What is Patch Notes?

Patch Notes is our first official Indieformer Jam — a three-day sprint to make something unexpected. Not perfect. Not polished. Just playable. Maybe.

This jam is for devs who colour outside the lines. The ones who chase cursed mechanics, poke broken systems, and build beautiful messes. It’s a celebration of the unfinished, the unstable, the almosts—because that’s where the good stuff usually hides.

Why?

Indieformer exists to spotlight what's next. And sometimes, what’s next needs a little chaos to get going.

This jam isn’t just for fun (though it will be). It’s a space to experiment, to fail forward, and maybe even find something worth building on.

👀 Standout games may be featured in the Indieformer newsletter, future interviews, or… who knows...

The Theme: The Error Is the Feature

What happens when you stop fixing the bug... and start building around it?

This theme invites you to embrace the chaos — to take the cracks in your code, the quirks in your logic, and the accidents in your art, and turn them into the *point*. Whether it’s a UI that won’t sit still, a control scheme that makes no sense, or a mechanic that was never meant to exist, this is your chance to lean in.

Games built under this theme should make you wonder: was this broken on purpose? (And if not... does it matter?)

The glitch isn't the obstacle — it's the playground.

The Details

• When: September 12th (12:00 AM) - 14th (11:59 PM) PDT. 72 hours.
• Where: Itch.io, Discord, and wherever you code chaos
• Who: Solo devs, teams, seasoned pros, hobbyists — all are welcome

You don’t need to be a coder to contribute. Writers, artists, composers, UI nerds, vibe curators— you’re all welcome. Bring a skill, bring an idea, or just bring the energy.

Finding a Team

Jump into the Indieformer Discord. Post your skills, browse open roles, or just lurk until someone messages you.

There’s always a team looking for something you can offer — even if you think you’ve got nothing. Trust us.

The Rules

• You have 72 hours to make your game.
• You must incorporate the jam’s theme.
• No NSFW content (no nudity, extreme gore, or real-world trauma).
• Reusing small snippets of code/textures is fine — just don’t bring in a fully finished game.
• Game must be available in-browser or via Windows build at minimum.
• Game must be in English.
• Games must be submitted before the deadline.
  
• If you're having tech issues near the end, please reach out — we’ll do our best to help.

AI Usage

We encourage participants to collaborate with other creators in the Indieformer Discord for artwork, music, and voiceovers rather than relying on AI. If you do use AI in your game, you must include a short note in your submission describing exactly how it was used.

Our goal isn’t to ban AI outright — clever and intentional uses can be part of game-making. But full end-to-end AI generation goes against the spirit of the jam. Using AI as a supportive tool alongside your own work is fine, as long as it’s transparently disclosed.

Scoring Criteria

• Art (5 points)
• Gameplay (5 points)
• Sound Design (5 points)
• Theme Integration (5 points)
• Innovation (5 points)
• Fun Factor (5 points)

With each criteria having 5 points each (30 points total), the total score will be averaged and turned into stars, with 5 stars being the holy grail.

Judging

We’ve brought in five judges from across the indie space — each with their own flavour, background, and eye for what makes a game shine:

RetroFlock Moderator in the Indieformer Discord and creator of Flock, a new YouTube channel dedicated to showcasing all-around awesome games.

Dear, IndieGames Editor of The DIG, an indie magazine digging up hidden gems from the depths of Steam. On a mission to spotlight what others miss. Accepts cookie bribes (unofficially).

Kae So Founder of Player3, a platform helping creators post, earn, and build communities around the games they love. Big on making indie more sustainable.

Jake Lizarraga Ex-marketing director who left the startup world to support indie developers. Now focused on helping devs craft smart strategies and find their audience.

WisestWaffle Indieformer mod and co-developer on Waypoint, our upcoming curation tool. He's also an SBC handheld collector and aspiring game dev in his own right.

But this isn’t just up to them.

Anyone who submits or contributes to a game during the jam can take part in community scoring. With the amount of entries rolling in, we think opening it up is the best move — and honestly, it’s shaping up to be a big one.

And finally, we’ll spotlight a few Indieformer Picks — favourites that stood out for being messy, brilliant, or just too fun to ignore. Make sure you're subscribed to the Indieformer newsletter so you don't miss out on the best from the jam.