Retro Game Jam 2025

This is primarily an on-site game jam. You are welcome to jam via Discord too, but we do not stream the opening ceremony or organize team building on Discord. Submissions are open for everyone on Itch.

Retro Game Jam is for everyone interested in developing new games for older hardware. No prior experience on retro development is required, but we encourage to do some research on the platform of your choice before the jam.

There will be a selection of retro consoles with development tools available and of course you are welcome to bring your own. Mentoring help for getting started is available.

The jam will have a theme revealed on the spot. You can come alone or as a team. There will be short brainstorming and team forming session at the beginning. The jam site is open for jamming around the clock. You are welcome to sleep on premises.

Please tell us if you have any special needs regarding movability, allergies etc. Please do not hesitate to ask anything from us! Everyone has access to the following:

Working space (table, chair, internet etc.)
Selection of retro consoles & televisions
Workshop / introduction to development hardware
Mentoring help for getting started

Organizers: Samuli and Borb

Discord server: https://discord.gg/FEgkQUJ8kV

Sign up: https://forms.gle/mpsL3qCZMUXiqdXY9

List of hardware available for jammers by organizers:

Nintendo Game Boy / Game Boy Color with SD card reader
Nintendo Entertainment System with Mapper30 flash cart (NesMaker)
Nintendo Famicom with SD card reader
Nintendo Super Famicom with SD card reader
Nintendo Virtual Boy with USB game cart
Nintendo 64 with SD card reader
Nintendo Wii
Sega Game Gear with SD card reader
Sega Mega Drive / Master System with SD card reader
Sega Saturn with SD card reader
Sega Dreamcast with SSD
Sony Playstation 1 with SD card reader
Sony PocketStation
NEC PC-Engine with SD card reader
Neo Geo Pocket with SD card reader
WonderSwan with USB game cart
Vectrex with SD card reader
MSX with CF card reader
Ouya
Oscilloscope with PC connectors
CRT televisions

Please ping Samuli in the Discord server to make sure your platform of choice is brought to the jamming site. We'll do our best to bring everything, but platforms we know people are using for sure are prioritized.

Previous jams:

https://itch.io/jam/retro-game-jam-2024/entries

https://itch.io/jam/retro-game-jam-2023/entries

https://itch.io/jam/retrogamejamhel/entries