NaNoRenO is just around the corner! It’s the best time of the year! Wheee!!! If you're a VN dev (or an aspiring VN dev), you should totally join! Here’s a copy+paste of some useful info from the itch.io jam page.
NaNoRenO is a month-long game jam in which developers are challenged to make a visual novel from start to finish. It was originally inspired by the more famous NaNoWriMo (National Novelist Writer's Month, which takes place in November). There's no restrictions on content or genre. See a list of previously released NaNoRenO games here!
(This year's logo by Lucy Morris.)
Do I have to sign up anywhere to participate?
No, you do not have to sign up to participate in NaNoRenO, though you will more than likely get more out of the experience by joining the Lemmasoft forums and sharing the journey with the fellow participants there! You are also welcome to post your final piece in the itch.io jam page.
Is there a prize or any sort of judging?
There is no prize or judging in NaNoRenO. The event is a challenge that the developers set for themselves and the prize is the magnificent sense of gratification you get after finishing your game. Completion is its own reward.
Why should I participate in NaNoRenO?
Sometimes we need a fire lit under our butts. It's hard enough to get through making a game from start to finish without a time limit, let alone with just a month to get through everything. Having a deadline will motivate you, help you prioritize your time, let you work on a project you know should be finished by a certain point, and let you explore something outside of what you usually do. It's the same reason developers participate in game jams: a bit of fun with some time management thrown in. If you've had a visual novel idea lurking at the back of your head forever but never had the kick to go explore it—do it now!
(mostly taken from this post)
The most recent phrasing of the NaNoRenO rules:
You can only begin actual production of your game in March.
Brainstorming, plot outlining, character sketches, and anything that does not lead to the direction production of assets is okay.
Sketches of sprite poses, backgrounds, and CGs is NOT okay.
Use of Creative Commons material is okay.
There are no "winners" here. Everyone who manages to release their game has completed NaNoRenO!
You may release a buggy version of your game by the deadline and fix it up later or release a demo for NaNoRenO.
I don't know where to start!
Need to recruit help or join a team?
Want feedback on a work in progress?
Want a beginner's guide to using Ren'py?
A concurrent jam for projects that started before March. Devs use the month to sprint to the finish and vow to complete a game by the deadline. Basically, if you started something already and you want to finish it up during this month, you can use this fancy tag so people know you didn't do it in a month.
But what does NaNoRenO even stand for?
Sodium Nobelium Rhenium Nitrogen Oxygen