The Game Jam is over! Thank you all who have submitted a game! I am planning on hosting more events later like this later. If you are interested, join my discord or just drop a follow!

The Results of The $20 Unremarkable Game Jam 

Most Enjoyable: The Living Room 

Most Creative: The Living Room 

More Relevant: Samurythm 

THE WINNER: The Living Room

Hello! My name is Mark, and I'm just some indie game developer trying to host my very first Game Jam! I have already participated in a few Game Jams before, but I want to see some of my followers start making games too! And just to create a little incentive, the winner will get $20!

If you haven't already, please join my discord server to be informed of any announcments, live streams of your game, and the winner of the Game Jam!

Time Period

December 19th 2025 - January 2nd 2026

You will have 2 weeks to develop a game.

(It's during Winter Break, no better time than now!)

Theme - The Final Boss

The theme is The Final Boss. I always love a game with a good final boss fight, but for this Game Jam, I'd like to see just the final boss. It could be a 3D movement shooter, a top-down bullet hell, or a turn based card game. Make the battle feel like I played a whole game before it, and it all has lead up to this, the final showdown... Just remember to make the boss mechanically intriguing and visually interesting!

If you don't know where to start, here are some elements of a boss fight that I really enjoy.

Good Player Mechanics

• Just as important as the bosses' mechanics is the player's mechanics. No good boss fight ever came from literally just giving the player WASD, some health, and a gun. Give the player a dodge roll, a stamina bar, a mana bar, synergizing attacks, abilities that don't only do damage, etc.

Resource Management

• Having the player manage their resources is what makes a boss fight strategically interesting. "Should I spend my mana now to block this attack, or save up to cast my ultimate later?"

Multiple Unique Phases

• The player will eventually get into a flow of fighting the boss, maybe switch it up a bit. Surprise them! Maybe a final, desperate, last stand!

Environmental Hazards

• Not every boss has to be fought in a completely empty room. Add bottomless pits, destructible rubble, flamethrowers, moving lasers, boss specific gimmicks, anything your heart desires!

A Preparation Phase

• While the theme is focused on the final boss, giving the player some agency in what equipment they should bring and what abilities to choose will add another dynamic layer to the boss fight. Do they value having extra health, or dealing more damage? "Perhaps I should bring some more heals instead of ammo."

Good Audio

• Bad music or sound effects can ruin a good boss fight. Make the music epic! To take it a step further, make the music dynamic and unique to each of the bosses' phases. Maybe some cool voicelines!

Goons

• This may not work for every type of boss fight, but adding goons to a battle can make a boss fight so much more interesting. It gives the player something else to attack and manage alongside the boss.

Make It Unique

• What makes your boss special? If I wanted to fight the Eye of Cthulhu, I would play Terraria. Make it unique!

Consider Adding Lore

• Adding a bit of lore to a boss fight can give the boss some character. Maybe give the boss a pre-battle monologue, voice lines during the fight, or an epic final speech on its very last phase. "UNVEIL YOUR FACADE! SHOW YOUR TRUE SELF!"

A Satisfying Ending

• No player wants to just see a "You Win!" screen when beating THE FINAL boss. Make it epic! Reveal an interesting lore plot twist or create an intense denouement.

Some games with awesome boss fights that I love

• Terraria
• Baldur's Gate
• Risk of Rain 2
• Slay the Spire
• Darkest Dungeon
• Elden Ring
• Hollow Knight

Lastly, another reminder to join my discord if you haven't already! It's where I post announcements and where you can share your progress with other jammers! Also, once the submission period is over, I will be streaming myself playing each game and giving feedback! (Also, if you win, I will need to be able to contact you to give you your prize money!)

$20 Prize

There is a $20 prize for the lead developer of the highest-rated game; however, instead of the community vote, the winner will be selected by a panel of 3 judges (one of the judges being myself).

Rating Criteria

Each game will be rated based on three criteria:

• Enjoyment
  • How enjoyable is the game to play?
• Creativity
  • How unique is the game?
• Relevance
  • How well does the game fit the theme?

The community will be able to rate games, but the prize winner is selected by 3 judges.

Rules

I am the host of this Game Jam and I hold the right to disqualify anyone.

• Development teams are allowed, but there must be one lead developer.
• Any assets used should be credited either in-game or in the description of the itch game page.
• Submitted entries should be in a playable state and able to be run on Windows OS.
• No extremely graphic or sexual content.
• Do not bribe the judges.
• Don't forget to have fun!