I played just over 200 games from the jam in the past week and it's crazy to consider I didn't get to experience even one quarter of the total submissions. I wanted to share some that really stood out in my mind when I was thinking what could win in each category.
[HUGE UNNECESSARY DISCLAIMER!] These are the games which popped into my mind and I will definitely think about this later and say to myself "Oh! I should have mentioned this one..." Also there are a ton of great games that I played, I don't want to make a huge list so I'm limiting myself to one game per category, please don't feel bad I haven't listed yours, I almost definitely also liked it a lot!
Theme
Attack of the Second Dimension - https://joebuttkin.itch.io/attack-of-the-second-dimension
Theme was the hardest category for me to evaluate when I was reviewing games, if often felt like a Yes or No question of 'Do I see how they implemented the theme?' There are some games where I didn't see it at all and that could have been a failing on my part. In the case of this game, the theme is used quite uniquely in my experience, with the enemies all inhabiting just two dimensions compared to the player's 3D view. This gives a great twist to an otherwise simple FPS.
Fun
Pizza Boi - https://lanyard.itch.io/pizzaboi
I could have spent a lot more time playing this one than I did and I kept playing it long after I had finished all the available content. I might have gone even longer if the gamepad controls hadn't caused the squealing breaks sound to go off all the time, it still plays very well on a keyboard, too!
Aesthetics
Welding - https://tinysquidstudios.itch.io/welding
A very unique look and experience of seeing the world through sound vibrations. The visuals aren't fancy but they're very striking. I'd say more, but the game speaks for itself better than I can describe it.
Music
Frank 2: Justin Strikes Back - https://vitbull88.itch.io/frank-2
In the games I played, this is the one which incorporated its music most into the experience itself. And not only that, it even gave me the opportunity to add to it!
Sound
Pudge Bara Alchemy Adventure - https://nicholasmcrae.itch.io/pbaa
If I'm honest, I don't really like some of the sounds in this game. I'm not a fan of farty noises and after a while I got tired of hearing that I did it... wrong. But objectively speaking this one left the biggest impression on me when it comes to sound!
Mechanics
Piping Out - https://sami822.itch.io/piping-out
Mechanics are a bit of a nebulous area and I wasn't too sure what to pick for this. There are many games which chose to do something with the theme in very similar ways of shifting dimensions and none of those stood out as a result. This one was more unique than most by letting the player shift between five points of view fairly seamlessly. There was one point in the last level where I'd gotten so accustomed to the controls of the view changes that I was able to round a double right turn by shifting perspectives without having to take my finger off the forward button. That's the sort of moment which sticks with me after I've finished playing a game.
Story
The Babu - https://aquietknight.itch.io/the-babu
A gentle, heartwarming story told in a gentle, heartwarming way. It starts off a little too 'childhood angst' and I wasn't expecting much from it. By the end of the story it had won me over, even if I still don't really know what a Babu is.