VIRAL GLITCH
GAME Jam
Make cool games. Learn something new. Express your creativity. (And yeah, there are prizes!)
Prize pool
$4,800
The theme of the Viral Glitch Game Jam is…
Predictably
Unpredictable
Feel free to explore in any way you can think of! The game can contain bait-and-switch gameplay, trap mechanics, fake choices, unreliable narrators, glitchy aesthetics, or psychological trickery.
Jury’s Wild Pick
3 x $300 USDThe Jury gets to make 3 Wild Picks
Main winners
$3,000 USD1st Place: $1,500 USD 2nd Place: $1,000 USD 3rd Place: $500 USD
Audience Favorites
3 x $300 USDAudience decides three winners!
About the Jam
Make games. It’s fun!
It’s even better when your game gets played by millions.
That’s what Viral Glitch Jam is all about – your chance to win prize money and have your game featured in the Opera GX browser, with over 25M monthly active users.
GameMaker and GX.games are teaming up to make it happen. Check out our beginner’s guide or dive into a 15-minute tutorial on YouTube. We can’t wait to see what you create.
Submissions open June 5 – June 19, 2025
Join the GX.games Discord Server to keep up with updates, find a team or ask questions!
Join our discord
Rules
By participating in the Viral Glitch Game Jam, you agree to the following terms:
- Your game must adhere to the theme, which will be revealed on June 5th, 2025 15:00 UTC.
- Games must be uploaded to GX.games and created with GameMaker before June 19th, 2025 15:00 UTC.
- Games must be uploaded to GX.games with an appropriate tag Viral Glitch Jam.
- Submitted Games must be 100% made and owned by you.
- Games using licensed characters, music or visuals will not be accepted.
- Games with themes of illegal activities, racism, sexism, homophobia or other forms of bullying will not be accepted.
- The use of AI art is heavily discouraged for this jam and any game that uses generated AI art will not be considered for a prize.
FAQ
How do I join the Game Jam?
When does the Game Jam start?
Game Jam theme reveal and submission start will happen on June 5th. The submission period ends on June 19th.
Can I use other game engines to make my submission?
Sorry, only games made with GameMaker are allowed!
What if I win, but the laws of my country won’t let me accept the monetary prize?
In the scenario where the laws of your country forbid you from accepting a monetary prize due to your age or for any other reason, we will be forced to disqualify you from the game jam.
Does the entire game have to be made during the jam?
Yes, however, there are some exceptions to this. You can use commercially available music, sound effects, and fonts as long as you have permission to use them for the game jam — by, for example, buying them. Moreover, you're allowed to apply necessary bug fixes to your game after the submission period is over.
How many people can be in one team?
However many you’d like! Be aware, though, that the prize money will have to be split between the team members. We recommend creating a joint profile for your group or picking one person to be in charge of the project.
Who will judge the games?
At first, all submissions will be judged via community voting on GX.games. After that, a panel of judges from GameMaker and GX.games will assess the top submissions and decide who wins the prizes.
Do I retain ownership of my game?
Yes, the game remains solely yours!