Submissions open from 2026-07-31 16:00:00 to 2026-08-03 01:00:00
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What is Setfire?

Setfire GameJam is for developers who work best with a deadline breathing down their neck and genuinely enjoy watching a game go from "blank project" to "actual thing" in record time. The rules are simple, if a little unfair: you get a Spark (the theme) the second the jam starts, and exactly 24 hours later a single Catalyst shows up uninvited - a mandatory twist that makes you rethink, rebuild, or stubbornly double down on whatever you'd already built.

No planning ahead. No safety net. Just you, your idea, and a plot twist you didn't see coming - keep the fire burning until submissions close.

Think of it as Mini Jam's "surprise limitation" mechanic, but compressed and stacked on top of a tight Ludum-Dare-style sprint - the Spark points you somewhere, the Catalyst makes sure you don't get too comfortable getting there.

🔥 THIS IS WHERE IT ALL HAPPENS

The Spark and the Catalyst both drop live in Discord - miss it and you'll be finding out late. It's also where theme voting happens before the jam starts, and where the whole community hangs out, shares progress, and helps each other get unstuck.

Building something bigger than a one-off event - come help us grow a real community of jammers and solo devs, not just a channel that goes quiet between jams.

Join the Discord

Spark & Catalyst

🔥 Spark (Theme)

Revealed the moment the jam opens

⚡ Catalyst (Twist)

One mandatory twist, revealed 24 hours in - no second surprises, we promise

Format

  • Duration: 60 hours, start to finish - plan your sleep schedule accordingly (or don't, we're not your parents)
  • Spark (theme): revealed the moment the jam opens
  • Catalyst (mandatory twist): just one, drops 24 hours in - everyone has to work it in somehow, however you choose to interpret it
  • Team size: solo or squad, no cap - just make sure everyone gets credited on the submission page
  • Engine/tools: anything goes, any platform, no extra hardware required - no VR headsets, no controller-only entries, everyone should be able to play it

Why the Catalyst?

A theme alone just rewards whoever plans the best opening move. Setfire rewards whoever can keep their game alive after the ground shifts under them. The Catalyst isn't there to sabotage your idea - it's there to check if it has a pulse. The games that bend around it, snap it in half, or turn it into their best feature are usually the ones people remember.

Rating Criteria

Every submission gets rated on a 5-star scale across four things:

1

Combustion

Fun / Engagement - does it grab you and refuse to let go?

2

Craft

Execution - how solid does it feel for the time you had?

3

Adaptation

How well did the game roll with the Catalyst punch?

4

Spark

Concept - how fresh or interesting is the core idea?

Your Overall rank is just the average of all four - no hidden math, we promise.

Rules

  • All work (code, art, audio) needs to be made after the jam starts - general-purpose libraries, engines, or licensed third-party assets you already have rights to are fair game.
  • Credit any third-party assets on your game page. It takes two minutes and saves everyone an awkward conversation later.
  • One submission per person or team - pick your favorite idea and commit.
  • No NSFW, hate speech, harassment, or asset flips. Low-effort "troll" entries will be quietly (or not so quietly) removed.
  • No NFT/crypto content. We're setting fires, not raising them.
  • Games must be playable without extra hardware - no VR-only or controller-only submissions.
  • AI-generated content (art, audio, code, etc.) is totally fine - just disclose it on your game page and give a quick rundown of what it did and how you used it.
  • Be excellent to each other. Harassment or hate speech toward fellow jammers gets you disqualified, no exceptions.

Prizes

  • A "Set the World on Fire" badge/role for the winning team on our Discord - that's it, no cash, no keys, just bragging rights (which, let's be honest, is the real prize).

How to Join

  • Click Join Jam on the Setfire GameJam page.
  • Join the Discord so you get pinged the second the Spark - and later the Catalyst - drops.
  • Submit your game before the 60-hour timer hits zero. Missed it by a hair? A host-generated late-submit link may be available - check the community tab.
  • Once submissions close, the rating period kicks off - go play, rate, and comment on other entries using the four criteria above.

Setfire GameJam is a community event. All participants keep full ownership of their work. Keep building after the jam ends - the fire doesn't have to go out.