Pixel Forge Game Jam 2026

About The Challenge: Submissions are only being taken through Itch. The game jam is hosted on the Itch platform and participants must join through the Itch page. Detailed rules are listed on the Itch page. Pixel Forge is a 1-week game development hackathon where developers, artists, designers, and creators come together to build games. Participants have 7 days to create a game from scratch. The event encourages experimentation with ideas and turning creativity into playable projects. The hackathon is open to both beginners and experienced developers. The focus of Pixel Forge is creativity, learning, and building innovative games. Participants can join the Discord server to communicate with other participants, form teams, ask questions, and share their work. What To Submit: Any type of video game created using any game engine is allowed. The game must incorporate the official theme of the hackathon. The theme will be revealed when the hackathon begins. The theme will be announced one hour before the game jam starts. Participants must design their game based on the announced theme. All games must be submitted through the Itch page. Rules: Participants must track their development progress. Progress can be tracked by taking daily screenshots with visible date and time. Progress can also be tracked using a public GitHub repository. Organizers may request proof of development progress at the end of the jam. Participants can use any game engine. Participation can be solo or in teams of up to 4 members. Participants must not attempt to manipulate game ratings. Any form of rating manipulation will undermine fairness and may lead to disqualification. Games must be created entirely during the game jam duration. Use of small premade assets must be disclosed and properly credited during submission. AI-generated assets or content should not be used. A short explanation of how the theme is incorporated must be included in the submission. Games should generally be appropriate for all age groups. Hateful, offensive, or NSFW content is not allowed. Games that contain violence or gore should include a clear warning on the game page. Submitting a web build playable in the browser is recommended but not mandatory. If a web build is not possible, a Windows or Mac build should be submitted. Participants should be respectful and provide helpful feedback during the voting phase. Judging Criteria: Theme integration. Gameplay quality. Visual design. Music. Prizes: Multiple prizes are available for participants. Detailed prize information is available on the official website.