Join us and make a Unity game in TWO WEEKENDS! 🎮

Welcome to Genie's Game Jam! You will have TEN DAYS to create a game based on the theme: CHANGING IDENTITIES. During the jam, you'll use our Avatar SDK for Unity to create player-avatar focused games, while competing to win cash prizes! 

The Avatar SDK is a free avatar solution that is ready out of the box for Unity development! Our high-fidelity avatars are fully customizable with our Avatar Editor - from face and bodies to clothing and accessories. Through the Genies Login, avatars are also interoperable across any game built with the SDK. This enables players to have a persistent identity and inventory throughout different experiences - driving deeper creation, play, and investment. In addition, you can create custom clothing assets that get processed in our pipelines that can be rewarded to players and forever live in their inventory!

Jam Schedule

• Start: December 12, 2025 @ 10:00 AM (PT)
• End: December 22, 2025 @ 10:00 AM (PT)
• Voting: December 22 – December 23, 2025

In order to participate in the jam, you must: 

1. have Unity 2022.3.62f2 or later installed,
2. download the Genies Avatar SDK from the Unity Asset Store, and 
3. create an account on Genies Hub.

For information to get started quickly, check out our Documentation!

Make sure you join the Discord server where technical support will be provided throughout the jam: http://discord.gg/genies

A ton of prizes available!

🏆 1st Place:  $1,000 prize.  

🥈 2nd Place: $500 prize. 

🥉 3rd Place:  $250 prize.

🎖 4th-10th Place: $50 Visa gift card

👗 Best Clothing Asset: $200 cash prize

In addition, after the jam, we will be raffling 20 $25 gift cards for completing our post-jam survey! Prize winners will not be eligible to win this raffle.

In partnership with SF Game Development Community, one potential winner can win the opportunity to feature their game on the floor at GDC 2026 (in the SF Game Dev official booth), along with a complimentary GDC pass!

Use the Genies Avatar SDK in the Unity project, enabling you to build character-centric games with our avatar framework!

Step-by-step instructions

1. Make sure you have at least Unity 2022.3.62f2 installed.
2. Download the Genies Avatar SDK from the Unity Asset Store.
3. Create an account on Genies Hub.
   
4. Build a game prototype using the Genies Avatar SDK
5. Read our Docs if you get stuck!
6. Submit your game before the deadline.
7. Compete for prizes!

Are teams allowed?

Teaming up is allowed and encouraged! Visit the #find-a-team channel on Discord to team up with fellow jammers. We recommend that you keep your team under 4 members; however, there is no team size restriction!

Submission Rules

Projects must be created with Unity and use the Genies Avatar SDK (our SDK only works in Unity at the moment)!

Projects must be playable in the Unity Editor (a project zip file is totally okay for judging).

• Original Work Only: Previously created projects or games may not be submitted.
• Use of Pre-Existing Assets: You may use pre-existing code or assets that you have legal rights to, but must disclose them in your submission. This will affect your score in that particular category to keep the jam fair to those that may have created from scratch what you did not.
• Content Restrictions: All submissions must be safe for all audiences. No nudity, profanity, sexual content, or other inappropriate material.
• Submission Deadline: All game info must be uploaded to itch.io (no external links) by 10:00 AM PT on Dec 22, 2025.

This is your chance to build something awesome and get recognized! Ready to jam? Sign up now and let’s make something incredible! 🎮🔥

All projects will be judged on the following criteria:

1. Theme - How does your game meet the theme of the game? No need to follow it strictly - creative interpretations are more than welcome!
2. Fun - Is your game enjoyable to play? Does it make us laugh or cry?
3. Innovation - Did you come up with interesting, new mechanics for players? Is there an interesting twist on the aesthetics?
4. Visuals - Polish is always important! How well does your art and style come together in your game?
5. Audio - Audio and sound always brings a game together! Help us immerse ourselves into what you've created!

1. Eligibility

• You must be at least 13 years old to participate.  By submitting your game and entering to win, you are agreeing that you are 13 or older.
• Residents of Italy and Brazil are not eligible to participate due to country-specific regulations.
• Participants may work alone or in teams.
• A Team Lead must be designated at submission, with a valid email address for prize-related contact and distribution.

2. Judging Criteria & Winner Selection

• Submissions will be rated in five categories: Theme, Fun, Innovation, Audio and Visuals
• Final scoring will be determined by three expert judges from Genies: Carl Domingo, Amel Negra, and Aaron Jauregui.
• Cash prize winners will be determined by the top ten overall scores across all categories.

    This process ensures fairness and prevents cheating.

3. Intellectual Property (IP) Rights

• You retain ownership of your submission.
• By submitting, you grant Genies a perpetual, royalty-free, worldwide license to use, display, and distribute your submission in any and all media.

4. Prizes & Distribution

• 1st Place:
  • $1,000 cash prize
• 2nd Place:
  • $500 cash prize
• 3rd Place:
  • $250 cash prize
• 4th - 10th Place:
  • $50 Gift Card
• Best Clothing Asset
  • $200 cash prize
• Survey Raffles
• Up to 20 unique survey submitters will receive a $25 Gift Card

5. Optional Merit Award - GDC Pass

• Genies and/or its partner(s) may, at their sole discretion, award one participant a complimentary Game Developers Conference pass (“GDC Pass”) based on overall quality, creativity, and execution of the submitted project. This award is not guaranteed, may be withheld if no submission meets evaluation criteria, and does not include travel, lodging, meals, or other expenses. Approximate retail value: $650. Winner is responsible for any applicable taxes. Genies may substitute a prize of equal or greater value if the GDC Pass becomes unavailable.

6. Taxes & Winner Verification

• Winners must provide a valid tax identification number or Social Security number to receive their prize.
• Genies will issue IRS Forms 1099 or W-8BEN for tax reporting as required. Winners are responsible for any applicable taxes.
• Survey Raffles. No purchase or payment is necessary to enter the survey raffle. Completing and submitting the survey is free and constitutes entry into the raffle. Up to twenty (20) winners will be selected at random from eligible survey submissions. Genies’ selection of raffle winners is final. Winners may be required to provide applicable tax documentation (e.g., W-9 or W-8BEN) as a condition to receiving the $25 award.

7. Disqualification & Compliance

• Genies reserves the right to disqualify any participant for:
  • Submitting plagiarized, inappropriate, or previously created work.
  • Violating any contest rules.
  • Engaging in fraudulent activities.
• If a winner fails to respond within 7 days of notification, their prize may be forfeited.

8. Liability & Disputes

• Genies is not responsible for lost, corrupted, or delayed entries.
• By participating, you agree to release Genies from any claims arising from participation in this contest.
• This contest is governed by the laws of California.
• Any disputes shall be resolved through binding arbitration in California, waiving any right to a lawsuit.

Acknowledgment

• By submitting an entry, you confirm that you agree to these terms and conditions.