Welcome to TommieJam Spring 2026! 

See the theme here!

The Game Design and Digital Media Arts programs at the University of St. Thomas, with the support of the Department of Emerging Media, host game jams to help students get started with making games. The Schulze School of Entrepreneurship has joined as a co-host of this jam.

Prizes will be awarded to the game teams that win the jury award and the audience choice award.

Prior to the start of the jam, if you would like coaching, mentoring, or help preparing, please feel free to schedule a chat with Dr. Sky LaRell Anderson (skyanderson@stthomas.edu). After the jam starts, Dr. Anderson will also be available for coaching and mentoring.

If you are new to making games, try following this simple tutorial series used by game design students at St. Thomas.

Essential Dates:

The theme of the game jam will be ANNOUNCED ON MARCH 9 on this page and via email to teams who join the jam. 

The jam ENDS ON MARCH 17, 11:59 PM. 

The winners of the game jam will be announced during a LIVE STREAM SHOWCASE EVENT on March 20, 12-1 pm,  on this channel: youtube.com/@SkyLaRell

If you have questions, email Dr. Sky LaRell Anderson, the host of the jam, at skyanderson@stthomas.edu

The Rules:

1. The game must be playable as an embedded HTML5 web browser game on itch.io: No downloadable games will be permitted. To learn how to publish your game as an embedded web browser game, refer to the video on publishing in this tutorial series.

2. Don't steal other people's work: Participants must have the legal right to publish, and otherwise use, all game assets, including art, sounds, music, and designs. Using designs or assets without the right to use them will result in a disqualification. Game submissions based on online tutorials, or strongly derived from other peoples' games, will be disqualified. 

3. Quality of submissions: Low-effort, incomplete, or broken submissions will be disqualified (as judged by the jam hosts).  Game content must not be hateful, bigoted, or otherwise in contradiction to the mission of the University of St. Thomas to support and spread the common good.

4. We are humans who make art for other humans: No generative AI may be used for any part of the design or development process, including text, art, music, or code. 

5. This is a game jam for St. Thomas students: All members of a team must be students actively enrolled in classes at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. As part of the submission process, all team members will submit their St. Thomas email addresses.

6. Use any game engine: Any game engine or IDE may be used.

7. Follow the theme: Submitted games must fit the theme of the jam.

8. The jam hosts oversee this game jam: the jam hosts reserve the right to manage the jam as they see fit, including disqualifications, rejecting submission, and making exceptions.