Howdy! I'm far from an expert, but I've attempted a handful of jams. I wanted to share some tips I've picked up for anyone who's trying their first jam - especially solo devs. Feel free to add more tips if you got 'em!
- Start small, and don't get too ambitious. Even simple games are going to be more challenging to create than you expect. When you're coming up with ideas, ask yourself, "how am I going to program this?"
- Make a to-do list and set priorities. Your game will still work without music, sound effects, or extra levels. Get those game mechanics working first.
- Sketch out your ideas on paper. I like to make flowcharts to help figure out, for example, the different states the player character can be in.
- Your game doesn't have to be good. Just making something to submit is a huge accomplishment, and you'll learn a ton from the experience.
- Sometimes, you're gonna have to cut stuff because you can't get it to work. That's ok!