Submissions open from 2026-08-21 17:00:00 to 2026-08-23 17:00:00
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Are you ready to put your game design skills to the test?
The 48-hours ARD GAME JAM is here, and it’s your chance to create something awesome while competing for €2,500 in cash prizes!
Work with a team of up to five people from August 21st to 23rd on a special theme. Hosted by PULS Gaming Analyse. We are a part of the German public broadcasting network ARD.
Some parts of the game jam will be streamed live on the ARD twitch channel: https://www.twitch.tv/ard
More Infos to come, join the ARD GAME JAM now to stay in touch!
Theme Announcement: The theme for the game jam will be revealed at August 21st 19:00 (CET) on https://www.twitch.tv/ard.
Your task is to design and develop a game that fits this theme—how you interpret it is up to you!
Location: The whole event is remote.
Event Schedule: You’ll have 48 hours to develop your game. Updates and important information will be shared on this page and here, keeping you connected throughout the event. Full details are available in our Timetable and Rules & Guidelines. Feel free contact us at ardgamejam@br.de.
Voting and Prizes: After the jam ends, games will be voted on by participants. A shortlist of 20 top games will then be reviewed by our panel of expert judges. In total, €2,500 in cash prizes will be awarded across 5 categories:
Artwork
Audio
Narrative
Creativity
Interpretation of the Theme
Eligibility: To be eligible for cash prizes, one team member must be a German resident. Full details are available in our Rules & Guidelines.
Create a game based on the theme.
Join the game jam on itch.io. The terms and services of itch.io can be found here: (Itch.io TOS).
If you don’t already have an itch.io account, you need to register.
Submit your game through itch.io
Date
Time (CET)
Topic
21.08.26
19:00
Announcement of the theme & start of the game jam on twitch
19:00-23:59
Game Jam
22.08.26
00:00-23:59
Game Jam
23.08.26
00:00-19:00
Game Jam
19:00
Submission Deadline & Game Jam Conclusion
24.08.26
00:00-23:59
1. Round of voting: all submitters vote on the entries to create a 20 games shortlist
25.08.26
00:00-18.00
1. Round of voting: all submitters vote on the entries to create a 20 games shortlist
19:00
Announcement of the 20 games shortlist
26.08.26
00:00-23:59
2. Round of voting: The jury votes on the shortlist. Jurors may stream this process on their twitch channel
27.08.26
00:00-23:59
2. Round of voting: The jury votes on the shortlist. Jurors may stream this process on their twitch channel
Theme: Our theme will be announced on August 21st (see Timetable). It is mandatory and will be a factor in voting.
Participation: The game jam is open to everyone. Due to our status as a German public broadcaster, to be eligible for ranking by the jury and to win one of the cash prizes, a German bank account (IBAN starting with DE) and an official residence in Germany are required. Additionally, we need an email address to contact you. Only one person per team needs to meet these requirements.
Submission Requirements: Games must be submitted through itch.io (Itch.io TOS) and must run in the browser. All game engines are allowed! You may not participate by submitting third party developments.
Pre-Made: Please do not work on your game before the jam starts. If you use any pre-made assets you must list them in the description of the game and you must have the rights to use those assets.
Teams: Are allowed and encouraged! The maximum size is 5. Individuals can only join one team and only 1 submission per team is allowed.
Content & IP: Games with mature themes are allowed, but games with explicitly sexual content are not. The games must not include offensive, discriminatory, or NSFW content of any kind. You must own the IP of your game.
Deadline: We recommend submitting early to avoid accidentally missing the deadline on Sunday, August 23rd, at 7 PM. You can still update your game after submission, as your project page is independent of your submission.
Ownership: Anything you create and submit during ARD GAME JAM remains yours. We claim no rights or ownership of your game.
Coverage & ARD: Any game submitted may be featured in materials or media directly related to the ARD GAME JAM — such as event documentation, social media posts, or editorial coverage of the jam itself. This does not extend to unrelated promotional or advertising purposes. Submission of a game constitutes agreement to this condition. Creators will be credited wherever possible. Games contributed to by judges or ARD staff are not eligible for prizes.
AI Usage: Please do not use generative AI to create art or audio assets for your game or your Itch.io page. If you use AI, you must specify where you used it. The usage and the tool must be labeled.
Voting: The first round of voting will open shortly after the jam ends and is open to everyone who’s a submitter. Entries will be rated on overall quality to create a shortlist of 20 games. This shortlist will be judged on upon by the jury, following these categories: Artwork, Audio, Narrative, Creativity, Interpretation of the Theme. See the Timetable for exact dates.
When the jam ends, there's is a rating period where uploads to the jam will be locked, meaning you can no longer provide bug fixes, additional versions, or extra levels.
Please do not put links to other builds in your description or comments. This will see you being disqualified from the jam.
If you delete your game during this period, we will not be able to help you and you will be disqualified from the jam.
Once the rating period is over, you're free to update your game however you please.
Mention: While you don’t have to, we would love to see the ARD Game Jam mentioned in your games credits. :)
Data Protection: By participating, you agree that your personal data (name, email address, IBAN where applicable) will be collected and processed solely for the purpose of administering the ARD GAME JAM — including contacting winners and distributing prizes. Your data will not be shared with third parties or used for any other purpose. Data will be deleted after the jam has concluded. The responsible party is Bayerischer Rundfunk, in accordance with the GDPR. Find more Information on our Data Protection Infopage.
Liability: The ARD GAME JAM expressly assumes no liability for services provided by third parties. Program changes are reserved.
