PATCH NOTES

From Bugs to Brillance

481 submissions. Over 5,200 votes.

Two weeks of pure chaos.

Indieformer’s first game jam was a huge success by any measure we could’ve imagined. And it did exactly what we’d hoped for — maybe even what we’d only dreamed of: becoming part of hundreds of ideas that were then played by hundreds more.

We’ve always been about championing independent games, but being able to do that right at the inception of an idea — at the messy, exciting, what-if stage — feels like something special.

The two-week voting period felt long, sure, but that time gave everyone space to dive in, play each other’s work, and really let the chaos breathe. The result was a jam that was as unpredictable as it was inspiring.

👀 You can see the top-voted entries directly on the jam page.

But as for us, we’ve got our own highlights to share. The judges put their heads together and built out a proper spreadsheet to cast their votes. And I (Josh) handpicked a few games that stuck with me long after I closed the browser tab.

JUDGE’S PICKS

Okay, that's intended!!

Platforming turned inside-out by accident.

peterplaty.itch.io/okay-thats-intended

Task Failed Successfully

Win by doing everything wrong.

jibus-gd.itch.io/task-failed-successfully

Pong: The Dying Machine

Pong, but broken on purpose.

natural-power.itch.io/pong-the-dying-machine

You, Error.

Society has flagged you: useless.

emankcin01.itch.io/you-error

No Launch

Autobattler meets deadline panic.

lestavol.itch.io/no-launch-the-game

PASS//THROUGH

Walls are optional, puzzles aren’t.

bdj7217.itch.io/passthrough

BALANCE

Balance forever, or fall.

ericcool09.itch.io/balance

GlitchDev ("The Error")

Each glitch is a new mechanic.

homermp4.itch.io/glitchdev-error

Unfixed Invaders

Space Invaders, inside-out and unstable.

nucleusgames.itch.io/unfixed-invaders

Glitched Dungeon

Abilities disguised as errors.

omich.itch.io/glitched-dungeon

INDIEFORMER PICKS

Unfixed Invaders

Space Invaders turned inside out. Every level twists what you think you know — mechanics glitch, rules break, features appear out of nowhere. It feels both familiar and utterly unstable, and that’s why it works.

nucleusgames.itch.io/unfixed-invaders

Born of Original Error

A roguelike autobattler where robots corrupted by “the error” turn against you. What could’ve been a gimmick becomes a full-blown system: researching, adapting, and outsmarting corruption. For a 72-hour build, it’s shockingly deep. Clean UI, sharp design, and a theme woven into every click.

homekhomek.itch.io/born-of-original-error

Retriggered

A bullet hell where bullets… don’t hit — they stop, stack, and become the very thing you need to destroy. It takes a genre that usually drowns in sameness and flips it completely. Minimal visuals, maximum punch.

unnamedcollective.itch.io/retriggered

Glitched Dungeon

This one is short, snappy, and dangerously moreish. Every level feels like a cheat code made flesh — you’re bending the rules of the dungeon itself. Where others simulated errors, this one made you feel like you were breaking the game in real time.

omich.itch.io/glitched-dungeon

PASS//THROUGH

Puzzle logic says “you can’t walk through walls.” This says: sure you can… but only a few times. It takes a forbidden mechanic, puts boundaries on it, and builds puzzle after puzzle around that one “error.” The result? A tight, clever design with an absurd amount of content for a jam build.

bdj7217.itch.io/passthrough

Patch Notes only worked because of you.

You built the games. You played each other’s creations. You leaned into the chaos and proved that broken things can be brilliant.

We’ll share what’s next once Blue Ocean Games finishes their voting round (and trust me — you’ll want to hear it). Announcement via Discord (join below).

Patch Notes v1.0 was the bug report.

What’s coming is the patch.

Happy gaming!

The Indieformer Team