The autumn is getting cold, but our hearts have been warmed by the participation in the Frictional Fan Jam 2019! We would like to extend an equally warm “thank you” to everyone who participated. The outpour of love and creativity has been overwhelming!
We have now gone through the entries, voted among the Frictional Games staff and the Discord Moderator team, and picked the winners – as well as a few special mentions! The entries were divided into Mods/Games, Fanart, Fanfiction, and Other, and one or more winners were picked of each category.
As promised, the winners will receive a few physical goodies, a mention in our video, as well as keys for the upcoming game. People who got special mentions will receive keys! We will be in contact with these people next week.
This is enough bureaucratic talk: please behold our winners! The winners of each category will be showcased in the video below, or you can read about the entries under the video. All entries can be seen on our the Fan Jam Showcase on our Discord server.
Mods/Games
SOMA: The Fall of Freedom by Rubyes
The Fall of Freedom takes us on one Pathos-II employee’s journey through the now-infested station. Unlike the mods, this game is made in Unity and uses a minimalist yet efficient pixel style. It’s short and (bitter)sweet, with Frictional-type puzzles translated into a 2D environment, and great sound design.
Hollow by TiMan
Ever wondered how Alexander ended up on Earth? TiMan’s Hollow imagines Alexander’s story on his home planet, and how his banishment came to be. It has a distinct Amnesia feel despite being made on HPL3, the SOMA engine, and the custom assets make it fun to explore. The puzzles and gameplay have a classic Frictional feel, making it easy to play as a standalone installment.
Special mention: Amnesia: Decayed History by Sabatu
Sabatu’s Decayed History mod did not fit the requirements of expanding upon one of Frictional’s titles, yet we felt that it deserves a special mention. The HPL2 mod is an impressive length considering it was made in three short weeks, and the writing is great despite Sabatu only having studied English for about a year. The protagonist is given a task to find old documents in their childhood home, claiming their right to the house. But things are not quite as they seem…
Art
Castle Brennenburg by Kripi
Kripi’s cutoff of Castle Brennenburg might as well be a professional technical drawing! The longer you look at it, the more details you see, making it an ideal doll house for tiny Daniel, Alexander, and the rest of the residents.
Some things mustn’t be forgotten… by Lou
Some things mustn’t be forgotten… and this artwork is one of them! Lou’s piece reveals more than you see at first glance – the falling leaves are petals of the Damascus Rose, akin the drops of blood, and a spider looms in the background, tying the characters together.
As the autumn leaves wither away… by cypii
Hazel, Daniel’s sister, has a melancholy story told in the notes of The Dark Descent, and Cypii has captured this mood with lonely composition and muted tones. You don’t need to see Hazel’s face to know that she is withering away, just as the leaves outside.
Special mention: SOMAuse by i3670
I (Kira, your community manager) almost drove my bike into a traffic sign because I got teary-eyed from thinking about this picture. The little mouse in the reflection still has hope in its eyes… and thankfully we don’t see the expression on the other side. Dammit, I’m crying again. And that deserves a special mention.
Writing
A Hymn for the Curie by FrenchRoast
A Hymn for the Curie takes us aboard MS Curie around the time of the comet’s destruction. FrenchRoast’s version of the events features a cast of believable characters, from the stoic Captain Palander to the empathetic Hopper, whose points of view have you live the events alongside them – have hope, despair, and ultimately perish.
You can read A Hymn for the Curie on French Roast’s Drive.
Special mention: SOMA – Cadiz by Clyde Cash
Cadiz also tells the survivor story of another team, landing ashore Cadiz – a realistic description of a landscape ravaged by desperate humans before the comet has the chance to strike. The characters have have very human musings about the imminent destruction. The story starts a bit slowly, but the end had us in tears.
Unfortunately this piece of writing didn’t have a link, but you can find it on our Discord server.
Other
Untitled Song by Tosha
Themes can be hard to portray through music alone, but we truly felt the cold winds of autumn in the Untitled Song by Tosha. It plays on the themes of Amnesia: The Dark Descent’s soundtrack, but delivers an original composition.
Thank you once again for participating and cheering others on! We hope to see you back for another Fan Jam in the future.
PS. We played the mod entries and read some fanfiction during a stream. You can find the video on our Youtube:
