4 Weirdest (and Must-play) Games Created from Game Jams
Game jams are outstanding events where developers - and aspiring ones - can create games within a limited amount of time. Let’s take a look at some of the weirdest (and best) ones spawned:
Chameleon Run, which is a widely-played mobile game today, was once a product of a game jam. You see, it was created in the Ludum Dare competition by Jan Ilavsky who then decided to turn his creation into a full-length playable title. In a nutshell, Chameleon Run is an auto-runner where you jump across platforms and land, but the twist is, your color has to match the one you’re landing on. It’s a fast-paced game that requires quick thinking and reflexes.
The game is weird in a way that it was made with only one arm by the developer who also happens to be colorblind. In any case, it’s one of the best game jam success stories, as it has thousands of downloads and more than 11k reviews on the Google Play Store.
Created in the Global Game Jam 2020, Reapair Response Emergency is a rather weird twist to the life of the Grim Reaper. You see, apart from taking people to the afterlife, the scythe-wielding death spirit also sidelines as an EMT. We’re not sure why, but we can safely assume that times are tough today.
The game has you tend to various neighborhood emergencies, attempting to repair victims and collect body parts for use in later incidents. You need to fully assemble the bodies in order to proceed to the next.
As an older gamer, I have a soft spot for pixel-art games that resemble NES and SNES games of my era. Murder at Residence Gudul captures this. Instead of a family-friendly experience though, you’ll be treated to a foul-mouthed adventure as Dowie, who has to get his remote and Distritube fixed after the janitor was murdered. Forced to leave his flat, you’ll help him solve mysteries and interact with other residents.
The game was only made in two days (plus three more if you count fine-tuning) for the 2015 Global Game Jam. It’s a web-based game and you can .
Yes, one of the weirdest, wackiest, and one of the most successful indie games created this generation was a product of an internal game jam in the Coffee Stain Studios. Players will put themselves on the hooves of a goat with the goal of wreaking havoc and causing as much destruction as they can. It was shown on social media which in turn gave it widespread popularity. This then prompted the devs to develop it and create a build good enough for players to dive into and enjoy.
Although we all want to play popular and top-rated games, many of those created in game jams are hidden gems and have the potential to be even better. Sure, a lot of the creations are borderline weird and at times, sloppy, but they warrant a good look and a playthrough. Most are free to play online, so try some of them out if you can.
Game Jams are events where developers and aspiring game creators get together and create games of their own with limited time and resources. In a way, these gatherings are great avenues for creators to collaborate, compete, and learn. Most importantly, these may help light a spark and bring about the existence of a new viral and weird game.
A number of game jams around the world did exactly that. They spawned rather creative additions to the world’s ever-growing list of video games. With that said, let’s take a look at some of the weirdest - and best ones - ever made.
Chameleon Run
Chameleon Run, which is a widely-played mobile game today, was once a product of a game jam. You see, it was created in the Ludum Dare competition by Jan Ilavsky who then decided to turn his creation into a full-length playable title. In a nutshell, Chameleon Run is an auto-runner where you jump across platforms and land, but the twist is, your color has to match the one you’re landing on. It’s a fast-paced game that requires quick thinking and reflexes.
The game is weird in a way that it was made with only one arm by the developer who also happens to be colorblind. In any case, it’s one of the best game jam success stories, as it has thousands of downloads and more than 11k reviews on the Google Play Store.
Reapair Response Emergency
Created in the Global Game Jam 2020, Reapair Response Emergency is a rather weird twist to the life of the Grim Reaper. You see, apart from taking people to the afterlife, the scythe-wielding death spirit also sidelines as an EMT. We’re not sure why, but we can safely assume that times are tough today.
The game has you tend to various neighborhood emergencies, attempting to repair victims and collect body parts for use in later incidents. You need to fully assemble the bodies in order to proceed to the next.
Murder at Residence Gudul
As an older gamer, I have a soft spot for pixel-art games that resemble NES and SNES games of my era. Murder at Residence Gudul captures this. Instead of a family-friendly experience though, you’ll be treated to a foul-mouthed adventure as Dowie, who has to get his remote and Distritube fixed after the janitor was murdered. Forced to leave his flat, you’ll help him solve mysteries and interact with other residents.
The game was only made in two days (plus three more if you count fine-tuning) for the 2015 Global Game Jam. It’s a web-based game and you can .
Goat Simulator
Yes, one of the weirdest, wackiest, and one of the most successful indie games created this generation was a product of an internal game jam in the Coffee Stain Studios. Players will put themselves on the hooves of a goat with the goal of wreaking havoc and causing as much destruction as they can. It was shown on social media which in turn gave it widespread popularity. This then prompted the devs to develop it and create a build good enough for players to dive into and enjoy.
Although we all want to play popular and top-rated games, many of those created in game jams are hidden gems and have the potential to be even better. Sure, a lot of the creations are borderline weird and at times, sloppy, but they warrant a good look and a playthrough. Most are free to play online, so try some of them out if you can.
