Submissions open from 2026-09-30 23:00:00 to 2026-10-31 14:59:59
Starts in
years
months
days
hours
minutes
seconds

// ABOUT

The PC-9800 series by NEC dominated the Japanese computer scene in the late 80s and early 90s. Its games are known for their unique art style and the FM synth that accompanies it.

Most of the game art is in an anime style with limited colors, using dithered gradients to give the art more depth. The games themselves range from visual novels, dungeon crawlers, strategy games, and shooters.

This jam is to celebrate this era of gaming. The first PC-98 was released in October 1982, which is why this jam will last for the month of October.

Use any engine or tool to make your game, but it should feel like it was made during the PC-98 era.

I will make YouTube videos of the top 5 games, and most likely more. Any game compatible with real hardware will also get a video.

A link to the Discord channel will be posted soon.


// THEME

The theme will be announced at the start of the jam.


// CRITERIA

THEME
How did your game interpret and express the jam theme?
PC-98 FEEL
Does your game capture the spirit of the platform in genre and tone? The genres that defined the era are visual novels, RPGs, dungeon crawlers, and strategy games. The visual novel pace is slow to start then ramps up dramatically.
MUSIC & SOUND
The PC-98 is known for its FM/MIDI influenced composition. Does the music also match that?
GAMEPLAY
Is it engaging to play?
ART
The quality of the art, and also think limited color palettes, dithering, and pixel-precise character art.

// JAM RULES

► No NSFW content. (I know it's the PC-98, but not for the jam, please.)

► No AI art or audio.

► Game must be made during the jam.

► Game must follow the theme and present the feel of a PC-98 game.

► Give credit for anything that you didn't make yourself.