Hello Commander, and welcome to the Turn-based Tactics Jam 2026, a 10 day long casual game dev competition. 

About

The goal is to make a turn-based tactics game. Something akin to XCOM, Xenonauts, Into the Breach, Hard West, Showgunners, Gears Tactics and similar games.  This means it should include some level of strategic layer as well but it can consist simply of equipping characters with gear or abilities between levels. The games may includes features such as cover, chances to hit, overwatch, as well as strategic layer. But feel free to experiment with the mechanics as long is it is turn based and tactical.

I highly recommend this talk discussing some good rules to follow when developing a turn-based tactics game:  

Theme

TO BE ANNOUNCED AT THE START OF THE JAM

Rating

• Fun: How fun is the game to play?
• Tactical: How important is tactical/strategic play to be successful in the game?
• Theme: How well does the game match the theme?
• Controls: How well does the game control? Aiming for easy to use UI
• Sounds/Music: How well does the music and sound effects fit the game?
• Graphics/Visuals: How does the game look?
• Innovation: How unique are the mechanics?

Rules

• Theme: Games must match the theme (revealed at the start of the jam)
• Teams: Solo or teams up to 3 participants are allowed
• Tools: Use any tool or platforms to create your game
• Assets: The majority of the code must be written during the jam. However assets, shaders, and music made prior can be used if you have the rights.
• NSFW: Games containing 18+ content are not allowed