Do game jams give prizes?

Most big jams have no cash prizes. They give feedback, ratings and exposure. Check each jam's page.

Which jam is best for a first game?

The Brackeys Game Jam and the GMTK Game Jam are friendly and well known. The Global Game Jam is great if you want to meet people in person.

Is there a horror game jam?

Yes. Scream Jam and the Haunted PS1 jams focus on horror, and PS1-style games are a good fit for our PSX packs.

Game jams 2027: GMTK, Brackeys, Global Game Jam and horror jam dates

Jams that come back every year, with the dates we could confirm on 2026-10-14. Where we could not find a prize list, we say so instead of guessing.

Dates and prizes change every edition. This page was checked on 2026-10-14.

Ludum Dare 60

When: October 16-19, 2026 (48-hour Compo, 72-hour Jam). Organisers say the event series will end with Ludum Dare 64 in October 2028.
Prizes: Community ratings and feedback. We did not find a cash prize.
Good to know: Theme revealed at the start. Solo (Compo) or team (Jam).

Scream Jam 2026Horror

When: October 16-30, 2026, with submissions open October 16-23.
Prizes: The FAQ says there are no prizes. Voting covers Enjoyment, Horror, Aesthetics, Story and Sound Design.
Good to know: A horror game jam hosted on itch.io.

Haunted PS1 Game JamsHorror

When: The community runs several jams a year. The Summer Camp Jam ran July 27 to August 31, 2026. Check the Haunted PS1 community for the next one.
Prizes: We could not confirm a prize list. Check the jam page.
Good to know: PS1-style horror games on itch.io. A perfect match for our PSX packs.

GMTK Game Jam

When: Yearly. The 2026 edition ran July 22-26 and drew 10,531 entries. The 2027 dates were not announced when we checked.
Prizes: We did not find a prize list. The results page highlights the host's favourites and ranks by criteria.
Good to know: Hosted by the Game Maker's Toolkit channel, one of the biggest jams on itch.io.

Brackeys Game Jam

When: Twice a year. 2026.1 ran February 15-22 and 2026.2 ran August 23-30. No date for 2027.1 when we checked.
Prizes: We could not confirm a prize list. Check the jam page.
Good to know: A week-long jam with a theme vote. Good for first-time jammers.

Global Game Jam 2027

When: Official jam week January 25-31, 2027. Most sites run a 48-hour window and set their own days. Site host registration opens November 1, 2026 and jammer registration December 1, 2026.
Prizes: No global prize pool. Local sites may run their own awards.
Good to know: A 48-hour in-person and online jam every January, in hundreds of cities.

Find more jams

These calendars list jams as they are announced:

Joining Scream Jam or a Haunted PS1 jam? Horror Essentials is a free PSX horror template for Unity 6 and Godot 4 with movement, doors, keys, a flashlight and notes already working.

How to join a game jam