Every week, jammers build a game from scratch using AI for code, art, audio, writing, or a mix of all of it.
The goal isn't to avoid the hard parts. It's to find out how far iterative prompting can take you, where it breaks, and what clever workarounds you invent when it does. Writers can code, coders can make art, and designers can compose.
| Theme | [Revealed Friday 7:30 PM ET] |
|---|---|
| Limitation | [Revealed at kickoff, Saturday 7:00 AM ET] |
Want bragging rights? Opt into extra constraints when you submit. Flavor Cards don't affect your score, but completed cards are highlighted in the weekly results.
| Card | Constraint |
|---|---|
| [TBA] | Flavor Cards are announced at kickoff. |
| When (US Eastern) | What Happens |
|---|---|
| Fri 7:30 PM | Theme revealed. #theme-brainstorm opens on Discord. |
| Sat 7:00 AM | Limitation and Flavor Cards revealed. The 48-hour clock starts. |
| Mon 7:00 AM | Submissions close |
| Mon – Wed | Play and comment on each other's games. Judges score entries. |
| Thu | Judge panel results, winner and honorable mentions announced. |
AI is your co-pilot. You're the director, editor and final polish. These rules exist to keep out low-effort slop.
| # | Rule | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Human-in-the-loop | No one-prompt games. Raw, unedited copy-paste output will be disqualified. Iterate, debug, refine and stitch AI output into something that feels intentionally authored. |
| 2 | The Art Rule | AI art, 3D and audio are allowed, but looks are scored. Raw, unedited AI art scores low. Edit, photobash, paint over, or blend it with human-made work. Be the Art Director: 15 clashing styles will hurt your rating. |
| 3 | Show your work | Your itch.io page must have an AI Tools Used section listing which tools you used and how. e.g. Claude for UI code, Midjourney sprites painted over in Photoshop, Suno for music |
| 4 | It has to run | Your game must launch and be playable. Entries that crash on the menu or during normal play are pulled from judging. Test your AI's code. If your game calls a live AI API, it must work out of the box. No player API keys or local model installs. |
| 5 | Fresh builds | The game must be made during the 48-hour window. Personal code libraries, standard asset packs and base templates are fine. Pre-existing game projects are not. |
| 6 | Teams welcome | Add your teammates as contributors on your itch.io project. Find people in #team-up on Discord. |
| 7 | Be decent | No harassment, spam, or NSFW content. Keep games broadly safe: no graphic gore or hate speech. If your AI generates something inappropriate, filtering it out is on you. Staff decisions are final. |
| Zero tolerance |
|---|
| Instant disqualification, and possible removal from the Discord server, for: • Claiming unedited AI assets as 100% human-made • AI-generated copyrighted IP (characters, logos, music, etc. you don't own). No "AI-generated Mario." • Using AI tools in violation of their Terms of Service • AI voice clones of real people without their explicit consent • NSFW content |
A panel of judges rates entries (no community voting). Judges leave anonymous feedback; please play and comment on each other's games Mon-Wed to share insights.
| Criterion | What judges look for |
|---|---|
| Human Polish | How well you refined and curated the AI output. Cohesive and bug-free? |
| AI Innovation | How creative or technically impressive your AI use was, in the pipeline or live in-game. |
| Fun Factor | Is it actually fun to play? |
| Aesthetic Cohesion | Does it look and sound consistent? |
AI as a live mechanic is allowed, but optional. Using AI only during development is fully valid.
Rewards are announced with each week's jam. Cash prizes are not available for every jam, and will only be offered when jam funds allow.
| This week | Reward |
|---|---|
| 1st Place | $50 |
| Hall of Fame | The top game joins the official Ctrl+AI+Jam Hall of Fame collection. |
| Claiming | Winners must be members of our Discord and claim their reward within 2 days of results being announced, or it is forfeited. |
| Cash Prizes | Eligible cash prizes are paid out via PayPal in USD. |
Discord is our main communication channel where results are formally announced. No self-promotion outside #shipped and #wip-wall.
| Channel | What it's for |
|---|---|
| #announcements | Theme drops and results |
| #jam-status | The live jam phase |
| #team-up | Find a team |
| #help-desk | Get troubleshooting help when you get stuck |
| #wip-wall | Share WIP screenshots |
| #shipped | Promote your submitted game |
| #general | Hang out with other jammers |
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Never made a game. Can I join? | Yes. AI lowers the barrier, and a tiny finished game beats an ambitious unfinished one. |
| Can I use AI for 100% of the game? | Yes, but no one-prompt games: raw, unedited output is disqualified, and judges reward Human Polish. Curation and direction matter. |
| Can I use free asset packs or templates? | Yes. Personal code libraries, standard asset packs and base templates are fine. Pre-existing game projects are not. |
| Can I update my game post-deadline? | Uploads are locked during judging, but update freely once results are published. |
| Do I have to use the theme / limitation? | Yes, though how you interpret them is entirely up to you. |
