Our Tips for the 2026 Unity Game Jam

Hello there! We’re taking part in the Official 2026 Unity Game Jam as volunteer supporters on the Discord server, and with Text Animator, of course! The team that places third will receive Text Animator for Unity keys for every team member.

Official 2026 Unity Game Jam

The jam kicks off on Thursday, Nov 5 at 12 PM EST / 9 AM PST, together with the theme reveal. This year it has been expanded to a full 7 days to give you more build time (plus roughly 2 extra days specifically to package, upload, and fix last-minute bugs). Another new addition is the Best Student category, open to all students enrolled at an educational institution.

Back in February, we also took part in Global Game Jam 2026 with the Turin community, where we shared a set of tips and resources that are still very relevant. This jam, however, is a bit different: it lasts a whole week and it’s explicitly competitive. So here’s a new set of tips!

Seven days go by fast

Seven days might sound like a lot time if you’re used to 48-hour jams, but don’t be fooled! It’s very easy to lose track precisely because there are more days, and the rest of your life keeps happening in between (as it should!). So plan carefully on day one while you prototype, then go full speed in the direction you like best.

New to Unity or without a team? No problem

You have plenty of options: you can do the jam solo (a highly recommended experience) or look for teammates in the #jam26-teams channel. As for learning Unity, there are countless free courses online, but why not start with the ones recommended by Unity on the jam page?

Read the rules before you start

Check the Submission Eligibility and Judging Criteria and prepare in advance, especially regarding the generative AI clause, since gen AI is now part of so many development pipelines. It may sound silly, but make sure your build actually downloads and runs from itch once you upload it (I’ve seen way too many itch pages with broken links).

Polish the feel, the accessibility, and your page

Since this game jam has prizes, pay even more attention to game feel and accessibility. If your game is designed for a controller make sure it plays well with one and above all it must be immediately clear how to play it. Keep it simple and clean: the judges will play a huge number of games (last year there were 431 submissions). Oh, and take care of your game page too: a nice video or GIF and a clear description go a long way!

Write a post-mortem

After the jam, writing about what worked and what didn’t helps you and your team grow (and who knows, it might even help you improve the game and turn it into a commercial success).

A very friendly advice

While it’s natural to wonder whether your game could be a commercial success and to compete for the prizes, remember to have fun and put your heart and soul into making something you’re proud of.

Happy Game Jam and thanks Unity!

Can’t wait to see all the fantastic games you’ll make. And a big thanks to Unity!

Ciao 🫶🏼

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