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Welcome to The Games Ark's first game jam!

We're kicking things off with a community game jam designed to bring developers together, create new connections, and make something awesome over a weekend.

The Games Ark is a new community focused on helping developers connect, collaborate, and grow through events, programmes, and shared learning. Whether you're a student, hobbyist, indie developer, aspiring founder, or industry professional, you're welcome to join us.

You don't need a team, you don't need a finished idea, and you don't need years of experience. If you're interested in making games and meeting other developers, we'd love to have you involved. 

Whether you're looking to build your portfolio, meet collaborators, try a new idea, or simply make something fun over a weekend, this jam is for you.

*Co-run with Wee Tattie Studios

Jam Start: Friday 17 July 2026 – 7:00 PM BST

Kick-off Announcement & Speaker: Saturday 18 July 2026 – 10:00 AM BST (subject to change)

Submission Deadline: Sunday 19 July 2026 – 7:00 PM BST

Voting Ends: Saturday 25 July 2026 – 5:00 PM BST

Winners Announced: Week commencing 27 July 2026

The theme  is "Across the Ocean"

The theme is there to help inspire ideas and give everyone a shared starting point, while still leaving plenty of room for creativity.

• Open to anyone
• Participate solo or as part of a team
• No experience required
• Team formation available through Discord
• Any game engine is welcome

No Generative AI

Projects should not contain AI-generated code, artwork, music, writing, or other generated content.

Pre-made Assets Are Allowed

You are welcome to use existing assets, plugins, tools, and libraries, provided you have permission to use them and give appropriate credit where required.

Keep It Appropriate

Please avoid content that is excessively graphic, hateful, discriminatory, or otherwise inappropriate for a community event.

Submit Before The Deadline

All entries must be submitted through this Itch.io page before the submission deadline.

We strongly recommend submitting your project at least a few hours before the deadline. It is better to have an unfinished version submitted than miss the deadline entirely due to upload issues, technical problems, internet outages, or last-minute bugs.

You can continue updating your submission until the deadline, so getting a version uploaded early is always a good idea.

Language

Games are welcome in any language, but they should be accessible to our English-speaking judges. Where applicable, please provide an English version or translation of in-game text and dialogue.

Please submit:

• A playable build
• A short project description
• Instructions on how to play
• Team and asset credits

Optional but encouraged:

• Screenshots
• A gameplay video or recorded walkthrough

Please ensure your project page clearly explains the controls and any accessibility features included in your game.

Games will be voted on in the following categories:

• Gameplay – How enjoyable and engaging the game is to play
• Creativity – Originality of the idea, mechanics, or approach
• Theme – How well the game fits and interprets the theme

Scores across these categories will help determine the overall winner of the jam, who will be awarded the title of The Games Ark Jam Winner.

In addition, the highest-rated game in each category will be recognised as the category winner.

There will also be a Game Accessibility Award, recognising a project that demonstrates strong accessibility considerations, inclusive design, or features that help make games more accessible to players.

Finally, there will be a Spirit of the Ark Award, selected by The Games Ark team. This award recognises a project that stands out through its overall execution, creativity, effort, collaboration, or contribution to the spirit of the jam.

Voting

Voting will remain open until 25 July 2026, with winners announced the following week.

There will be a prize for:

• Games Ark Jam Winner (overall voted winner) £50 voucher of choice
• Game Accessibility Award winner £30 voucher of choice
• Spirit of the Ark Award winner £20 voucher of choice

The Games Ark Jam Winner is sponsored by Uay Balam Studios (Instagram, Facebook)

It will be the responsibility of the team to decide how that prize is shared among its members.

Winners of each voting category will receive:

• Recognition as the category winner
• A digital certificate
• A social media spotlight across The Games Ark channels

Winners will have their game announced through a social media campaign, courtesy of Astrarium Digital

To take part in the jam, please:

• Join the Jam in Itch
• Join the Discord server
• Complete the registration form

Registration is required so we can organise teams, create team channels in Discord, and provide mentor support throughout the jam.

Discord: https://discord.gg/NaeMQ69nM8

Registration Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeZuNzB7O3AA4K8Em21T_Q_zvHuKvu_t-FhiUdNozye5DtCaA/viewform?usp=header

Discord is the main hub for the event and will be used for announcements, team formation, questions, support, progress sharing, and community discussion.

Don't have a team yet? No problem. You can find teammates through the Discord server before the jam begins.

Follow us on LinkedIn for updates on future events, programmes, and community activities.

We can't wait to see what you create!