Two years ago, the KyuHEN homebrew contest brought new life to the Vita console. That contest brought us gems for the Vita with of ports, utilities, and original games such as Command and Conquer, Vita Recorder, or Brain Splitter.

I’m happy to report that the folks behind the KyuHEN contest are back at it, and just announced the “FuHEN” Homebrew contest. If you’re a developer for the PS Vita (or have been thinking of dipping your toes into the magic world of Homebrew Development), you’ll have until September 22nd this year to submit your entry. The prizes currently include $1000 in cash plus additional goodies, and the number could grow.

FuHEN PS Vita homebrew contest has started, submit your entries until Sep 22nd

Developers get ready: a new PS Vita Homebrew contest has just launched! FuHEN (that’s the name) has started, and you have until September 22nd to send your entries. If you have what it takes to create homebrew games, or utility/plugins, this contest is for you. Your entry can be created using your own engine from scratch, or existing SDKs such as Unity or GameMaker. There’s also a category for porting an existing game.

The FuHEN contest replicates the structure that made the success of the original KyuHEN contest. With very trusted devs and scene veterans at the helm of the contest (gl33ntwine, Cimmerian, Frangarcj, 2 Old 4 Gaming, SKGleba), I know it will run smoothly.

a few of the entries from 2021’s KyuHEN contest

From the organizers:

Two years after the success of KyuHEN, the love for the PSVita in the gaming scene remains strong, even 11 years later. With the unveiling of the Playstation Q project, it is time to make its heartbeat even faster.

FuHEN (不変) conveys the idea of the constancy of change. Despite the PSVita being released 10 years ago and receiving end-of-life updates, change is still happening. This is the message we want to deliver: the Vita scene is still alive, filled with unseen and extraordinary releases, and supporting its developers.

FuHEN PS Vita homebrew contest Categories

No matter what your skills/interests are, if you’re a homebrew dev there should be a category for you. The FuHEN contest has specifically 3 categories:

• Game: Create an original game, either from scratch or with an engine of your choice, e.g. GameMaker or Unity.
• Utility: Create a utility homebrew or a plugin.
• Port: Port an application or a game from another system.

FuHEN PS Vita homebrew contest: $1000 in cash prizes, + additional goodies

There is a total of $1000 in cash prizes for now, split among the 3 categories (check the contest website for specific details). More prizes might come if other people want to sponsor the contest (their site provides a link to their ko-fi page where people who want to donate can do so).

Disclaimer on accountability: Large homebrew contests with big cash prizes like this one are always a bit tricky to organize. I am not one of the organizers, but can vouch for them: these folks have successfully driven one of the best Vita homebrew contest two years ago, they know what they’re doing.

FuHEN: how to get started

Although the contest isn’t accepting entries just yet (this will start mi-july), you can already get started on your end. So get your favorite text/code editor ready, then go check their website for the full rules and the judging process. Good luck to everyone!

Source: KyûHEN