Welcome to the Mystery Game Jam!

The Mystery Game Jam is an annual event hosted by Mystery Gamedev where developers form teams (or go it alone) to make a mystery game within a time limit.

This jam will take place from the start of April 4th to the end of May 5th. The timer on the itch.io site (this page) is the official timer for this jam. Don't miss the deadline!

Why April? It's to honor Murders in the Rue Morgue, published in April 1841 by Edgar Allan Poe. Known as the first modern detective story, it invented many key elements and tropes featured in all our favorite detective games. And April 4th is my birthday!

What Are Mystery Games?

Mystery games are a unique cross between story games and puzzle games in which the story is a puzzle. Rather telling us "the princess was kidnapped and taken to another castle", mystery games ask the question "who kidnapped the princess, and where  was she taken?" Mystery games contain puzzles connected by story-driven context, so that the solving of each puzzle directly leads to a better understanding of the story.

In contrast to mystery fiction, video games allow us to interact with the world and uncover the truth ourselves. Mystery game mechanics are designed to facilitate the player's understanding of the story. Crime scene investigation, evidence collection, suspect interrogation, case notes, theory-crafting, and logic debate systems are all common mechanics in these kinds of games. 

Detective games, courtroom games, escape games, and death games are all popular mystery game subgenres. Social deduction games also count. The truth is that mystery elements can be added to almost any game genre, so there is a lot of room to explore and innovate. We hope this game jam provides an opportunity for exactly that.

If you need inspiration or examples, check out these articles on mystery game subgenres here and here. 

Why Participate in the Jam?

Mystery-themed video games are in incredibly short supply. Less than 1% of games on itch.io are tagged "mystery" -- and that includes games that are only half-finished or outright abandoned. Games matching other related tags like "detective" and "escape room" are even harder to find. 

With mystery being one of the most popular genres in other forms of entertainment, there is a ton of demand and not nearly enough supply. This is your chance to make a big difference and become a Mystery Gamedev!

Jam Theme

This year, all submitted entries must follow a theme. You are free to interpret the theme in whatever way you want, and your interpretation and integration of the theme into your submission will be a factor in voting.

The theme will be revealed on this page one hour before the game jam starts. Be sure to check back here later.

Voting Criteria 

This year, submissions to the jam will be ranked. The voting period will last for 21 days. Winners will be determined by overall score.

Only people who submit a game will be allowed to vote on other games. This both mitigates potential cheating and encourages developers to interact with each other. If you want to participate in voting, then you should set aside some time to submit a game!

Below are the voting criteria, designed specifically for mystery games:

• Jam Theme: How well did the game interpret and integrate the jam's theme in a creative and engaging way?
• Logical Consistency: Was the game free of logic errors, plot holes, out-of-character moments, or other unintentional contradictions?
• Puzzle Fairness: Did the puzzles provide clear clues and logical solutions without being overly easy or frustratingly hard?
• Immersive Atmosphere: Did the game’s art style, sound design, and narrative elements work together to enhance the mystery and keep you invested?
• Emotional Depth: How did the game make use of its characters, setting, tone, and ideas to give its puzzles a meaningful and memorable context?
• Innovative Gameplay: Did the game have any unique mystery-solving mechanics, clever twists on the genre, or other interesting ways to integrate story and puzzle?
• Satisfying Answers: Regardless of whether you solved the mystery, once you learned the truth, was it a satisfying conclusion?
• General Enjoyment: Regardless of any other criteria, how much did you enjoy playing the game?

If that sounds like a lot... well, that really is what it takes to make a great mystery game! It's not easy, but don't let it discourage you. 

Prizes

The people or teams that win 1st place, 2nd place, and 3rd place will receive the following prizes:

• Your game will be featured on the front page of the Mystery Gamedev website for the whole month of June 2025
• Your game will be featured in the post of our weekly newsletter announcing the winners of the game jam
• All team members will receive a special "game jam winner" role in the Mystery Gamedev Discord Server

We reserve the right to add more prizes to the above list prior to the start of the jam, but we cannot guarantee it will happen.

Whether you win or lose, just always remember -- the real prize is finishing a game and making friends along the way!

Submission Requirements

• The game must obviously be a mystery game, as defined above.
• The game must incorporate the jam's theme (to be revealed when the jam starts).
  
• The game must be available as free to play, at least during the voting period.
• You may submit an unfinished demo if you cannot complete the full game in time.
• You may use pre-existing assets and code to speed up development, as long as you have the legal right to use them.
• If your game features excessive gore, you must disclose a warning on your game page.
  
• If you use generative AI, you must disclose on your game page all the ways your game uses generative AI to create pre-made content and/or live-generated content and how you have made sure it does not generate any content that is illegal or infringing.

Prohibited Content

Do not submit a game with the following, or it will be removed:

• Sexually explicit or adult (NSFW) content.
• Fan-games and assets of unlicensed intellectual property.
• Malware, viruses, or otherwise suspicious/flagged files.
• Any game that is obviously not a mystery game.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I work on the game before the game jam starts? 

No, but you may brainstorm, outline, and create rough sketches of ideas. 

Can I submit a game from a previous Mystery Game Jam? 

No, you must create a new game for this jam. We may hold another event in the future specifically dedicated to working on old games, but this event is for creating new ones.

Can I submit more than one game?

No, your first submission will be your only one. However, you are allowed to contribute to more than one game (i.e. being on more than one team), but it is not recommended.

What can I use to make my game? 

Any game engine, pre-made libraries, pre-existing assets, or tools you have the legal rights to use. This includes anything free or paid that a copyright holder has licensed for the general public, such as royalty-free asset packs or open source code, but you must always follow the rules of each specific license. You may also use your own pre-existing assets and code, but they must be used to create an entirely different game from the source material (not updating an existing game).

Why can't I see any submissions? 

This year, the submission results will be hidden until the jam ends. This is to ensure that all entries receive the same amount of visibility, so there is no voting advantage for submitting a game weeks in advance. It will also be a fun surprise to see all of the games suddenly appear at the end of the jam.

Will I be able to submit after the deadline? 

No. Please don't wait until the final hour when mistakes can happen. There is no penalty for submitting early, and then updating the game right before the deadline.

Help & Team-Building

If you're new to mystery games, start by reading this ultimate guide.

Mystery games are complicated and hard to make, so a month should give you plenty of time. You might also be surprised how much you can get done when you set your mind to it. Try to keep your scope small -- if your game idea is really big, you should submit what you can, and then feel free to expand upon it after the game jam ends. If you don't think it's possible, you should read the full story of how we won 3rd place with our own mystery game in under 30 days. You can do it too!

If you need any kind of help or you're looking to form a team, feel free to join our 300+ member Discord server. We will be offering free Q&A sessions every Saturday during the jam where you can ask the host for help with specific problems you are facing related to your submission, or you can book a private session at a time that is more convenient. We will help you every step of the way, from clueless to creator.

What is Mystery Gamedev?

Mystery Gamedev is a community exclusively dedicated to mystery-themed video games. We provide tools and resources for developers, and we help fans discover their next favorite game.

If this sounds exciting, please join our Discord and our weekly newsletter!

Legal

Anything you make during the Mystery Game Jam is your property. Mystery Gamedev claims no rights or ownership of your game. 

It is your responsibility to make sure you are legally allowed to upload your game. If a violation is brought to our attention, we will take appropriate action.

By submitting your game, you agree that Mystery Gamedev may show all or part of your submission for promotional or informational purposes, including but not limited to YouTube videos and newsletter articles, without your express permission.