Kevin Smith made a surprise appearance at New York Comic Con on October 8, 2026, to help unveil the first trailer for "Jay and Silent Bob's Joint Venture," a farming simulation game built around the stoner duo he and Jason Mewes have played on screen since 1994, according to Cosmic Book News, which covered the panel.
The title is developed by Nitrate Games, an indie studio with offices in Los Angeles and Philadelphia that currently has six projects in development, Cosmic Book News reported. The panel included Nitrate co-founders Daniel Kendrick, Montana Sommese and Nick Madonna, creative director Chase Marotz and game designer Idan Saban, alongside Smith.
A sequel, not just a spinoff
Nitrate Games describes "Joint Venture" as a narrative continuation of the View Askewniverse rather than a standalone side story. Co-founder Montana Sommese told GamesBeat: "Joint Venture is a Jay and Silent Bob game, but it's actually a continuation of Kevin Smith's View Askewniverse. The central narrative picks up where the films left off, making the game a kind of sequel."
That framing matters because the View Askewniverse already spans nine feature films released between 1994 and 2022 — from "Clerks" to "Clerks III," including the animated "Jay & Silent Bob's Super Groovy Cartoon Movie!" — plus comics and earlier game cameos, according to Wikipedia's overview of the franchise. Jay and Silent Bob, played by Mewes and Smith respectively, are the connective thread running through nearly all of that media.
Writer Ernie Altbacker, known for "Batman: Hush" and "Justice League Dark," is scripting the game's original story, per both Cosmic Book News and The Pop Insider. Smith and Mewes are credited with shaping the creative direction alongside the Nitrate team.
What players will actually do
Mechanically, "Joint Venture" sits in the cozy farming-sim genre popularized by games like "Stardew Valley," but with mature content layered on top. The Pop Insider describes it as a mature-rated cozy farming simulation in which players build and expand a weed-farming operation while progressing through an original story and encountering characters pulled from across Smith's filmography.
Confirmed characters appearing in the game include Dante and Randal from "Clerks," Brodie from "Mallrats," Holden and Banky from "Chasing Amy," and Azrael from "Dogma," among others, according to Cosmic Book News and The Pop Insider. Cosmic Book News's reporting additionally lists Veronica, T.S. Quint, Hooper, Alyssa, Serendipity, Becky, Elias and the Mooby's fast-food mascot as part of the cast players will meet.
Release timeline
Jay and Silent Bob's Joint Venture — key facts| Detail | What's confirmed |
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| Developer | Nitrate Games (Los Angeles / Philadelphia) |
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| Genre | Mature cozy farming simulator |
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| Writer | Ernie Altbacker |
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| Creative direction | Kevin Smith, Jason Mewes, Chase Marotz |
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| PC/Steam release | Late spring 2027 |
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| Console release | Later in 2027 |
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| Announcement | NYCC panel, October 8, 2026 |
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The Pop Insider and Cosmic Book News report that the Steam/PC version is targeted for late spring 2027, with console versions arriving later in the year. Nitrate Games is opening playtesting signups ahead of launch, per The Pop Insider's coverage of the panel.
Earlier View Askewniverse video games
The View Askewniverse has already tested smaller game formats, including the 2020 brawler "Jay and Silent Bob: Mall Brawl" and cameo appearances in "Call of Duty: Black Ops 6" in 2024, according to Wikipedia's summary of the franchise's media expansions. "Joint Venture" is being positioned as a narrative-driven farming sim rather than an action game, following that history of smaller, non-combat tie-in titles.
Questions
- What is Jay and Silent Bob's Joint Venture?
- It is a mature-rated cozy farming simulation game set in Kevin Smith's View Askewniverse, in which players build and expand a weed-farming operation while meeting characters from Smith's films, according to Nitrate Games and The Pop Insider's coverage of the NYCC reveal.
- Who is developing the game?
- Nitrate Games, an indie studio based in Los Angeles and Philadelphia, is developing the title; the studio currently has six projects in development, per Cosmic Book News.
- When is the game coming out?
- A Steam/PC release is planned for late spring 2027, with console versions following later in 2027, according to The Pop Insider and Cosmic Book News.
- Is this connected to the View Askewniverse films?
- Yes. Nitrate Games co-founder Montana Sommese says the game's story picks up where the films left off, making it a narrative continuation rather than a standalone spinoff, per GamesBeat.
- Which characters appear in the game?
- Confirmed characters include Dante, Randal, Brodie, Holden, Banky and Azrael, among others from across Kevin Smith's filmography, according to Cosmic Book News and The Pop Insider.
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