AI game jams in November 2026: dates, rules and prizes

Calendar at a glance

Jamference: AI Game Jam Hack

Dates: The itch.io page has submissions from Oct 30 08:00 to Nov 6 08:00 UTC, and voting closes Nov 12 08:00 UTC. The jamference.com page says 07:00 UTC, so go by the itch countdown. Host: Story Machine AI · Entry: free, solo or team

The theme is Great Works of Art. You build a game around a painting, print, sculpture or whole art movement. A mandatory surprise restriction is announced the moment the jam opens. AI has to do "real work" somewhere, in code, art, audio, writing, level generation or as a live system in the game, and you must say what you used. Entries are rated on four equally weighted categories: Fun, AI use, Polish and Theme. The organizers also note that any actual artwork in your game must be public domain, and suggest anything made before 1923 is very likely fine.

Good for: first-time jammers, since the organizers say so directly, and anyone who wants AI use judged on how well it's used rather than how much.

OFFICIAL AI GAME JAM

Dates: submissions Oct 25 11:00 to Nov 16 11:00 UTC, with voting until Nov 23 11:00 UTC Host: huenx · Theme: Ghost in the Machine · Teams: up to 4

This is the longest jam on the list, at three weeks, and the host warns that judges "will expect more polished games" because of it. AI has to be used meaningfully in at least one area: code, art, audio, text or design. Every entry needs an "AI tools used" section with a template covering the tools, what they were used for and what you made by hand. Judging covers fun and gameplay, visuals and audio, fit with the theme and creative use of AI. Six browser-playable entries were already in by Oct 29. Several appear in our list of free AI browser games.

Super Free AI Game Jam #2

Dates: submissions Nov 8 02:10 to Nov 15 02:10 UTC, with voting until Nov 20 02:10 UTC Host: Morei309 · Theme: none

There's no theme, and you can use AI as much or as little as you like. Rankings consider fun, creativity, polish, use of AI and the overall experience. The game must be made during the jam, and the host asks entrants to rate 5 to 10 other games. The page is upfront that "the only prize is only fame."

Good for: small, strange ideas, with no pressure to fit a theme.

2026 Epic AI MegaJam

Dates: Nov 12 to 15. The jam runs from 12:00 AM EST on Nov 12 to 5:59 PM PST (8:59 PM EST) on Nov 15, with the theme revealed at a kickoff livestream on Nov 11 at 11 AM PST. Winners are announced by Jan 29, 2027. Host: Epic Games, on itch.io · Teams: solo or up to 5 people, with no limit on AI agents

You build in Unreal Engine or UEFN, but not both. Prizes total $65,000 in cash, plus Development Continuation Grants of up to $50,000 per team and sponsor prizes. There's an in-person event at Digital Jungle in San Francisco on Nov 14 and 15, which needs a ticket. Registration for it opens Nov 1. You must be 18 or older with an active Epic account.

Epic's FAQ first said AI was mandatory. After pushback, it called that "our mistake" and made AI optional (Game World Observer). Unreal Engine entries go in as packaged builds, as a ZIP under 1 GB for Windows, macOS, Android or iOS, along with a 30 to 60 second gameplay video.

Ultimate AI-Powered Game Jam #7

Dates: Nov 13 12:00 to Nov 16 12:00 UTC (21:00 JST), with rating until Nov 19 12:00 UTC Host: michyo · Format: a 72-hour "speedrun." This series alternates short and long editions.

The required theme is DREAM, and it's already public. A second, optional theme unlocks at the start and boosts your "AI Direction & Adaptability" score. Generative AI must be used for at least one major component. Fellow entrants rate games on enjoyment, theme, AI direction and scope. There's no cash prize and no fee. Adding HTML5 builds during the rating period is explicitly allowed, which helps more people play your entry.

Not confirmed: LabLab AI Game Jam

The lablab.ai AI Game Jam page mentions dates of "November 10th to November 17th" but gives no year. The page's event data shows the dates as still to be announced. We're leaving it off the calendar until lablab confirms 2026 dates.

How to get more out of a jam

• Ship a browser build. Ratings only come from people who play your game, and a count of 1,387 ranked entries across 10 itch.io jams found browser-playable entries got about twice the ratings of download-only ones.
• Answer the AI disclosure question fully. In data from 5,125 jam entries, disclosing AI showed no clear rating penalty, while leaving the question blank placed 17.5 percentile points lower. See AI disclosure for games.
• Rate other games. Most of these jams ask you to, and it's how people find yours.
• Plan what happens after the jam. Most jam games disappear once voting ends.

After the jam: give your game a second release

Keep your jam submission exactly as you entered it. Then, once you've fixed the rough edges, publish the polished free version where people can keep finding it. Peerless hosts browser builds from Three.js, Godot, Unity Web and plain JavaScript, and a person reviews every listing. It asks you to describe AI use in the same way these jams already do. Publishing is free.

Publish your jam game on Peerless · How to publish a browser game

Frequently asked questions

Which AI game jam has the biggest prizes in November 2026?

The 2026 Epic AI MegaJam, from November 12 to 15. It has $65,000 in cash prizes, plus Development Continuation Grants of up to $50,000 per team and sponsor prizes. Entries must be built in Unreal Engine or UEFN.

Do I have to use AI in an AI game jam?

It depends on the jam. Jamference, OFFICIAL AI GAME JAM and Ultimate AI-Powered Game Jam #7 require meaningful AI use. Super Free AI Game Jam #2 allows any amount. Epic's MegaJam made AI optional after first saying it was mandatory.

Which November AI jam is best for beginners?

Jamference says outright that it's a good first jam. It runs a full week, accepts solo or team entries and is free. Super Free AI Game Jam #2 has no theme at all.

Are these times in my time zone?

We list UTC, taken from each jam's itch.io page data. Always trust the live countdown on the jam page.

Where can I publish my jam game after the jam?

Keep the jam build on itch.io as submitted. You can also publish a polished free version on Peerless, which hosts browser builds, reviews every listing and asks for the same kind of AI disclosure these jams require.