Gaming Like It’s 1923: Exploring the First Public Domain Game Jam
The public domain is more than just a legal technicality—it’s a living, breathing commons of culture, ready to be explored, remixed, and brought back to life. In 2019, for the first time since 1998, new works entered the public domain, breaking a two-decade drought. To celebrate this long-overdue event, Randy Lubin of Diegetic Games and Mike Masnick of Techdirt launched Gaming Like It’s 1923, a game jam dedicated to creating games inspired by the newly freed works of 1923.
From silent films and classic literature to poetry and deep archival finds, the jam invited developers to reinterpret history in playful ways, both through digital games and analog tabletop experiences. What emerged was a fascinating fusion of history, creativity, and game design, proving that public domain works are not relics, but sources of endless inspiration.
The Winning Games: A Celebration of Creativity
Over 31 entries were submitted, showcasing a mix of storytelling, mechanics, and artistic vision. The winners spanned several categories, highlighting the breadth of creativity that emerges when artists and designers are free to explore historical works without legal barriers.
🏆 Best Digital Game — Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening to Steal Treasure (Alex Blechman)
Robert Frost’s famous poem Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening might be a classic of American literature, but let’s be honest—it’s not exactly action-packed. This game remedies that by turning it into a hilarious Mad Libs-style adventure, where players revise the poem’s text to add thrills, drama, and, of course, treasure hunting.
https://alexblechman.itch.io/stopping-by-woods-on-a-snowy-evening-to-steal-treasure
📝 Why it stood out: ✔ Witty and self-aware – A cheeky remix that keeps the essence of the poem while embracing absurdity. ✔ Interactive storytelling – Players become co-authors, reshaping a classic piece of literature. ✔ Simple yet endlessly replayable – The structure encourages multiple playthroughs to create increasingly ridiculous versions of the poem.
🏆 Best Analog Game — Permanence (Jackson Tegu)
A solo tabletop RPG exploring themes of migration, identity, and longing, Permanence invites players to step into the lives of seven travelers, each searching for a home.
https://jackson-tegu.itch.io/permanence
📝 Why it stood out: ✔ Evocative storytelling – Uses mechanics to immerse players in personal narratives. ✔ Introspective & poetic – A meditative experience rather than a high-energy game. ✔ Public domain as an emotional tool – Leverages the timeless themes of history to create something deeply personal.
🏆 Best Adaptation — God of Vengeance (jrgoldb)
A tabletop RPG adaptation of Sholem Asch’s 1907 Yiddish play, God of Vengeance was newly in the public domain in 1923 and remains one of the most important plays in LGBTQ+ theater history.
https://jrgoldb.itch.io/god-of-vengeance
📝 Why it stood out: ✔ A historically significant adaptation – God of Vengeance was infamously censored in its time but is now celebrated as a landmark in queer theater. ✔ Respectful and modernized – The game transforms the play into an interactive role-playing experience while preserving its cultural weight.
🏆 Best Remix — Will You Do The Fandango? (Lari Assmuth)
A Commedia dell’Arte-inspired RPG, blending the Swashbuckling drama of the 1923 film Scaramouche with tabletop storytelling mechanics.
https://lari-assmuth.itch.io/will-you-do-the-fandango
📝 Why it stood out: ✔ A fresh take on classic storytelling – Takes historical performance art and integrates it into modern RPG design. ✔ Playful yet political – Encourages rebellion, humor, and improvisation, much like the Commedia itself.
🏆 Best Deep Cut — Not a Fish (J. Walton)
A game based on an obscure 1923 article about a man who argued that whales aren’t fish. Yes, really.
https://ludopolitics.itch.io/not-a-fish
📝 Why it stood out: ✔ Hilariously niche – The very definition of a deep cut. ✔ Transforms a historical oddity into gameplay – Players engage in a whale-classification debate as a structured game.
https://litrouke.itch.io/chimneysandtulips
🏆 Best Visuals (Tie!) — Chimneys and Tulips (litrouke) & The Garden of God (DreadRoach)
Both games brought striking visual aesthetics to their digital and analog formats, enhancing immersion and capturing the artistic richness of the 1920s.
https://dreadroach.itch.io/the-garden-of-god
Public Domain as a Game Design Resource
The real success of this jam wasn’t just in the individual games—it was in the process of rediscovery. This event, and the many that have followed, show how the public domain is an untapped wellspring of ideas for game developers, writers, and artists.
📌 Why public domain matters for game design: ✔ It unlocks forgotten stories – The past is full of rich narratives that deserve to be retold. ✔ It removes legal barriers – Creators don’t need to worry about copyright claims. ✔ It inspires innovation – Mash-ups, reimaginings, and adaptations become tools for creativity.
By revisiting lost works, developers not only breathe new life into historical art but also preserve and reinterpret culture for modern audiences.
Looking Forward: The Future of Public Domain Game Jams
Since 2019, the Gaming Like It’s… series has become a recurring tradition, with each new year bringing fresh works into the commons. The 2020 jam celebrated works from 1924, and similar events continue to run annually.
If you’re interested in exploring the public domain through game design, these jams offer a perfect opportunity to engage with history in an interactive way. And as more works enter the public domain each January, the possibilities only continue to grow.
One thing is clear: history is not static. It’s meant to be played with, adapted, and experienced anew. And thanks to Gaming Like It’s 1923, we can do just that.