We are excited to announce the 2026 JernJam!

The Theme will be announced on the Start Day! 

VIPs! Vote now on Discord!

This year we are once again joined by SciAnts_Streams! A twitch science educator and ambassador! 

Jern Jam! is a community-driven game jam co-hosted by Twitch streamers IrishJohnGames and SciAnts_Streams. It blends game development and science communication, inviting creators to turn educational ideas into interactive games. The event celebrates creativity, learning, and play as powerful tools for understanding the world and inspiring future learners.

Reminder this year is the second year we're doing this as Twitch Partners! Also, as we're partnering up with the amazing Twitch Ambassador, @sciants_streams - which brings even more opportunities for pretty much every aspect of the jam, especially around visibility. If all goes well, there's a good chance your game will end up being featured on the front page of twitch during our special awards ceremony overlap event when voting ends and the winners are announced! 

Feel free to use any game engine. I encourage you to step outside your comfort zone and try new things for the Jam! It will last 2 weeks so you will hopefully have plenty of time to give something other than your usual software and styles a shot!

You are free to use any assets you have. Just be careful with licensing when working within teams. Assets created in previous jams can be re-used also within reason, just make sure your project begins after the start date! 

The Jam is open to everyone. You may work solo, or in teams of up to 4!

Please if you have spaces on your teams, consider inviting some of the new folk to join you.  Plenty within the community would love to learn from more experienced folk, and this is the perfect way for that to happen. 

There will be rewards for groups with a range of skill levels.

Do not be afraid to reach out on the Discord channel to advertise that you are looking for a team: https://discord.gg/FTFhCM5.

• Absolutely No AI generated content. No exceptions!
• Teams of MAX 4 people
  • Teams above 4 are not permitted.
  • No multi-teaming (Members of your team must not be a member of other teams)
• No early starters or submitting pre-made games!
  • The games submitted must be created between the start date and the finish date of the jam. Please adhere to this in the spirit of sportsmanship!
• No extensions
  • Extending time limits can be unfair to others. Pay close attention to the dates described on this page.  
  • There will be no extensions granted under any circumstances.
• Follow the theme
  • Please try to stay as close to the theme as possible!
• No NSFW content
  • As there are plenty of streamers within the community, please keep whatever you create stream safe. 
• If you have any questions/concerns, ask on Discord!
  • This also goes for complaints - just see the #complaints channel.

Voting will be done by the Participants. These are the criteria:

• How well the theme was used
• Fun to play
• How it looks
• Educational Value
• How it sounds
• Innovation

Prizes will be distributed to the winners of the Jam as well as some runner-up prizes. These include donated prizes,  assets, courses and games.

For teams, all winning participants will receive a number of prizes, so teams will be responsible for dividing them up among members.

Bonus prizes may be given for special categories announced later.

How do I add team members to my entry?

1. Enter the project Dashboard.
2. Click menu 'More > Admins'.
3. Enter the username/profile URL and click [Add admin].
4. Send the 'agree to' link to the collaborator
5. Turn on the 'Contributor' toggle.

For any and all questions or concerns join the Discord server: https://discord.com/invite/FTFhCM5

Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/irishjohngames itch.io: https://irishjohngames.itch.io/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/IrishJohnGames

Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/Sciants_streams itch.io: https://itch.io/profile/sciants-media Twitter: https://twitter.com/sciants_media

So far! ( DM John on Discord to become a sponsor :) )

Chris & Tony West	Bit Gamey	IrishJohnGames
SmiteSoft	BlackMageUK	clayman_dev
SciAnts_Streams