Mini jam is a 72-hour-long jam that occurs every two weeks about making small games in a small amount of time. While video games are the typical entry, all forms of interactive media that can be found on Itch are welcome.
The jam is centered around the combination of an optional theme and a mandatory limitation that gets revealed as soon as the jam starts. The theme is provided early so you can start getting ideas, just keep in mind that you may have to change your idea when the limitation is revealed. This time, the theme is Enchanted. Said theme is purely inspirational and it's not required that you incorporate it into your entry if you don't want to. Feel free to interpret it however you want.
While it is recommended that you give yourself ample time before the jam ends to submit your entry, if you are unable to submit your entry before the deadline, do not panic. Mini Jam is not a competitive jam, so submitting late at any point during the rating period is allowed. There will be an announcement on the discord server as well as a post in the jam community tab that explain the steps necessary to submit your game late.
Join the discord server if you have any questions, want to be notified of any news, or just want to hang out with fellow jammers.
The limitation is a special condition that your game must follow, but is entirely open to interpretation. If you are unsure if your idea does or doesn't fit the limitation, just remember that everyone will interpret it differently. If you believe in your interpretation, chances are that someone else will too.
The limitation will be announced when the jam starts. You can vote for and suggest new limitations here!
Not reading the rules is not an excuse for breaking them. Entries that do not follow the rules may be removed from the jam without warning.
It is mandatory that you incorporate the jam's limitation into your game. This said, how you choose to interpret its meaning and go about incorporating it is entirely up to you. You can use it as much or as little of it as you want, so long as some attempt is made.
You cannot submit previously made projects to the jam. This jam is about creating something new in the given period of time. Using bits of old projects or boilerplate code is fine, so long as the actual development of your entry isn't started in advance.
This jam welcomes any experience you feel like creating, so long as any NSFW content, potentially offensive content, graphic content or any otherwise sensitive material is clearly telegraphed with a content warning at the beginning of the game or in its description or cover where it is easily visible. Exactly what is and isn't considered sensitive content varies from person to person, just be considerate.
While usage of asset packs and public domain material are allowed in this jam, you and your team must have the rights to use all content in your entry.
Usage of generative AI tools, such as those that generate code, images or sound is strictly prohibited. This jam is about the process of creating something yourself. If you struggle with certain aspects of game development, find somebody to team up with or use this as an opportunity to begin learning an unfamiliar skill.
You will be prompted to answer a few questions when submitting your game. Please answer them to the best of your ability. Giving vague answers is a great way to set off red flags.
There will be an announcement on the discord server, as well as a post in the community tab on the jam page explaining the steps you should take to submit your project late if you missed the set deadline.
Mini Jam takes place every 2 weeks on a Thursday/Friday, depending on your time zone. You can expect the next Mini Jam to be up within a week of its start date.
The theme exists to inspire, following it is totally optional. However, following the limitation in some way is mandatory.
Almost certainly. You can interpret the limitation in any way you want. It will be up to you and your fellow jammers to determine if your interpretation is compelling.
You can use any engine or framework you like. You can even make your own if you want.
While video games are the expected format, this jam is open to any sort of interactive experience that can be made available on Itch.io. You can build your entry to target any platform.
Yes, you can make any changes to your project or your project page during the jam's rating period, just make sure that the original version of the game can still be downloaded if your project has a downloadable build, and make a note on the project page describing what the changes in the post-jam version are.
As long as the game is mostly made within the jam timeframe, anything that wasn't made specifically for this particular jam such as code from other projects or assets from asset packs are allowed, provided you have the rights to use them in your project.
Yes, but that is generally not advised. If you intend on working with multiple teams, please make sure each team is made aware and is okay with this.
Mini Jam is a strictly prize-less jam. The prizes are the games we've made along the way.
Participating in Ludum Dare? Be sure to join the official unofficial Discord server.
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