iGGi Game Jam 2026 - we made it!

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iGGi Game Jam 2026 - we made it!

iGGi successfully concluded what could potentially be its last ever Game Jam today!

The number of groups this year totaled 11, creating a broad variety of games, but all based on this year’s theme:

distortion

-the action of distorting or the state of being distorted-

-the action of giving a misleading account or impression-

-change in the form of an electrical signal or sound wave during processing-

As in previous Game Jams, groups could select one or two from a list of "qualifiers" to assist ideation and conceptualisation. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the most popular choice was "SurveyJunkie: Make a game using Qualtrics, Google forms or an equivalent"

For the second consecutive time, the iGGi Game Jam (GJ) was running at a more leisurely pace giving groups an extra 24 hours on top of the customary 48 hour period between GJ start and submission (Tuesday to Thursday), and today's focus was entirely just on play testing, socialising and pure post-jam enjoyment.

A special thank you goes to the "Friends of iGGi" who either participated in the jam actively or joined the final day's presentation session; we really appreciated your various contributions and presence: THANKS !!!

Here's an overview of the games created:

Game: “Unlocked”

You have woken up in hospital after a terrible accident. You are told you have amnesia, and that using your phone again will help you remember your identity.

Game: “Micro Autochess”

In this game you will assemble an army to defeat enemy armies of increasing power within a budget. Units will fight automatically and gain mana when attacking, casting their spells when reaching maximum mana.

Game: “DisSpell”

A VR game where you draw spells over you casting grid and defeat waves of enemies; Use your hands to define shapes and throw spells!

Game: “Life distorted”

A (distorted) take on the French card game Smile Life.

Game: “Research Survey”

A survey to collect data that is important for research.

Game: “TOFPA”

The Office Of Public Assistance requires to comply with the agency. Should you?

Game: “Hemo-maxxing”

A game where you try and make your face as red as possible.

Game: “i believe in you my idiot son”

Password: idiotson

Game: “Tilt Wakes The Deep”

Tilt your phone to explore the dark depths of the deep sea, watch out for CuttleThulu!.

Game: “Steph or Lauren?”

"We hope this is an educational experience that will help iGGi differentiate between the both of us." [Link to survey for iGGi-internal use only]

Game: “Did I write this?”

Keep typing. If you stop for 60 seconds, your text distorts. Some intrusive thoughts may also appear on the screen. Don't leave or minimise the tab..

Game: “Autobattler”

A cool game about distorted cuttlefish. Or something.

Lastly, a hearty THANKS to the four PGR GJ Organisers Steph Carter, Karl Clarke, Alex Flint, Philip Smith, Toby Best and to the Supervisor GJ Organisers Jeremy Gow and Ben Kirman, and a special mention goes to the iGGi Admin Team which took care of a lot of the logistics.

And last but not least, there are also the iGGi Game Jam 2026 Awards to announce:

I Have a Dream

Best Creative Vision

For the game that brings together its art, visuals, sound, music, and/or story in a way that feels thoughtful, original, and memorable.

Winner: Tilt Wakes The Deep

Luiza Gossian, Dan Harborne, Francesca Foffano, Ross Fifield

Nailed It

Best Theme Interpretation

For the game that used the jam’s theme of distortion in the clearest, smartest, or most fitting way.

Winner: i believe in you my idiot son

Doruk Bacı, Cameron Johnston

Schrödingerror

Best Bug

For the bug that confused you, entertained you, or stuck in your mind for all the right (or wrong) reasons.

Winner: Autobattler

George Long

Duct Tape & Dreams

Best use of Constraints

For the game that made the most of the jam’s diversifiers, showing how much can be done with very little. P.S. You can check the list of diversifiers on the Discord.

Winner: TOFPA

Dan Cooke, Tania Dales, Alex Flint, Filip Sroka

Unexpected Item in Jamming Area

Most Unexpected

For the game that made you say "wait... what?" in the best possible way, leaving you pleasantly confused, amused, or both.

Winner: Unlocked

Tamsin Isaac, Nicole Levermore