jam · online
Terror Jam 2026 - A Halloween Game Jam
When it actually closes
Safe cutoff
itch.io jam data
- Stated
- “itch.io close 2026-10-24 03:59:59 (UTC)”
- Printed zone
- UTC
- IANA zone
- UTC
- UTC
- 2026-10-24T03:59:59Z
- Your time
- Sat Oct 24, 3:59 AM UTC (loading your time zone…)
The trap: itch.io shows raw UTC. Oct 24 03:59 UTC is still Oct 23, 8:59 PM in Las Vegas.
Prizes
$1,100 cash · 5 slots
Five cash prizes: Best Overall Game $500; Best Core Gameplay $200 (sponsored by infiBit); Scariest Game $200; People's Choice $100; Best Design Trial, Brujería $100 (sponsored by Latinx in Gaming). The page also says "Prizes include cash and special surprises." The two sponsored prizes sit inside the same list. The page does not say whether one game can win more than one prize.
Best Overall Game
cash
$500
Best Core Gameplay
cash
$200
Sponsored by infiBit
Scariest Game
cash
$200
People's Choice
cash
$100
Best Design Trial — Brujería
cash
$100
Sponsored by Latinx in Gaming
Eligibility
Individuals: eligible
"Anyone 18 and older can participate in the jam." There is no country or residency restriction on the page.
Checked for one adult entering alone from Nevada, USA. Rules can differ by country, so read the rule quoted here for where you live.
Entry cost
Free to enter
Payout
unknown
unknown. The page only says "Prizes include cash and special surprises" and that winners will be contacted the week of Oct 26, 2026. It says nothing about the payment channel (PayPal, wire or other), tax forms, KYC or payout timing.
Rights — what you give up
entrant-keeps
Entrants keep ownership: "Anything you make during Terror Jam is your property", and Vibe XP and Latinx in Gaming claim no rights or ownership. However, any submitted game may be posted on their Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, BlueSky and LinkedIn accounts without the entrant's permission.
Gotchas
- The AI ban is broader than the scout said. The disqualification clause reads 'Any game that has been found to use AI will be disqualified from the prize pool', with no carve-out for code or tooling.
- The deadline is effectively Friday Oct 23 at 8:59:59 PM Pacific for a Nevada entrant, not Oct 24. The itch timestamp 2026-10-24 03:59:59 is UTC.
- Build time is short and cannot start early. Work may begin only on Oct 10 at 7pm ET, when the theme is revealed, which leaves about 13 days. No work made before the jam is accepted.
- The AI section says art and development should come 'through asset purchases or created by team members', while the asset FAQ allows assets 'downloaded with proper licensing'. Assume free licensed assets are OK but keep the licenses on file.