A 10-day game jam challenge to create a prototype with "8-Bit" limitations!

All skill levels are welcome from beginner to professional. New to this whole thing? Never made a game before? Play some jam-winning games to see where you can be after several jams of practice.

(Thanks to Raindrinker for the jam cover image! Check out his games here.)

Schedule

Jam Focus (Required): "8-Bit"

The term "8-Bit" is contentious, as it can refer to various elements of a computer or game console like RAM or CPU, or even generally mean "pixel art with chiptunes." For this jam, our specific definition is a relaxed version of NES limitations.

Your game must adhere to the following, at a minimum:

• NES-style controls (4-directional D-Pad, Start, Select, A, and B buttons)
  • Start and Select should be limited to actions like pausing, selection, etc. and not used for "action" gameplay
• Retro-sounding chiptune music
  • Nintendo VST is a great tool for any DAW, or use a tracker like FamiTracker or FamiStudio
    
  • Alternatively, you can get close with single-oscillator squares and triangle in any basic synth
• Graphics
  • As close to a 256 x 224 pixel display as your tools allow
  • Only use colors from the NES (Wikipedia) color palette on Lospec
  • All alpha levels must be 0 or 1 (no partial transparency)
  • One background layer and one foreground layer (sprites)

Optionally, you may attempt greater accuracy using the limitations described here by Noel Berry. In particular, palette limitations really help create an authentic 8-bit look. The page also has some cool resources for NES information and development.

Of course, the most accurate thing to do is make an actual NES game (ROM). If you do this, be sure to include sufficient instructions to set up an emulator and play the game, because other participants may be unfamiliar with the process.

Note that a ROM hack does not meet our requirement for original game prototypes and such entries will be removed.

Does the game need to literally be 256x224 pixels? Won't that be tiny?
Not literally. You can scale and stretch as you see fit. But the game should appear to have a display of 256x224 pixels, if possible.

Theme (Semi-Optional): ANCIENT HISTORY

Ancient History is the period between 1500 BCE - 500 CE, which covers a broad range of cultures including Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, Persia, Ancient China, Akkad, Assyria, Medes, Parthia, Phoenicia, Carthage, Nubia, Aksum, Gupta, Lapita, Jomon, the three kingdoms of Korea, Norte Chico, Maya, Celts, and more. See the wikipedia page for a complete list and additional details.

Basically, anything from the beginning of recorded history before the Middle Ages qualifies. It would be super cool to see obscure cultures, regions, and periods of history, particularly since the NES library itself is severely limited in examples. But make sure you do some research for an accurate representation - unless you're already an expert!

Mythology was a huge part of human culture in this era, so you're also free to be inspired by these legendary tales, as well.

The theme is optional, but remember Theme/Limitation counts for 1/6th of your Community Choice score. Also, the theme can be a great way to come up with ideas if you're stuck!

More creative interpretations of the theme will generally score higher, but don't go so far that the theme is unrecognizable.

Diversifiers

These diversifiers are optional, but are a great way to help your game stand out. Plus, it's more fun (and more educational) to work with extra limitations.

You are allowed to use as many diversifiers as you like, but we strongly recommend doing at most one, because they're not necessarily designed to work together, and this helps achieve the whole purpose of them: to diversify the entries.

• One Room: The game takes place in a single screen with no transitions to other screens. (Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Q-Bert, many others)
• Cross Post: The game meets the requirements of a second jam, and you submit to both.
• Deterministic: The game has no pseudorandom elements; using the same inputs twice would result in two identical playthroughs.

Judging and Post-Jam Videos

You (contributors to any game entered into this jam) determine the Community Choice by voting on games after the jam concludes. Check out the Ratings Guide for how to interpret categories and tips on good star ratings.

The highest overall rated game will be placed in the list of 8 Bits to Infinity jam winners

RetroIndieJosh will create a highlights video posted on his YouTube channel

Rules

Failure to abide by these rules will result in your submission being disqualified and ineligible for rating, or removed from the jam, at the organizer's discretion.

Teams & Credit

• You can work solo or in a team of up to 4 members.
  • This total only includes people actively working on your team. For instance, if you include Retro Indie Josh's free-to-use music in the game, he's not part of the team.
• You must credit everything in the game, even if it's CC0 or Public Domain.
  • If you're unable to track down an exact source, just credit where you got the art/music.
  • Credits can be on the game page or in the game. If credits are only in the game, they must be accessible from the start for verification purposes.

Technical

• Your game must be available on the web or as a download that will work on Windows 11.
  • You are encouraged to create additional versions, such as Linux or Mac.
• No limitations on graphics, audio, engine, library, framework, programming language, and other tools.

Content

• Your game must use the jam focus, but the theme is optional.
  • However, note that the theme is a good chunk of your score.
• You may create any general-purpose code (i.e., not game-specific) before the jam begins, such as character controllers, project templates, menu functionality, AI library, etc.
• You may reuse general-purpose assets from past games.
  • We won't force you to draw another chair, but don't reuse a main character or full level art, for instance.
• You are allowed to use AI generation for art, writing, code, etc., but you must clearly state on the game page and/or in the game that you used AI, and what you used it for.
• You may not work on any game-specific elements such as design, art, music, or sound until the jam begins.
  • However, pre-jam discussion and brainstorming of general ideas is both allowed and encouraged.
• Any game-critical text must be in English.
  • While we understand and appreciate that our jams are international, this is the primary language for this jam.
• Your game must not contain extreme graphic violence, sexual content, or explicit language requiring an 18+ rating.
  • If you are unsure whether your game crosses this line, it probably does.
• Your game must not contain any hateful content including any violence, threat of violence, or discrimination against other people on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, caste, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, religious affiliation, age, disability, or serious disease.
• We encourage the use of trigger warnings if your game involves material a reasonable person would consider sensitive.

Submitting

• WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND YOU UPLOAD AND SUBMIT EARLY.
  • You are allowed to modify your game page, including files, until the deadline.
  • You are allowed to edit answers to your submission questions (through your submission page) until the deadline.
• Step 1: Click the Join Jam button at the top of this page.
• Step 2: Make your game.
• Step 3: Create a game project page on itch and upload your game files. See this documentation for help.
• Step 4: Submit the game to the jam. After uploading your game, return to this page and click "Submit Your Project" at the top.
  • Be prepared to answer a few questions about your entry when submitting. You must answer all of these questions honestly and completely before the deadline.
  • Submission time is a hard deadline. No late submissions will be accepted.
  • Although you cannot modify files after the deadline has passed, you are still free to edit your game page. But note it is a violation of the rules to link to an updated version created after the deadline, and your entry will be removed.

About Us

Hosted by 8 Bits to Infinity: a game development community dedicated to improving creative and technical skills through rapid iteration and honest, critical feedback. Join us on Discord, check out our website, and take a look at our past jams and challenges.

The man behind 8 Bits to Infinity is Retro Indie Josh (aka Joshua McLean): gaming content creator and music producer. Check out his game music (free for you to use in jams and commercial projects!) and YouTube.