It is an event where people (over 18), either as individuals or teams, create games - digital or non-digital - in a short time frame, working within a theme that is given at the beginning of the jam.

The games must be designed, created, and uploaded within the timeframe.

This is not a competition and there are no prizes, however Apple Box Studio will give a certificate to every participant who completes the jam!

The Global Game Jam is an event that happens simultaneously around the world. They have a website and Discord where there is a ton of information, links, and people online who can provide guidance and support both before and during the jam.

It’s a great way to connect with people who have similar interests to you, all over the world.

The 2026 jam is now finished.

It usually happens in the last week of January, so stay tuned for the 2027 dates coming soon!

The theme will be announced via a video from GGJ at the beginning of the jam, which we screen at 4pm on the Friday at our site. We also share the video link on Discord for anyone wanting to participate online.

Both digital and non-digital games are acceptable.

Most people make a digital game, which can be played on a PC, however some make board games, card games, or even ball games.

Absolutely!! We need people will all different skills to take part - that includes programmers, but also artists, composers, writers, designers, even voice over artists!

Also, every team needs game testers, so if you only have a few hours to spare across the weekend, why not put your hand up as a game tester?

Yes you can! If you have the skills and the confidence, you can develop a game on your own, or we can help you form or join a team.

Of course! If you are part of a team, it’s a good idea to discuss and share the workload. For example, if you are the composer, you can compose the music and sounds when you have the time available during that weekend, and just send it all through to your team as and when it’s ready (as long as you give them enough time to add it in before they need to upload)

There is help available! We have experienced jammers hanging out on our Discord server across the weekend who can answer questions; and there is the GGJ Discord server and website too, where you will likely find answers to any questions you might have.

We’ve got you!

The creator(s) of the game retain full copyright and IP ownership of their game and any originally created elements.

You own your game, however, by registering as a participant in the Global Game Jam, all jammers are expected to required to upload their games to the GGJ site to share with the GGJ community.

All games are open source, hardware- and software-agnostic and are released under a Creative Commons licence.

According to the GGJ rules, AI is not prohibited in the creation of games for this jam, however, game content must align with their already existing policies, including those around copyright and IP rights.

They encourage jammers who want to use AI in their projects to understand any potential implications that existing government policies, proposed legislation or pending legal cases could have on their projects, now and in the future. And they encourage jammers to research how tools are trained.