps if you're lacking ideas first if you're aiming for that badge!


I see. I really want those 70ms,so I guess I'll leave it as it is and use my first prompt. I actually have some ideas, but I am just unsure if they match the prompt 100%.
Well, if matters get worse I am gonna check out the rmn discord like you said. Thanks!
Hi, I just joined, can I still have a prompt?
Mirak
Stand back. Artist at work. I paint with enthusiasm if not with talent.
9300
author=Beregon
Hi, I just joined, can I still have a prompt?
Sent! Sorry for the wait.
Seems I need an explanation for this reward:

""Witness Of The Veil"
15Ms Badge - Posted something during the midpoint checkup."

What's the midpoint checkup, and what constitudes "posting" in this context.

PS: I really shouldn't visit this page while rendering scenes with povray ...