GMTK Game Jam 2022 was massive. More than 22,000Â
people signed up to the jam, and within 48 hours  they had bashed together more than 6,000 games.Â
That makes it, once again, our biggest jam yet. But it also had, perhaps, the most challengingÂ
theme to date. Participants had to design their  game around the phrase “Roll of theÂ
Dice” - and so our brave designers  had to come up with games about randomness,Â
probability, and rolling numbered polygons. But, I should never doubt these devs. TheseÂ
games are clever and creative, inventive  and imaginative, fun and fiercely unique.Â
After players spent a week rating the games,  I tried out the top 100-rated games.Â
And then, chose my 20 favourites. So, without further ado - andÂ
in no particular order - these  are the best games of the GMTK Game Jam for 2022. One of the main challenges of this jam was  wrangling with randomness. If the outcome of theÂ
game is completely driven by the roll of the dice,  that can rob the player of agency andÂ
reduces the importance of strategy. So, a popular solution was to let players designÂ
their own dice. You’re still at the mercy of RNG…  but, hey, you’re the one who choose theÂ
numbers. This my favourite example of the idea Rolling for Royalty. The game is a series of simple turn-based battles,Â
fought with dice rolls. And in between each bout,  your dice are unfolded - andÂ
you can swap out the faces. Do you want lots of attacks? More shields?  Perhaps a spell, a modifier, or moneyÂ
that can be spent on even more faces? Then the game adds a further tacticalÂ
layer. After each roll, you can choose to  re-roll some of your dice. Now we’re addingÂ
a sense of risk and reward - is it better  to just keep that weak attack, or will youÂ
risk rolling it again for something better? I had a good time with this game - andÂ
enjoyed the charming untextured 3D art.  I could definitely see the idea expandedÂ
further into a full role playing game There’s always some good neon-lit,  high-tempo, score-chasing arcade thrills inÂ
the GMTK Game Jam. This year, the best one was… Diepound. You play as a die, and can click the mouse to  ground pound nearby enemies. TheÂ
dice-y twist is that when you land,  you get a new number - which dictates how farÂ
away you’ll land when you do the next jump. So you could be left with a tiny one-pip  hop or a massive six-pip leap that sendsÂ
you over to the other side of the screen. I think it might be fun to have a combo systemÂ
that only ticks up if you kill an enemy with  your leap - that way you can’t just get rid ofÂ
those rubbish one-pip jumps in favour of something  better, but are forced to get up close andÂ
personal with baddies. But that’s just me backseat designing. What’sÂ
here is fast, fun, and addictive. Give it a shot. Perhaps the most common theme in the jamÂ
was puzzle games where you roll a dice  on a grid. Whether that’s to spell letters, climbÂ
structures, or play rock paper scissors. There are some really clever ones that had meÂ
thinking, but my favourite of the bunch was… Roll of the Dice. In this elegant isometric game, your die acts likeÂ
a stamp, leaving an imprint of its bottom-most  face whenever you roll over these white paperÂ
tiles. To finish the level you must shift and  shimmy around, so you can paint the tilesÂ
to match this map in the bottom left corner The puzzles are well made - oftenÂ
just teeny tiny grids that are way  harder than they initially seem. You’ll haveÂ
to think carefully about how to spin your die,  without spoiling the stampsÂ
you’ve already placed down And the game has a simple solution to aÂ
problem faced by a lot of these games: which is,  you can’t always see what’s on the other sideÂ
of the dice. Sure, opposite sides always add up  to seven, but who wants to figure that out? SoÂ
Roll of the Dice uses its camera to always show  three sides - and then, with a press of aÂ
button, you can see icons for the other three. The game’s pretty simple, but IÂ
think this would be a great base  to construct an enjoyable puzzle gem. Randomancer is a highly polishedÂ
tower defence game - where your  fortifications are provided at the roll of a dice. Like Plants vs. Zombies, you need toÂ
plop down towers to fend off enemies who  march along lanes. But instead of choosing themÂ
from a list, you must roll a handful of dice. So whether you get a powerful cannon, aÂ
handy shield, or a bomb is down to chance.  After each wave, you get to addÂ
another die to your collection That alone would make for a fun game,Â
but Randomancer has a spicy little twist  that adds a lot of fun and charm. You see, when you lob these dice into the arena,Â
they are big, heavy, physical objects - which  means you can lob them at enemies to do damage.Â
This adds an extra layer of strategy - you don’t  want to throw all your dice immediately, afterÂ
all. And a layer of knockabout physics fun I’m just left wondering - insteadÂ
of rolling the dice and then  manually positioning the towerÂ
that appears - would the game be  more fun if the towers just popped up whereverÂ
the dice land? It’d be slightly less tactical,  but when you’re playing with randomness it’sÂ
often fun to just lean hard into the chaos. Another common theme in the jam was twinÂ
stick shooters where you physically throw  a big ol’ die at your enemies. I thinkÂ
my favourite of the bunch was this one… GIMMIKO The juice in this one is just right:Â
it feels fab to hike this hefty cube  at zombie enemies. And theÂ
game has a nice ebb and flow:  you’ve got plenty of power when you’re chuckingÂ
the die - but then you’re completely powerless  as you dodge and weave through baddiesÂ
in order to pick the die back up again. Of course, there’s more to it than that.  In between rounds you can spend your cashÂ
in a shop to add special powers to your die. Now, every time you throw it, it lands on aÂ
random number - and plays the corresponding  power. Maybe shooting out bullets, or launchingÂ
missiles, or spawning mines, or dropping out bees.  You can also buy more dice and fill them withÂ
powers, to create an arsenal of magic blocks. I’m not sure there’s too much strategyÂ
involved - I found myself just throwing  dice as often as possible andÂ
hoping for good effects. But,  I still had a blast with a game thatÂ
is manic, silly, and a lot of fun. Not your Pawn! is another die-lobbing game, butÂ
with a completely different feel.  Once again, we throw a giantÂ
die at enemies - this time,  chess pieces. And every time the dieÂ
lands, it rolls to a random number. This is important to keepÂ
track of, because each enemy  is weak to a certain type of number.Â
Some will only take damage if the die  is odd when it’s thrown. Or even.Â
Or above or below a certain number. Where GIMMIKO is mad and chaotic,Â
Not your Pawn! is slow, strategic,  and thoughtful. I like both vibes, soÂ
it was impossible to choose just one. In terms of feedback, i’d perhaps recommendÂ
making the numbers a bit more readable.  They’re small and hard to parse, whichÂ
artificially increases the difficulty. I  wonder if there’s a way to represent these rulesÂ
in a way that could be understood at a glance? Here’s a fun one: a twin stick shooterÂ
where time stops between each move Your character, a die with arms, can rollÂ
in any direction - but the distance is  dictated by the random number youÂ
roll. When you finish your roll,  you’ll fire out bullets. As long as you have ammo,Â
that is - you get more by rolling into enemies. This simple set-up leads to aÂ
tense game of cat and mouse,  of steam-rolling baddies,Â
and chaining together moves Later, you’ll be able to upgrade yourÂ
powers. and then the game adds enemies who  don’t care that time is supposed to be stoodÂ
still, forcing you to stop being so analytical,  and start playing on instinct instead. I liked this one a lot. And, kind ofÂ
like John Wick Hex, it captures the  quick decision making of fast-paced combatÂ
- without needing to be superhuman yourself. It’s always interesting to seeÂ
different ways of doing RPG battles.  Sometimes an RPG even borrows from otherÂ
games and genres for its fights - like how  Undertale turns into a bullet-hell shmup,Â
or Puzzle Quest borrows from Bejewelled. So, it was fun to play… Dice of Fate This is a game that uses Popcap’s PeggleÂ
as inspiration for its fight scenes. On each turn, you place down pins on thisÂ
giant Pachinko board. The blue ones are yours,  denoting attacks, defence, and heal. TheÂ
red ones are the same, but for the baddies. You then drop dice into the board,Â
and each bounce against a pin  changes the final actions of the battle.Â
There’s a great big dollop of randomness,  but getting to design the board letsÂ
you have some control over the outcome Like Peggle, the game is pretty simple andÂ
largely devoid of skill - but also, like Peggle,  it’s addictive and engrossing. I could definitelyÂ
see this idea expanded further in the future There’s always something fun about games whereÂ
you can just break stuff. Just completely throw  off the balance. I dunno, it’s just aÂ
joy. That’s why I liked Dice is the Way. It’s a pretty simple card-battling RPG,Â
with funky graphics and goofy audio. But see those numbers in the balloon font?  Like your health points, your enemy’sÂ
next attack, or the cost of your card? Each turn, you can pick one of those numbersÂ
and randomly roll a new one. Perhaps swapping  your enemy’s 80 health points for just 2, orÂ
making one of your cards impossibly expensive. I’m not sure how well this game holds up toÂ
scrutiny - I would often get a bad roll and  ruin my entire game - but I’m notÂ
expecting anyone to tightly balance  a game in one weekend. I had just as muchÂ
fun seeing how silly things could get. A die doesn’t have to be about beingÂ
random. As always, with the GMTK Game Jam,  the theme is just a starting pointÂ
- how you interpret it is up to you That’s what leads to great titles like… Berb Hike. This is a game that uses the unique patternsÂ
on a die to create interesting puzzles. So, these snowy tiles have igloos - dottedÂ
about like dice pips. When you walk off the  edge of the tile, the die counts down byÂ
one - changing the layout of the igloos.  You can keep going until theÂ
tile is removed entirely. This can lead to some brilliant spatial-reasoningÂ
puzzles, like this one that I got totally stuck  on during a live stream. Sorry aboutÂ
that, bet that was a little infuriating. Later, the game introduces palmÂ
trees which count up instead of down,  and volcanos which bounce between two numbers.Â
And then puzzles that combine them all This is just a great game, andÂ
a wonderful example of how it’s  important to think outside the boxÂ
when it comes to fitting the theme. Next up is Fire and Dice. ThisÂ
is a charming action puzzle game  about defending your dragon from attack. Each turn, the dragon throws out a bunch ofÂ
dice. The colour indicates the attack pattern,  and the number determines the power. YourÂ
job is to place the dice on the grid in  such a way that they’ll do the maximum damageÂ
to a bunch of incoming peasants and soldiers. So it’s part tower defence, part number-crunchingÂ
puzzle game, and it looks great too. My only  suggestion? Add a timer! It’s too easy toÂ
spend ages rearranging the dice back and forth,  looking for the perfect solution to do maximumÂ
damage. But analysis paralysis ain’t fun - I  had a better time when i played looseyÂ
goosey and took turns as quick as possible. You could probably add other types of dice too,Â
like ones that push enemies into other lanes. So, I think there’s more to explore here. But nonetheless, I thought this was reallyÂ
clever, elegant, and is well worth a shot. One of the more creative twistsÂ
on the theme, was using a die  as a level or world. Take, for example… Rolling World. It’s a room-by-room puzzle game about pushingÂ
boxes and hitting switches. But the rooms all  exist on the sides of a die - so go out aÂ
door, and the whole world twists around. This is important because depending howÂ
you leave the room, the entire world can  spin onto its side or upside down. And becauseÂ
elements in the game, like these big heavy doors,  are affected by gravity, the orientationÂ
of the world can open new pathways. So it’s a tricky, brain-busting, ZeldaÂ
dungeon-style spatial reasoning puzzle  that will have you really thinking aboutÂ
this world as a complete, contiguous space. It’s a little tricky to get your head aroundÂ
- I think Holonomy does a better job of  explaining itself, by virtue of beingÂ
in 3D and using transparent textures.  But Rolling World’s puzzles justÂ
eke it out for the top spot, for me. Next up is a game that comes from a team filledÂ
with previous GMTK Game Jam winners. But, you  can see why they’re winners - they just know howÂ
to squeeze the most out of an idea, in 48 hours. Introducing… DIEmunition This is a frantic shooter-platformer,Â
where the level is made up of falling dice.  You’ll need to jump between theseÂ
tumbling blocks to stay above the acid. But that’s not all: the number on the diceÂ
also dictates how many bullets you can shoot  while stood on that block. and once youÂ
spend them all, the block will disappear. And so because your ammunition is intricatelyÂ
tied to your ability to stay afloat,  it really makes you think hardÂ
about every move, every jump,  and every bullet fired. All while franticallyÂ
bouncing about and blasting away at enemies. It’s just a great arcade thrillÂ
ride, which really proves the skill  of these designers. Give thisÂ
one a go, after the video ends. In this jam, we saw a lot of games where you doÂ
dungeon-crawling battles by rolling your dice  into foes. Like, a lot of them. But I think,Â
ultimately, I prefer this take on the idea. Maces and Dices is a game where, eachÂ
turn, you get a bunch of different dice  that relate to actions. Like moving, attacking,  and jumping. So you might randomly roll theÂ
ability to move down, up, down, and attack Then, you’ve got to use those powers to moveÂ
through the dungeon and attack enemies. You  need to be very thoughtful because onceÂ
your dice are done, it’s time of the enemy  to move. Sometimes, it’s best to get toÂ
safety if that’s all your roll with allow. So it makes for tense, tactical, and puzzle-likeÂ
battles. And for an extra twist, the dice are  also your health bar. Take too much damage and theÂ
dice will break, giving you fewer options in the  next tussle. Unless you make your way to anotherÂ
die and give yourself more moves. Clever stuff. Dice are supposed to be random, right?Â
There’s no way to influence the outcome. Well,  there was a bunch of games in the jam that playedÂ
with the idea of fudging rolls, or rigging dice. I think my favourite, though, was… Jimmy Blitz and the Rocket Dice. In this one you use a very subtle methodÂ
to make the dice land how you want.  Rockets. That’s right: each die is equipped with  rocket-powered speed boosters which let youÂ
decide where the die lands, and how it rolls. All so you can meet criteria like landingÂ
a four, or getting better than a three. Okay, maybe not so subtle. But you’ll still haveÂ
to be careful not to twig the attention of the  dealer. Spin too much and you’ll go from safe toÂ
sus - and then get a game over if you’re detected. Later levels have you swapping between dice,Â
or landing in super specific zones. It’s all  done with funny voice acting and aÂ
charming CCTV-style visual effect.  Some jam games just put a smileÂ
on my face - this was one of them. Another ultra popular theme was “you doÂ
random actions” - perhaps every time you roll,  or every time you reload your gun.Â
That can lead to a pretty chaotic game.  But, in terms of pure chaos… it’s this one. Oddwood. In this game, your action changes every time youÂ
fire. Sometimes you’re shooting a single bullet,  or a spread of shotgun fire, or doing a dash move.Â
Oh, and also you’re spinning around in circles. it is absolute mayhem, especially as theÂ
arena is tiny and the enemies come in thick  and fast. But it’s, somehow, still completelyÂ
playable! You’ve got a nice powerful dodge,  generous health, and regular new upgrades. That makes this ultra polished game justÂ
super playable and ultra compelling.  I had to force myself to put itÂ
down so I could make this video. Here’s a really creative puzzle game. TheÂ
screen is split into two halves. On one,  you’ve got a side-scrolling puzzler about pushing,  pulling, and rolling a die around to weighÂ
down switches and get up to higher platforms. But you better be careful, because your littleÂ
friend is inside the die - and gravity changes  every time it rolls. you wouldn’t want toÂ
send your pal into a spiky trap, would you? And so thus begins a bunch of puzzles whereÂ
both characters need to collect a star to win  the level - but actions in one can dramaticallyÂ
effect the other. It’s a clever and original  idea for a puzzle game, with endless waysÂ
to explore and expand on the core concept. There’s always one game in theÂ
jam that basically looks and plays  like a finished game. ThisÂ
year, that honour goes to… Dice with Kali. This is a super polished, but also ultra engagingÂ
puzzle game about placing down dice - while  following specific rules. Adjacent dice mustÂ
be either the same colour or the same value. Things start off easy, but you can quickly getÂ
yourself tangled up in spots where you need a very  specific die to fill a gap. And because you haveÂ
to use all the randomly provided dice each turn,  you’re sometimes forced to putÂ
yourself in a tricky position. So it’s a game about thinking ahead,Â
putting out fires before they get too big,  and resigning yourself to be eaten byÂ
the goddess of death, Kali. Who kind  of looks like a muppet. That would have beenÂ
a weird Sesame Street episode. Here’s a really odd one. WhereÂ
They Fall is a game about being  a seer. You know, someone who canÂ
- apparently - commune with the  gods and turn their cryptic riddlesÂ
into messages for kings and leaders. So at the start of the game you tip aÂ
bunch of dice - coloured stones with  special runes on them - onto a map. Then,Â
a mysterious figure asks you questions.  You need to divine an answer byÂ
looking at the runes - where they fall,  which way up they lie, and so on. A book,Â
to your left, helps you figure things out. Now, this is not easy. The book is as crypticÂ
as the gods’ messages, and I was never  one hundred percent sure that I was giving theÂ
right advice… and not just a bunch of nonsense. But… perhaps that’s the point. Communing with theÂ
gods isn’t an exact, ahem, science - and  the game does a good job of capturing that mood.Â
Just squinting at coloured rocks and using that  to decide if we should go to battle. Imagine howÂ
you’ll feel if the soldiers don’t come back alive. This is a creative take on the theme,Â
and makes for an immersive experience.  I’d like to see where thisÂ
might go with some more time. Finally - would it be the GMTK Game Jam  if there wasn’t a platformer with aÂ
unique twist? Of course not. So, meet… Roll: The Die. In this one, you play as a square. YouÂ
can run around and jump like any other  platforming hero. But, you can alsoÂ
spin in 90 degree chunks. With this,  you can paint each of yourÂ
four sides with coloured paint. Sticky paint, that is. Touch your blue side toÂ
a blue wall and you’ll stick like Spider-Man,  allowing you to jump off to a greater height.Â
Eventually you’ll have all sorts of different  colours, and so will need to twist andÂ
spin to keep up with the level design. This creates a really unique game whereÂ
you’re simultaneously positioning yourself  for a safe jump, and rotating yourÂ
body to match the colour. It’s a  rub-your-tummy-and-pat-your-head challenge thatÂ
will have your head spinning and your fingers just  completely confused. But when you get to gripsÂ
with it, it’s a real joy to play. Give it a go. So that’s my top 20. But, as always, someÂ
honourable mentions. Roll to Hit (On) is an  RPG where you can flirt with your team mates,Â
leading to different buffs and nerfs. Diced Coffee  is a manic plate-spinning shop simulator aboutÂ
making coffee from dice. And Design By Committee  is a game where pesky producers keep changingÂ
the game’s design - while you’re playing it. There’s loads, loads more. YouÂ
can play all 6000 games over  on itch.io - and you can also seeÂ
the public's rankings for all the games.  Have a play through the top 100 and seeÂ
if you agree or disagree with my picks. Thank you so much to everyone who tookÂ
part in the jam, or just rated some games,  or chatted with us on Discord, or watchedÂ
my streams. Thanks to my mods on Discord  and YouTube, and to everyone whoÂ
made our awesome Team Finder app. An extra huge thank you to myÂ
Patrons. Remember that GMTK Game Jam  has no corporate sponsors - it’sÂ
all funded by viewers like you. The jam will be back in 2023. So  subscribe to the channel to receive theÂ
date announcement… sometime next year. Thanks, bye!
I'm either underestimating how many devs work in a team for these jams or how many are that freaking talented. Every year it surprises me...how could you make some of those demos in only a weekend lol. Mechanics aside, some of that art is so incredibly polished lol
Where They Fall seems to go really heavy on the Inscryption vibes but with a Nordic twist. Color me interested.
Really like the reviewer gave his opinion on how some games could be improved with one more mechanic added to increase difficulty or randomness. Hope the various devs listen for options to add.
I think the dice theme was a touch to restrictive this year, but nonetheless, these recap videos are always so awesome to see.
Of the handful of them that I played Rolling for Royalty was definitely the most addicting. I'd love to see it expanded on.
A bit sad there wasn't a Sonic type game, using "roll of the dice" as in the main character is a sonic dice type thing that just rolls