The sequel to Puzzle Jam II, another open challenge to create a puzzle game prototype.

All skill levels are welcome from beginner to professional. New to this whole thing? Never made a game before? Play some jam-winning games to see where you can be after several jams of practice. 

Keynote

About Us

Hosted by 8 Bits to Infinity: a game development community dedicated to improving creative and technical skills through rapid iteration and honest, critical feedback. Join us on Discord, check out our website, and take a look at our past jams and challenges.

The man behind 8 Bits to Infinity is Retro Indie Josh (aka Joshua McLean): streamer, musician, and game developer. Check out his game music (free for you to use in jams and commercial projects!) and his streams and other work.

Focus (Required): Puzzle Game

Make a puzzle game. Simple as that! You can see several great examples in the Puzzle Jam and Puzzle Jam II entries.

What exactly is a puzzle game? Here are some possibilities, though some puzzle games don't meet all three criteria:

• One or more solutions
• No uncertainty in the system
• Two possible conclusions: you win, or you give up

This can be any kind of puzzle: word, number, shape, traversal, jigsaw, logic, etc. However, the puzzle element must be the main focus of the game, not simply part of it.

Some examples of commercial games which we would allow: Tetris, Sokoban, PipeMania, Sudoku, Candy Crush, Portal, Monument Valley, Myst, ChuChu Rocket!

Basically, if someone would play the game and say, "Yeah, that's a puzzle game," then it qualifies for this jam.

Theme (Semi-Optional): GROW

The theme is optional, but remember Theme/Limitation counts for 1/6th of your Community Choice score. Also, the theme can be a great way to come up with ideas if you're stuck!

You are free to interpret the theme however you like. Looking for an interpretation outside the box? Try the Wikipedia article for grow.

Judging and Prizes

You (contributors to any game entered into this jam) determine the Community Choice by voting on games after the jam concludes. Check out the Ratings Guide for how to interpret categories and tips on good star ratings.

The highest overall rated game will be the winner and placed in the list of 8 Bits to Infinity jam winners. Up to six other games may qualify as runners up for winning in  each of the six categories.

All winning games will be included and highlighted in the post-jam showcase video on the 8 Bits to Infinity YouTube channel..

Rules and FAQ

See the Jam Rules and Jam FAQ for more details.

Jam Specific Rules

• No limitations on:
  • Graphics
  • Audio
  • Engine/library/framework, programming language, and other tools

Challenges/Diversifiers (Optional, but fun!)

Looking for additional challenge in the jam? You can use any number of diversifiers listed here.

Schedule

• Development (main jam): May 26 - June 5 (1pm ET)
• Community Choice voting: June 5 - 12 (1pm ET)
• Streams by Retro Indie Josh: TBD on Twitch
• Winners and ratings announced: June 12 (2pm ET)

Submitting

• WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND YOU UPLOAD AND SUBMIT EARLY.
  • You are allowed to modify your game page, including files, until the deadline.
  • You are allowed to edit answers to your submission questions (through your submission page) until the deadline.
• Step 1: Click the Join Jam button at the top of this page.
• Step 2: Make your game.
• Step 3: Create a game project page on itch and upload your game files. See this documentation for help.
• Step 4: Submit the game to the jam. After uploading your game, return to this page and click "Submit Your Project" at the top.
  • Be prepared to answer a few questions about your entry when submitting. You must answer all of these questions honestly and completely before the deadline.
  • Submission time is a hard deadline. No late submissions will be accepted.
  • Although you cannot modify files after the deadline has passed, you are still free to edit your game page. But note it is a violation of the rules to link to an updated version created after the deadline, and your entry will be removed.