Small games. Big chaos. Maximum silliness.
Welcome to the Silly Arcade Jam!
Your mission is simple:
( Theme: Create a fun, weird, ridiculous retro arcade-style game. )
It doesn't need to be huge. It doesn't need to have amazing graphics. It doesn't need a 50-hour story.
It just needs to be fun.
Maybe you're controlling a pizza trying to escape an angry kitchen. Maybe you're running a completely normal arcade game where everything slowly becomes increasingly ridiculous.
There are no limits on how silly your idea can get.
Whether you're a complete beginner making your first game or an experienced developer looking for a fun challenge, you're welcome here.
Grab your favourite game engine, gather some friends, and...
Create a retro arcade-style game during the jam.
Your game should focus on:
Your game doesn't have to be technically impressive.
A ridiculous idea executed well can beat a complicated game.
Anyone can join!
You can:
Recommended engines include GameMaker, Godot, Unity, Unreal, Construct, and GDevelop — but any engine is allowed as long as you can produce a playable submission.
Your submitted game must be created for this jam.
You may use pre-existing tools, libraries, generic code, templates, and assets that you have the legal right to use.
However, don't take an already-finished game and submit it as your jam entry.
Your game should meaningfully fit the spirit of the jam.
It doesn't have to be a comedy game, but there should be something unusual, playful, absurd, chaotic, or creative about it.
Submissions must follow itch.io's rules and must not contain hateful, discriminatory, or otherwise prohibited content.
Games containing mature or disturbing material should be appropriately labelled.
Don't use artwork, music, sound effects, code, fonts, or other material that you don't have permission to use.
If you use external assets, credit the creators where required.
Do not manipulate votes, create fake accounts to boost your game, sabotage other entries, or otherwise attempt to unfairly influence the results.
Don't harass, insult, or attack other participants.
Criticism is welcome.
Being a jerk isn't.
Your submission should contain a playable build.
A short game, prototype, or simple arcade experience is completely fine.
Finished > ambitious.
Games must be submitted through the official itch.io jam page before submissions close.
If something goes wrong with your submission, contact the jam host as soon as possible.
AI tools are allowed with disclosure.
You may use AI for things such as:
If AI-generated material is used directly in your game or its presentation, please disclose it in your submission.
For example:
AI Usage: AI was used to generate some placeholder artwork.
The goal is transparency, not punishment.
Your game should be playable using a keyboard and/or mouse.
Controller support is welcome, but participants should ideally provide keyboard/mouse controls as well so more people can play their games.
You may also provide builds for other platforms, such as:
If you provide multiple versions, clearly label them.
Your itch.io project should include:
Don't worry about making your itch.io page perfect.
The game is the important part!
After submissions close, participants will get a chance to play and rate the entries.
Games will be rated from 1–5 stars in several categories.
How well does the game capture the weird, ridiculous spirit of the jam?
How original and interesting is the game's idea?
How fun and satisfying is the game to play?
How well do the visuals, audio, and overall presentation work together?
How much did you enjoy playing the game?
The final rankings will be calculated using the jam's voting system.
Potential awards include:
I don't actually know yet
The exact awards and prizes will be announced before the jam begins.
Prizes: None So Far
If prizes are available, they will be announced before submissions begin.
Regardless of whether there are prizes, the real reward is making something ridiculous and having other people play it.
Got an idea?
Need help?
Want to show everyone your terrible prototype?
Use the jam community!
Participants are encouraged to:
Let's make this a place where beginners feel comfortable joining their first jam.
Seriously.
You have limited time.
Start small.
A game with one amazing mechanic is better than a giant game with twenty unfinished mechanics.
"What's the dumbest/funniest thing I could make?"
Then make that.
Need inspiration?
Try something like:
🍕 Pizza Panic — Deliver pizzas while the pizzas actively try to escape.
🐸 Frog on a Mission — You're a frog. Your mission is extremely important. Nobody will explain what it is.
🧦 Sock Attack — Defend your bedroom from an increasingly ridiculous number of missing socks.
🧹 Cleaning Simulator 1997 — Clean a room while the furniture actively moves around.
🐔 Chicken Racer — Race chickens around an arcade track.
💰 Coin Goblin — Collect coins while trying not to become distracted by even more coins.
These are just examples.
Please come up with something even stranger.
You do not need:
❌ Perfect graphics ❌ A huge story ❌ Hundreds of levels ❌ Complicated mechanics ❌ Professional music ❌ Years of experience
You do need:
✅ An idea ✅ A playable game ✅ A little creativity ✅ A willingness to make something silly
Don't spend the entire jam trying to make the perfect game.
Make something you'll actually enjoy showing to someone else.
Make your friends laugh.
Make players say:
"WHAT IS THIS?"
Make something memorable.
Good luck, have fun, and happy jamming!
