New Project Team Member!

The JAY Games Team is growing!

We're excited to announce that Dale Ziemianski is joining our Under the desert sun™ project team as a Character Artist! Dale brings extensive experience with different artistic mediums and has showcased his work in books, video games, and more (including as a music artist)! You may have seen his work gracing the covers of the Geisterjäger John Sinclair book series in the early 2000's among other places. He's vegan and lives in Ohio with his partner Andrea and their many animals where he is able to put his passion for permaculture, bushcraft, and sustainable living to practice. Additionally, he is a fan and champion of open source tech - and while he doesn't use open source AI for his artwork, he uses it often for learning. Definitely check out his portfolio on his website at this link!

In his role on the Under the desert sun project team, Dale will help us wrap up the development for the game by designing the final NPC art pieces (and some other pieces too!). As with Celestine Nox, the Character Artist for the Main 5 (the Key NPCs - the big wigs in the game), Dale will own the IP for all of his art and is participating in profit-sharing for all game sales/publications and paid-play experiences. At JAY Games, we believe in fairly compensating artists for their individual work and are committed to never using AI - as part of this commitment, all artists receive shared profits from sales of the game, paid-play experiences, and any other publications that feature their art. We believe that this collaborative partnership helps build the best immersive world for Players to experience our stories - and separates us from other game development companies.

We're excited to showcase Dale's art for Under the desert sun as it is completed - and for our anticipated digital launch right here on Itch.io at the end of May! We anticipate having a dual launch with a physical product - proudly printed by local companies in Chicagoland - for sale on our website in the US and Canadian markets (with future markets to come!) Be sure to stay tuned to our blog here on Itch.io or by following us on Instagram/Blueskyto be kept up-to-date on all the latest Under the desert sun and JAY Games content!

About JAY Games:

JAY Games™ - Just As Yourself Games - is a game development company based in Chicago, Illinois that is committed to a safe, inclusive Play environment where anyone, regardless of experience, can enjoy a story Just As Yourself™. Players come with their imagination and bring just a playbook, a d6, and a d20. The Meddah, the game master, brings probability and rich storytelling without railroading Players with tactical combat rules or conceptual items. The rule of cool reigns supreme - but Players' safety is paramount, even if it violates the rule of cool. JAY Games's inaugural release, Under the desert sun™, is expected in Spring 2025 and is currently completing playtests on StartPlaying.Games. Inquiries can be directed to inquire@jay-games.com.