Here are the current most-hated game genres in F*ck This Jam
F*ck This Jam is all about anarchy on the indie scene, challenging developers to pick their most hated genre and create a brilliant game within it. Founder Rami Ismail isn't doing this because he's a sadist; he believes in the possibility for beauty in resentment. So far the top three most-hated genres submitted to F*ck This Jam are social, sports and racing games.
As Ismail sees it, some of the best indie games are borne out of a disdain for a particular genre: Alexander Bruce's Antichamber is a study in aversion to puzzle games. Ramiro Corbetta's Hokra, on the other hand, is a minimalist take on a sports game that similarly blurs the genre's definition.
"The idea is to get people to challenge established rules and conventions," Ismail says. Even the jam itself is an anomaly: It lasts an entire week, where standard jams last two days or so. Ismail and co-founder Fernando Ramallo are setting up a transparent website for all the developers to post updates, live stream their games-in-progress and share their creations with the world, every step of the way.
"Traditionally jams are an introverted thing," Ismail says. "But jams are supposed to force people to do things differently, and F*ck This Jam will challenge the notion that jams are introverted."
The name, while giving us an aneurysm trying to write it in a headline without getting 1,000 angry emails, is also indicative of Ismail and Ramallo's theme. "I imagine people will be shouting, 'Fuck this jam! Why the fuck am I making a social game?'" Ismail says, laughing.
"Making it more interesting to look at from outside should make it more interesting to work on from the inside."
- Rami Ismail
So far F*ck This Jam has 854 people signed up, though Ismail expects not all of them to actually participate. A week-long jam is difficult to coordinate, so it may end up as an initial physical weekend meetup across the globe, where groups can establish themes and ideas, and then transition to living online.
F*ck This Jam kicks off on November 9 and runs through November 17. Interested indies can sign up on the official site. However this thing turns out – developers dropping f-bombs and flipping keyboards, hating their very existences as they create the next Farmville competitor – we'll all have a front-row seat.
"Making it more interesting to look at from outside should make it more interesting to work on from the inside," Ismail says.
