Pan-African Game Jam 2026 (Online)

Global Game Jam and Lagos Games Week are partnering for Pan-African Jam 2026, a game jam being organized as part of the official leadup to Lagos Games Week.

The virtual event is open to participants from any country in Africa.

The initiative is designed to bring together game developers from across Africa to collaborate, create, and showcase their work under a shared theme: “Play Without Borders.” The jam aims to nurture creativity, encourage cross-border collaboration, and highlight Africa’s growing presence in game development, while also building community and visibility for Lagos Games Week.

The game jam will run from April 24 to May 11, 2026, with winners announced on May 25, 2026 following a two-week judging period.

The jam will have a $2,500 USD cash prize pool plus in-kind prizes (including GGJ Indie Supporter Studio membership). Award categories include:

• Overall Winner
• Best UEFN Game
• Best Tabletop Game
• Best Mobile Game

The jam will also recognize a top game from each participating jam country and a top Inter-African team for cross-border collaboration.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

Jam coordination and submission will take place on itch.io and Global Game Jam’s Discord. Teams can be comprised of international team members, but 75% of participants must reside on the African continent. Solo devs are allowed. The jam is open to developers ages 18+.

Go here to join the jam on itch.io.

The jam starts on April 24 with a special kickoff livestream from the Lagos Games Week and GGJ teams on April 27. Sign Up Here for the Livestream. Additional virtual jam-specific programming will be announced in April.

ABOUT LAGOS GAMES WEEK: Now in its third year, Lagos Games Week is an annual trade fair for video games. Held in Lagos, Nigeria, the event continues its focus on supporting the growth of the African games ecosystem through talent development, local market activation, external development capacity, and the creation of original intellectual property. The 2026 edition will also feature participation from international publishers and studios including Focus Entertainment, Oceanview Group, and Ubisoft, alongside initiatives such as the Next Gen Summit led by Games for Change. https://lagosgamesweek.com/

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