Global Game Jam 2026 Guide & Text Animator Giveaway

Heyaaaa! We're giving away 10 free Text Animator keys at the Global Game Jam 2026 in Italy!

This year, the Febucci Team will be attending the Global Game Jam 2026 at the Turin chapter of IGDA Italy. For several years it has lasted around 48 hours here, starting at 6 p.m. on Friday 30 January and ending on Sunday 1 February.

How to win 10 Text Animator keys

We won't be jamming ourselves this year, but we'll be selecting 10 participants who will receive free keys for Text Animator for Unity.

We will try to play all the games that are submitted, and in the following week we will send keys to the games that have impressed us the most.

Essential Global Game Jam tips & tricks

Scope for 24 hours, not 48

Most jams fail because the scope is too big. I've seen it happen countless times -plan a game you can finish in one day. Use the second day for polish, bug fixing, and... sleeping!

Care about UI and text feel

In a game jam, tutorials and dialogues are often rushed. But clear texts and a snappy UI are one of the things that can stick the most! You could use Text Animator to make your life easier (we are biased of course!) but make sure to add some shake, wiggle, scales and similar! They can go a long way.

Do not upload at the last second

Never wait until the deadline to build your game, it's too risky! The GGJ site might crash, or a critical bug might appear. Build and upload a version at least 2 hours before the deadline; you can always update it later if there is time.

Health is a stat

You can't code well if your brain is foggy. Drink water, eat real food, and sleep! A rested team makes better decisions than a crunched team.

Do more with less

Jams are all about speed and experimenting new ideas. Use the tools you like the most (or the one you'd be faster with), do not think about code optimization, over-engineering stuff or creating the best palette. Focus on iterations and gameplay!

Have fun and don't be a #@$!

You're there to have fun, not to win a prize or create the best game ever. There are the next 10 years of development for that. (/s)

Jokes aside, collaborate with your Jam partners and bring all your ideas to the table without dominating others. Take it easy! Let the pressure be only time, not commercial success or similar. Have fun with it!

Recommended resources for jammers

Here is a series of useful resources for participating in the Global Game Jam.

The choice of game engine is crucial, and Unity, Unreal Engine, and Godot are currently the most popular choices. But remember that there are also many other engines available, such as PICO-8 and GameMaker (which is also an official partner).

As for 3D or 2D assets, there are sites such as Kenney or Sketchfab that are very useful. As for audio, Freesound is always a safe choice.

In general, there are millions of free resources online that can help you realise your brilliant idea. The official Global Game Jam website has collected loads of them, and I recommend you to take a look here.

Happy jamming from the Febucci Team!

We can't wait to play all your games! Huge thanks to IGDA Italy for having us. Happy Jamming, have fun and SLEEP!

Ciao 🫶