Two or more mythologies. One world. One weekend.
Mythos Collide is an online game jam for anyone who has wondered what happens when Sinbad's roc meets a Norse longship, or when Gilgamesh gets lost in the Minotaur's labyrinth. You have one weekend to take two or more mythologies, put them in the same world and make a playable game out of it.
Mythos Collide is part of GameForward, the gaming initiative anchored by Dubai SME, part of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, and powered by Antler. The jam is run in collaboration with the Dubai Films and Games Commission and games.gg.
Combine two or more mythologies in a single game. Characters, creatures, places and stories can come from any tradition. How they come together is up to you.
Any genre, any engine, any art style.
Go deep before you go wide. Two myths you know well will make a better game than five you looked up on Thursday morning.
| When (GST) | What happens |
|---|---|
| Thursday 15 October, 10:00 | Jam opens. The clock starts. |
| Sunday 18 October, 23:59 | Submissions close |
| Monday 19 October | Winners announced |
Mentorship from Antler
Winning teams receive mentorship from Antler, the early-stage venture capital firm that powers GameForward.
Features across games.gg and GameForward
Winning games are featured across games.gg and GameForward channels, in front of players and the regional games industry.
A seat at a GameForward session
Winners get a seat at a GameForward session with a headline speaker, to be announced soon.
A panel of judges plays and scores every eligible entry. There is no community voting. Each entry is scored from 1 to 5 on the four criteria below, and the criteria carry equal weight.
| Criterion | What judges look for | What scores high |
|---|---|---|
| The Collision | How meaningfully the mythologies come together | The combination shapes the mechanics, the story or the world. Each tradition is recognizable and handled with care. |
| Fun | Whether the game is enjoyable to play | A clear core loop, a reason to keep playing and a satisfying first five minutes |
| Craft and Cohesion | Whether it looks, sounds and feels like one game | Consistent art direction and audio, readable UI, a stable build and no game-breaking bugs |
| Authorship | How clearly the game shows human direction | Deliberate design decisions, edited and curated assets, and an honest AI Tools Used section that matches what the judges see |
Eligibility comes first. Entries that break the rules, don't launch, or don't feature at least two mythological traditions are not scored.
Ties. If two entries finish level, the higher score in The Collision decides the result.
| # | Rule | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fresh builds | Your game must be made during the jam window. Personal code libraries, engine templates and licensed asset packs are fine. Pre-existing game projects are not. |
| 2 | Use the theme | At least two distinct mythological traditions must be clearly present in your game. How you combine them is up to you. |
| 3 | Human in the loop | AI is allowed across code, art, audio and writing. One-prompt games are not. Raw, unedited output pasted straight into a build will be disqualified. Iterate, debug, rewrite and stitch it together until it feels authored. |
| 4 | Be the art director | AI art, 3D and audio are allowed, and looks are scored. Edit it, paint over it, photobash it or blend it with your own work. Fifteen clashing styles will hurt your score. |
| 5 | Show your work | Your game page must include an AI Tools Used section listing which tools you used and how. For example: "Claude for UI code, Midjourney sprites repainted in Aseprite, Suno for the main theme." Entries made without AI should say so. |
| 6 | It has to run | Your game must launch and be playable from start to finish. Entries that crash on the menu or during normal play are removed from judging. Test your build, and test any code AI wrote for you. If your game calls a live AI service, it must work out of the box with no player API keys or local model installs. |
| 7 | Teams | Solo developers and teams of any size are welcome. One person submits the game and adds the rest of the team as contributors on the itch.io project. |
| 8 | Respect the source | Myths belong to real cultures and living communities. Reinvent them freely. Content that mocks a culture, a religion or its people will be removed. |
| 9 | Keep it clean | No NSFW content, graphic gore, hate speech or harassment. If your AI generates something inappropriate, filtering it out is your responsibility. |
Zero tolerance. Any of the following leads to immediate disqualification:
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Never made a game. Can I join? | Yes. A small finished game beats an ambitious unfinished one. |
| Can I enter from outside the UAE? | Yes. Mythos Collide is online and open to developers anywhere in the world. |
| Is there a team size limit? | No. Solo developers and teams of any size can enter. |
| Can I use AI for the whole game? | Yes, as long as it isn't a one-prompt game. Raw, unedited output is disqualified, and judges score Authorship and Craft. |
| Can I use asset packs or templates? | Yes, as long as you have the rights to use them. Pre-existing game projects are not allowed. |
| Can I make up my own myth? | You can add original material, but at least two real mythological traditions must be clearly present. |
| Do I have to stick to one genre? | No. Any genre, engine or art style is welcome. |
GameForward is a gaming initiative anchored by Dubai SME, part of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, and powered by Antler. It supports game studios and developers through game jams, an accelerator and the Champions program.
Dubai SME is the agency of the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism mandated to develop the small and medium enterprise sector in Dubai. Established in 2002, it supports entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey, from planning and financing to licensing and growth, and promotes innovation and leadership across the SME sector. Since its inception, Dubai SME has supported more than 50,000 entrepreneurs.
The Dubai Films and Games Commission (DFGC), established under the Dubai Media Council, is the primary regulatory and development entity for Dubai's film and gaming industries. It drives the long-term growth of both sectors through industry partnerships, ecosystem development, regulatory advancement and international collaboration. DFGC leads the Dubai Program for Gaming 2033, which aims to place Dubai among the world's top 10 gaming hubs.
Antler is a global early-stage venture capital firm that invests in exceptional founders from day zero. With a presence across six continents, Antler helps founders build and scale category-defining companies, backing them from their earliest days through to growth.
GAMES.GG is a cross-platform gaming discovery platform revolutionizing how gamers explore, connect, and experience games across all platforms. Over 3M+ registered users worldwide use the platform for guides, reviews, news, achievements, rewards, and more.
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