About the Jam

Where's My Oats is a nine-day game making competition of the most peculiar variety. Participants are charged with creating a fully playable game — any genre, any theme — within the strict confines of nine kilobytes.

Nine kilobytes. Less than a single photograph. More than enough for a legend.

The Sacred Limits

• 9 Kilobytes — total size of all submitted files
• 9 Days — from June 15th to June 23rd, 2026
• Any platform — HTML, JS, C, assembly; if it runs, it qualifies
• Any maker — solo adventurers and teams alike are welcome

"Nine kilobytes is not a prison. It is a haiku."

Who May Enter

All souls with a passion for games and a gift for frugality are most heartily invited. Whether you be a seasoned developer or a curious newcomer — these doors stand open to thee.

The 9KB limit applies to the total size of all submitted files — every byte is precious currency to be spent with care.

The Jam Theme

The theme of this jam remaineth a closely guarded secret — locked behind wax and silence until the appointed hour.

Revealed: 7th June, 2026 at the stroke of midnight.

The Philosophy

Where's My Oats was born from a simple and ancient idea: that limitation breeds creativity. In an age of unbounded digital canvas, of terabyte libraries and gigabyte assets, what happens when you impose a rule as old as craft itself — use only what you need?

Nine days. Nine kilobytes. This is not a productivity challenge. It is an art challenge. A philosophy challenge. We ask not merely that you make a game, but that you make a statement — one that fits in less space than a single uncompressed image.

Further Particulars

Why 9KB? An homage to early home computing, when entire operating systems shipped on cassette tapes measured in bytes, not megabytes.

Why 9 Days? Long enough to build something real. Short enough that you cannot afford to waste a single one.

Who is this for? Every developer, artist, writer, and dreamer who has wanted to make a game but was intimidated by scope. Small scope. Real game.

Where to connect? Join the conversation on the itch.io jam page and in our Discord. Share your progress. Encourage others. The community is part of the prize.

The Nine-Day Calendar

• Day Zero — June 15 — Jam doors open. The clock begins. Let creation commence.
• Day One — June 16 — Concept locked. Begin building. No byte wasted.
• Day Two — June 17 — Prototype stage. Concept must be playable in some fashion.
• Day Three — June 18 — Core loop complete. Trim the fat. Check your byte count.
• Day Four — June 19 — Midpoint review. Polish begins. Every byte must earn its place.
• Day Five — June 20 — Sound, feel, and finish. The difference between good and great.
• Day Six — June 21 — Playtesting begins in earnest. Seek fresh eyes and honest opinions.
• Day Seven — June 22 — Final submissions open. Upload, document, and prepare for judgment.
• Day Nine — June 23 — Submissions close. Voting opens. Glory awaits the worthy.

Judging Criteria

• Gameplay — Is it fun? Does it have a satisfying core loop? Does it feel complete?
• Ingenuity — How cleverly has the creator used their nine kilobytes? Elegance within constraint.
• Presentation — Visual and audio identity. Does it have a soul? Does it feel intentional?
• Completeness — A finished small game beats an impressive unfinished one every time.

The Rules

• I. The Nine-Kilobyte Limit — Total file size must not exceed 9,216 bytes. HTML, JS, CSS, images, audio — every last byte.
• II. Original Works Only — All code, art, and audio must be created during the jam period.
• III. It Must Be a Game — An interactive experience that qualifies as a game. Demos and animations alone do not qualify.
• IV. Content Standards — Suitable for a general audience or clearly marked otherwise. Hateful content means immediate disqualification.
• V. Solo & Teams Welcome — List all contributors clearly in your submission description.

Frequently Asked

• Can I use external libraries? — CDN-loaded libraries do count toward the 9KB limit.
• Is compression allowed? — Yes. The limit applies to the compressed archive at submission time.
• What platforms are permitted? — Any. If a judge can run it within reasonable effort, it qualifies.
• Can I update my entry? — Until June 23rd. After that, no changes accepted.
• Who judges? — All participants vote during the voting period. Community choice determines the winners.

"Nine Days. Nine Kilobytes. One Game."

Game Engines & Languages

• Twine — twinery.org — interactive stories and text adventures; tiny output, powerful narrative tools
• PuzzleScript — puzzlescript.net — browser-based puzzle engine with incredibly compact output
• Bitsy — bikbikbikbik.itch.io/bitsy — tiny pixel art worlds; beloved by jam veterans for minimalist charm
• LÖVE / Lua — love2d.org — small executables, expressive syntax, vast creative range

Optimisation Tools

• Squoosh — squoosh.app — compress images in-browser with surgical precision
• JS Compress — jscompress.com — minify JavaScript online; crucial for the 9KB envelope

Learning & Inspiration

• Tuts+ Game Dev — gamedevelopment.tutsplus.com — tutorials from core loops to polished presentation
• itch.io Game Jams — itch.io/jams — hundreds of jams for inspiration and prior art
• js13kGames Resources — js13kgames.com/resources — sister jam at 13KB; invaluable for tiny web games
• ChipTone — sfbgames.itch.io/chiptone — generate chiptune sound effects in the browser

"Every byte saved is a byte earned."

The Broadcasters

These fine souls hath pledged to broadcast the jam in full — commentary, chaos, and creation, live for all to witness.

• Tugan — Twitch / YouTube / Twitter — live commentary, developer interviews, and midnight game reviews
• Unhinged Gekko — YouTube / Discord — deep-dives into every submission; byte-counting and dramatic error readings
• Airapport — airapport.com / YouTube — specialising in constraint; watch the byte-shaving in real time
• Mr.T-spin — Twitch / YouTube — community side; interviews, progress check-ins, and celebration of every submission
• Raptor — YouTube / Twitter — late-night jam sessions, dev diaries, and the art of compression
• Your Streamer Here — Twitch / Discord — apply via Discord for an open broadcaster slot

Broadcast Schedule

• June 15 — Kick-Off — Opening stream. Jam begins. All streamers live.
• June 17–18 — Midweek — Progress check-ins, developer interviews, prototype showcases.
• June 20–21 — Crunch — Final polish watch-alongs. Late nights. Every byte counts.
• June 23 — Finale — Submission showcase stream. All entries played live.

Become an Official Streamer

Art thou a broadcaster of good standing? Contact the organisers via Discord to apply for an official streamer slot. Requirements: an active channel, a willingness to cover at least three days of the jam, and a passion for tiny games made under impossible constraints.

"Live coverage · Commentary · Community · Glory broadcast to the masses."