The Block House Haunted Halloween Game Jam is a 2 week long game jam that encourages participants of all ages to make an original game inspired by this year’s theme. Whether you're experimenting solo or jamming with friends, the goal is to make something bold, surprising, or just plain fun based on the jam theme. The game jam itself will be hosted online, but all entries will be made playable to visitors of Block House during the month of October!

The Theme

The theme for this years game jam will be revealed at the start of the jam.

Everyone who submits a game is eligible for the following prizes:

• 1st place prize of $50 Steam gift card 
• 2nd place prize of $20 Steam gift card
• 3rd place prize of $10 Steam gift card

See below to find out each game will be evaluated! 

Judges will be voting on the following criteria to determine winners:

• Gameplay: Are mechanics intuitive and satisfying? Does the game feel balanced and fair? How fun is the game to play?
• Art direction: Is the art creative and of good quality? Is the art direction consistent? How does the art enhance the player's experience?
• Use of sound: Are sound effects and music used appropriately? How clear and polished are the sound effects? Does the music and sound blend with everything else?
• Use of theme: How strongly does the game connect to the theme? Is the theme central to the design? How creative was the interpretation of the theme?
• Innovative: How unique are the gameplay mechanics and narrative elements? Were there any unexpected twists or fresh approaches on a familiar genre, gameplay mechanic, or story element?

Community Voting:

Participants are encouraged to play and rate other submissions during the voting period. Community ratings are for engagement and recognition only and have no effect on judging, prizes, or the official results. Official winners will be selected independently by our judging panel.

• Anyone can join. People of all ages and skill levels are encouraged to participate!
• Teaming up is allowed. Feel free to join with a premade team, or go to the Discord to find others to team up with.
• Host your game on Itch. Do not submit links to external downloads.
• Use any engine. The game needs to be playable as a downloadable .exe, work on Windows, and use only a keyboard and mouse.
• Your game needs to be mostly original. It is ok to use some premade assets, but the majority of your project should be made from scratch. When using premade assets, please be sure to include credits somewhere in your game or itch page.
• You may not use generative AI. Please refrain from using AI in your game.
• No offensive or NSFW content. Your games must be playable for all ages.

This game jam does not include a grace period. Once the game jam has ended, submissions will be locked and the voting period will begin. Make sure you work out your bugs ahead of time.

Make sure to leave time to create the Itch page!

What is the theme? 

The theme will be announced at the start of the game jam.

Can I submit a game I started before the jam, or made for another jam?

No you can not. All submissions need to be new games made specifically for this jam.

Can I include code or assets I worked on before the jam started?

No you can not. All submissions need to be new games made specifically for this jam.

Can I use assets created by someone else?

Yes, you may use assets created by someone else. Please make sure to credit the source of your premade asset somewhere in your game or game page.

Does my game have to use a specific engine or comply with any technical restrictions?

You may use any engine you wish. The game must be a downloadable .exe, playable on Windows, and be playable with a keyboard and mouse.

Where can I find other participants to create a team?

You can go to the Discord page to find other participants.

Can I submit a game I haven’t finished to the jam?

Yes! All games will be judged as is, but even if you don't finish you should still submit what you have by the end of the jam.

Can I submit a game that includes adult, gory, or other offensive content in it?

No, please do not include any offensive or NSFW content. These games will be made available for guests to play at Block House for the remainder of October and as such must be available to all ages.

I found a bug after the jam ended. Can I change the submission?

No, you cannot change your game once the voting period has begun. Please playtest your games before submitting.

Anything you make during the Block House Haunted Halloween Game Jam is your property. Block House claims no rights or ownership of your game. Games will however be made available to play for patrons of Block House during the month of October.

Any submissions to the Block House Haunted Halloween Game Jam (including the game, Itch Page, artwork, etc.) may show up in Block House promotional materials on the lock House website, and social media channels including but not limited to Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Discord without your express permission.

We reserve the right to disqualify or remove any submission from the competition.