📺 Conduit Retro Jam ($600 Prize Pool)

Get out your CRT TVs and pixel editors, because it's time for the Conduit Retro Jam! Whether you're making chunky pixel art sprites, building low-poly PS1-style worlds, or trying to capture the essence of classic arcade machines, this jam is all about the golden ages of gaming.

Pixel art, early 3D graphics, retro console graphics, chiptune music — if it's retro, it's welcome. There are no engine, genre, or platform restrictions. The only rule is that your game has to look and feel retro.

This jam is sponsored by Conduit Gaming, a community-focused gaming site that's all about getting indie game developers noticed. Our aim is simple: build our game developer community and give indie game developers the recognition they deserve. Join our Discord server to connect with other participants, find teammates, and stay up to date on jam announcements.

🎨 WHAT COUNTS AS "RETRO"?

The possibilities are endless! Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Pixel Art — NES, SNES, Genesis, Game Boy, GBA, or any other era of pixel graphics
Early 3D / Low-Poly — PS1, N64, Saturn graphics with wobbly vertices and affine textures
Arcade Style — Classic arcade machine graphics, scanlines, high scores, and quarter-munching action
Vector Graphics — Asteroids, Tempest, and other games with wireframe graphics
Text Adventures & ASCII — Terminal-style games, roguelikes with ASCII art
Retro-Inspired Modern — Modern games with a retro art style or retro gameplay elements

If it makes you feel like a kid again, it's probably retro enough.

🎧 PRIZES

🥇 1st Place — $300
🥈 2nd Place — $200
🥉 3rd Place — $100

📜 RULES

Read these carefully before submitting. All rules are non-negotiable.

CONSTRAINT: Score System - your game must incorporate a score system of some sort (it's up to you have you include this, but adding a leader board or high score mechanic adds bonus points)

Adhere to the Theme — Your game must visually or mechanically incorporate a retro theme. This is the point of the jam!
Valid Conduit Gaming Link Required — Your game must include a valid conduitgaming.com link. You can make your own page on our site and link it in your itch.io upload.
No Sexually Explicit Content — Keep it family-friendly. Games with explicit sexual content will be removed.
No Hateful or Overly Political Content — We're here to have fun and celebrate games, not to divide people. Games with content that promotes hatred, discrimination, or is overly political will be disqualified.
No Generative AI — All art, music, writing, and code must be created by humans. AI-assisted tools that generate content (images, music, dialogue, etc.) are not allowed. Standard development tools, engines, and non-generative plugins are okay.

🏆 WHY JOIN?

Community Exposure — Your game will be showcased on ConduitGaming.com, our growing gaming community where players find indie games
Meet Other Devs — Meet other indie game developers who are passionate about retro game development
Build Your Portfolio — Game jams are the best way to create and release a small, polished, and fun game
Play & Be Played — The best part of any game jam is playing and rating other people's games

💻 HOW TO SUBMIT

Make your game during the jam
Upload your game to itch.io
Make a page for your game on conduitgaming.com
Link your Conduit Gaming page in your itch.io game description
Submit your itch.io page to this jam before the deadline

❓ FAQ

Can I use pre-made assets?

Yes, as long as you have the rights or license to use them and they are not AI-generated. Please credit all third-party assets in your game description.

Can I work in a team?

Absolutely! Solo devs and teams are both welcome. Just make sure everyone on the team is credited.

What engines or tools can I use?

Any engine, framework, or tool is allowed — Godot, Unity, Unreal, GameMaker, PICO-8, Construct, RPG Maker, Love2D, custom engines, you name it. The only restriction is on generative AI tools.

Does my game need to be free?

For the purposes of this jam, we strongly recommend making your submission free or "pay what you want" so that everyone can play and rate it.

What is Conduit Gaming?

Conduit Gaming is a gaming community hub built to help indie developers get discovered. We provide a platform where devs can showcase their games, connect with players, and grow their audience. Creating a page on our site is free and gives your game additional visibility beyond itch.io.

What does "no generative AI" mean exactly?

You may not use tools to generate assets or create sprites, music, UI, sounds, models, or generate stories for your game!