🤖🚀 A MAZE. Online Game Jam : The Defenders 🤖🚀

Inspired by the haunting vision of Philip K. Dick’s short story The Defenders, this game jam invites you to explore a world where truth is hidden beneath layers of illusion.

In The Defenders, humanity believes it is locked in a devastating underground war, guided by machines that promise survival and victory. But as the story unfolds, deeper questions emerge: Who controls the narrative? What is being protected — and from whom? And what happens when the defenders decide to defend something entirely unexpected?

This jam challenges you to reinterpret these themes in your own way. Create games that explore misinformation, artificial intelligence, unseen caretakers, cold war paranoia, or the tension between destruction and preservation. Is your world truly at war, or is the conflict only a story told to maintain order? Are the machines villains, guardians, or something in between?

Whether your project is dark and philosophical, satirical and ironic, or hopeful and reflective, we encourage you to dig beneath the surface — just like the story itself.

📖Read the Story📖

https://pubhtml5.com/hmeo/mjsg/The-Defenders/

💬Communication💬

Join our discord server and grab the Defenders-GameJammer role in "Channels & Roles". In the forum-channel #🤖defenders-game-jam you can post or find ideas and people to collaborate with.

🚀Rules🚀

We don't accept any discriminatory content based on gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, race, religion, etc. If we see any content that seems to go against this rule, we may take any action we deem appropriate, including warning the participant or removing them from the jam.

🕓All games will get showcased at the A MAZE. / Berlin 2026 from May 13-16, 2026🕚

For the showcase, Gianluca Pandolfo created a showcase-app called "FLIPPER". In order to get on our app, your exhibition build pack has to come with the following features.

Submit a Zip-Folder containing: 

• Game only Windows (.exe)
• HTML files (including all Files in a Folder, only local use, No local server please)
• Yourgametitle.txt 
• Inside of the txt file: description of the game (max. 120 words). 
• A line which starts with [#] developer_1, developer_2, etc. 
• Poster 600x800 as jpg or png 
• If built with an older Unity Version disable the 'Display Resolution Dialog'  

You don't have to be physically present at A MAZE. / Berlin 2026 for your game to be displayed.

🤖 Links 🤖

Join our Discord server: https://discord.com/invite/x8qCMRP  

A MAZE. / Berlin 2026: https://2026.amaze-berlin.de/

Share your progress on social media!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/a_mazefest/ 

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/amazefest.bsky.social 

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/AMazeFest 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amaze.festival  

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/AMazeFest