This jam is now over. It ran from to . View results

Welcome to the second annual Linux Game Jam! The purpose of the game jam is simple: create fun, interesting games for Linux.

Last year we didn't have a motif or a theme, but many people thought that we should. So this time around, I'm pleased to announce that we have a theme!



Theme: Versatile Verbs

What does that mean? I was first exposed to the term by Mark Brown from Game Maker's Tool Kit. Check out his video on versatile verbs here.

For those unwilling to watch a 12 minute video, versatile verbs are well explained by Mario's jump. Tapping the A button gives Mario a short hop, holding it causes him to jump much higher. Having a running start gives him a ton of forward momentum, while pressing jump from a crouch causes him to do a backflip--unless you're running, in which case you do a long jump. This is one of MANY ways that a verb [jumping] can be versatile [have many uses].

Not every mechanic in your game has to be versatile, but you should definitely have at least one and have it be central to your gameplay.

Now for the rules:



Be as creative as you can be. Think outside the box. You can: Redefine the word 'versatile.'

You can use any engine. Your own custom built one (developed outside the jam) is allowed.

Your game’s programming should be done within the time frame of this jam.

Your game must be submitted to the official Itch.io game jam page before the end of the day April 14th (EST).

Your game must have a Linux build.

Your game's Itch page should have: A brief summary of your mechanics. Clear instructions on installation, dependency requirements, and how to run the game. The judges are going to be trying (perhaps as many as) 50 games and we don’t have time to troubleshoot them all.

Your game must use assets that you created or that are freely licensed That includes music, sound effects, fonts, all of it. While you *can* use freely licensed sprites, I’d encourage using original sprites. If you’re really not that creative, you can always find an artist in the community tab to work with.

And yes, you’re allowed to work in teams. Head over to the community section of the itch page and look for people who want to team up.

Finally, you get exactly one bonus point if your game is open source and developed with open source tools.

The Judges:

The Linux Gamer - Organizer



Cassidy James Blaede (From ElementaryOS)



Bryan Lunduke

Wendell from Level1 Techs



Cheeseness (game dev, Linux porter and writer)







Check out Cheeseness' guide to surviving a game jam.