The Brainless Game Jam was a 7-day event where participants had to make a small-scale game with the theme Simpler Times. See the results and original jam description below!
Community Vote Winners
The first place community-voted winner of the Brainless Mini-Game Jam is Mouse Momentum!
Brainless Review - Oh MAN this game had me furious near the end of it but what an incredible experience. Though I've never had a pc that has run anything before windows 11 in my possession (I know, I know), this game still brought the nostalgia and with incredible mechanics too! It really reminded me of the older flash games, and those physics were second to none. Amazing work all around!
The second place community-voted winner of the Brainless Mini-Game Jam is Avlo The Imp Wizard!
Brainless Review - This was the 5th to last game I played in the whole jam, and when I did, I received an absolute whiplash of flavor. The mechanics are fluid, the art is incredible, and the gameplay is insanely fun! I recently learned that the devs are making a full release, and I think they definitely have it in them to make an instant classic! Although this is a masterpiece, I do have 1 single critique... I'm not a big fan of the word "The" being capitalized in the title ðŸ˜. In all seriousness, incredible job!
The third place community-voted winner of the Brainless Mini-Game Jam is Deadeye Dash!
Brainless Review - When it comes to arcade games, I never really thought that a reaction-based top down duel game would catch my attention so well. To be honest, I didn't even know what a reaction-based top down duel game was! This game was masterfully executed, and I loved moving around at the speed of light facing off against foes like Buster Jr. (I hate you Buster Jr.). For real though, you made a classic that would definitely be one of the most popular games at the local arcade!
Brainless Vote Winner
My favorite game from the Brainless Mini-Game Jam is CheatQuest!
Brainless Review - Now I'm gonna be super honest here, when I was young, I loved cheat codes in videogames. Heck, I even had an action replay for my DS (pls don't hunt me down Nintendo 😩). Playing through CheatQuest brings you back to the glory days of using exploits to win games, and it executes it perfectly. I had a blast playing this game, and even though I got stuck trying to get the ring (I genuinely thought the code needed the ring to be used ðŸ˜) this game was impressively immersive, and kept me hooked until the end. The mix of 2D and 3D goes perfect together, and the team did such a good job at making an unforgettable experience.
Wildcard (Eli's Vote) Winner
The winner of Eli's vote for the Brainless Mini-Game Jam is Jumpr!
Brainless Review - Now even though Eli chose this one, I absolutely loved this game. It's so simple, the art is charming, the gameplay is akin to a mobile game that I'd play in middle school, and the collectibles had me coming back for more. This game is the definition of less is more, and a bunch of other players will agree, WE WANT MORE PLEASE!!! If this was on steam with a couple more levels/chapters for like $1.99, I would 100% buy it, so let me know if you ever take up that business venture!
Original jam description:
Welcome to the first ever official Brainless Mini-Game Jam! Learn something new or refine your gamedev skills in a short 7-day jam about making a mini-game!
This jam is all about making a very small yet polished game. A lot of times, new developers start to make a game and keep adding more and more mechanics, typically causing scope creep or other problems down the line. For this jam, I want you to focus on making a super small game, based on 1 core mechanic. The scope should not be very large; in the scale of an old-school arcade-style game, simple 2d platformer with a twist, or any other small project you may think of.
No matter the theme, I still recommend making a small game. If you are OH SO ADAMANT about making a larger game, be my guest, just know that scope is the LAST THING that I’ll be judging on.
That being said, good luck on the jam, and I hope you learn a little something on the way 💛
Jam Info
The jam submissions will open on January 4th at 5:00PM EST and end on January 11th at 11:59PM EST. The judging phase will run from January 12th until I'm done playing each and every game.
Also, if you'd like to make a devlog or video about this jam, here are some assets that you could use!
Rules
- Teams are allowed up to 5 people.
- Any game engine / programming language / thing to make games is allowed. It doesn’t NEED to be playable in the browser, but it is highly recommended so everybody can play your game super easily.
- You are allowed to use any asset packs that are free / that you have the right to use. Please do not use generative AI for art or music in your games.
- No NSFW or offensive content please. If your game has potentially sensitive content (blood, gore, etc.) make sure to have a warning so players can have a heads up.
- Make sure the game follows the Discord server’s rules.
Judging
Connection to theme - How close did the game match the theme?
Enjoyment - Amount of fun you had playing the game.
Presentation - Overall presentation of the game: art, music, animations, and other features that may instill awe into the hearts of players.
Gameplay - How intuitive was the gameplay? Were the mechanics smooth and well made?
Creativity - Was the game super out-there and zany given the theme? Was it experimental and/or did it try fun and interesting new things?
Theme
The theme is Simpler Times! Watch the video if you need any more info!
Winning
Winners will get a custom role in the Discord server and will be featured in a second channel video! I will also go over a couple more fan-favorite submissions there as well!
Community
- The first place overall community voted-on game!
Brainless.’s favorite
- My favorite game from the jam!
Wildcard Pick
- The method of the third vote has been decided. It will be announced AFTER the voting stage...
Pwease Subscwibe to the second channel
