Welcome to Broken Rules Jam — a game jam about creativity, strange ideas, unexpected mechanics, and games that do something differently.
In this jam, your task is simple:
take one familiar rule from any game genre and break it.
Every game genre has rules that players expect.
In a platformer, you usually jump.
In a horror game, you usually run away from the monster.
In a racing game, you usually try to be the fastest.
In a shooter, you usually defeat enemies with weapons.
In a puzzle game, you usually search for the correct answer.
But what happens if one of those rules is broken?
That is the main idea of Broken Rules Jam. Your game should take something normal, expected, or familiar — and twist it into something new.
The goal is not to make the biggest game.
The goal is to make the most interesting broken rule.
Your game should clearly break one important rule of a genre, mechanic, or player expectation.
It can be funny, scary, weird, clever, difficult, chaotic, or experimental. The most important thing is that the broken rule is visible and affects the gameplay.
These are only examples. You can create anything you want. The stranger and more creative your idea is, the better.
If you do not know what to make, choose a genre first:
Then ask yourself:
A good jam game does not need to be huge. One strong idea is enough.
When submitting your game, please include:
This will help voters understand your idea and judge your game fairly.
How original, surprising, or interesting is the broken rule?
How clearly does the game use the theme? Is the broken rule important to the gameplay?
Is the game enjoyable, interesting, funny, scary, or satisfying to play?
Does the game feel understandable and finished? Are the controls, visuals, audio, and presentation clear?
A strong submission is not just a game with a random strange mechanic. The best games in this jam will use the broken rule as the core of the experience.
For example, if your game is a platformer where the player cannot jump, the whole level design should be built around that limitation.
If your horror game makes the monster afraid of the player, then the fear should work in a new way.
The broken rule should not feel like a bug. It should feel like the main idea.
You can use any engine or tool, including:
Teams are allowed. You can work alone, with friends, or with people you meet during the jam.
There is no strict team size limit, but please keep the project fair and realistic for a jam.
Be friendly to other participants. Play other submissions, leave useful feedback, and support people who joined the jam.
Game jams are not only about winning. They are also about learning, experimenting, and finishing something.
Yes, you can use old assets, free assets, or asset packs, but the actual game should be made during the jam. Always credit assets you did not create.
Yes. Teams are allowed.
Yes. Browser games are recommended because they are easy for people to play and rate.
Yes. Horror, comedy, action, puzzle, simulation, and any other genre are allowed.
Yes. Small games are welcome. A short but creative prototype is perfect for a jam.
Yes, but please mention what AI tools were used and what they helped with.
Make something players do not expect.
Break a rule. Reverse a mechanic. Change the way a genre works. Create a game that feels strange in the best way.
Welcome to Broken Rules Jam.
Need tools or ready-made systems for your jam game?
You can check out my assets on the Unity Asset Store. They can help you save time, prototype faster, and focus more on making your horror game scary and playable.
Using my assets is completely optional. You can join the jam with any engine, any tools, and any workflow.
