This chaotic physics game was built for the annual GMTK Games Jam 2026, where you have to build a full game in just 4 days to fit the theme “Count Down“.
I had the idea to make a game where you had to get chips to various targets such that they count down to exactly zero. Just one more and you BUSTED!
Play Zero or Bust in your browser (and click the fullscreen button in the bottom right of the game for the best experience).
Instructions
Drag and throw: Click and drag items to throw them around.
Experiment: Different items can be dragged on different levels.
Hit the targets: Guide chips to the targets. When they touch, the chip’s value is subtracted from that target.
WIN: Get all countdown targets to zero…
LOSE: Go even one point over on any target, you’re BUSTED!
Controls
Left mouse click & hold: Drag item.
R: Quickly restart the level.
Left/right arrow keys: Skip to the previous/next level.
M: Toggle music.
Trailer
Postmortem
Traditionally, I like to enter this jam each year as a sort of long-term barometer of how my fatigue is recovering. Games Jams are meant to be exhausting, and this one was no exception. I spent roughly 52 hours over 4 days, and ended up top 10% for Creativity and top 25% for Enjoyment. I’m really happy with those results.
I also ended up making 16 pretty good levels (all available via the arrow keys), a juicy fail sequence, lots of sounds, and graphics via the excellent Shapes plugin. I was determined to keep the scope limited, and that let me add a fair bit of polish. I submitted my entry about an hour into the final day, then recorded/edited 2 hours of gameplay into a trailer, walkthrough and speedrun videos. I also made an animated GIF for the main logo, showing the title and a short section of gameplay. This should entice people to play it, although I didn’t get all that many ratings compared to previous years.
The only ‘bug’ (as far as I know) is that the text often layers incorrectly. This was because I tried to use Textmesh Pro for infinitely scalable text, but it doesn’t sort nicely with Shapes. I decided it wasn’t that detrimental, and anywhere it interfered with gameplay I sorted it. I could have sorted it all, but I estimated it would take a full day… There were better things to spend my limited time on.
Created in just 4 days for the GMTK Games Jam 2024, this unfinished mess fits the theme Built to Scale in a unique way: You have to build a contraption that can scale to the top of a tricky tower of obstacles. Think “Getting Over It” mixed with “Fantastic Contraptions”.
Load each of the included examples. Some of them can get to the top.
Keys are entirely configurable, but WASD is what I tend to assign to the various elements. You can explore and reassign them by clicking parts – an inspector opens above the parts list on the left.
Try to modify one of the included examples.
Explore all the parts.
Try all three environments.
Mourn over the loss of the share/browse features.
Laugh at the lack of polish/sound/music.
You can make some very interesting things with the editor. Sadly there’s no tutorial.
Screenshots
Postmortem
Well that was a bit intense. I was way too ambitious in my initial concept, and while I had intended to do the jam in the original 2 days, in the end I did all four (spending a total of 53.5 hours). I know Mark’s (Brown, the Jam’s organiser) intentions were that nobody had to crunch, but that’s just not what devs will do with extra time!
Meet Arthur Owl and his clever game Word Block. With around 3000 free puzzles and even more in downloadable packs, you’ll have plenty to do!
Let Arthur Owl guide you through this blend between a 3D crossword and a category quiz. He’s on hand to help you learn the ropes and give you hints when your vocabulary fails you. He’ll even teach you how to make your own puzzles.
Includes around 3000 free puzzles and a fully featured editor to make your own. Submit them for inclusion in future user packs!
There are six premium-themed puzzle packs available to purchase, each with special custom backgrounds and 2x custom comment puzzles.
This backwards version of the classic casual game Peggle was built in 48 hours as my entry for the GMTK 2023 Games Jam. The theme for this year was “Roles Reversed”, and the suggestion was to play from a perspective we don’t usually get to play. So I built a game of Peggle, but rather than controlling the ball launcher, you play as the pegboard.
All 6 levels are unlocked, and each one changes the mechanics from the previous ones a little. It runs in the browser too, so it’s very easy to start playing. No need to download and install anything.
My entry came 805th out of almost 7000, which is in the top 12%. I’m pretty pleased with that!
Take flight in the latest installment of the hugely popular Hanna in a Choppa series of games. This time, in fabulous 3D VR on the Rift and Quest, rather than crappy old 2D Flash. Guide Hanna through 10 bonkers levels each with hidden secrets and achievements. Train your pet elephant Stompy, steal honey from pesky bees, humiliate upgraded OXOBot at his own game, and of course The Button makes a spectacular return.
It’s fire evacuation drill time at the alien nursery! Can you get them all out together? Careful, they like to stick together like glue…
Built in 48 hours by one man for the GMTK Games Jam 2021. The theme was “Joined Together”. Can you solve all 15 levels? Don’t worry if not, you can always skip levels with < and >, or watch the full walkthrough.
Get the game and walkthrough video on my itch.io page.
Don your Oculus Rift headset and grab your Touch controllers for this mind-bending puzzle game. Manipulate beautiful beams of energy with all manner of tools to try and charge up the targets. Includes 40 levels, each with its own secrets to discover.
W.A.V.E robots are sent out to explore strange new lands, far from home. When they arrive, they connect via virtual reality to a human helper. You are that human!
First person VR is amazing, but it’s not the only thing you can do with a Rift. This game explores a 3rd person platformer using the touch controller for movement and aiming.
– Designed for (mostly) seated play.
– Requires an Oculus Rift with a single Touch controller.
– Adapts for left or right handers.
(Press the A or X button to choose in-game)
– Graphics mostly created in virtual reality, using SculptrVR.
Built for the Global Games Jame 2017, mostly just by me, in under 48 hours. The main robot and enemy models are by the amazing Aaron Hicks.
If you have the hardware, download to play for free!
Unleash your creativity and draw mesmerising 3D patterns with your fingers. Spin the world and trace glowing lines in the sky. Relax your mind!
Simple controls are easy for everyone from the very young to the very old. If you can point with a finger, you can draw in this app.
Completely FREE forever on Android. Used to be available on iOS too, although Apple have removed it due to draconian update rules. No ads or social junk to distract you. Clean and simple creative fun.
Wage epic battles in this turn-based strategy puzzle game. Play on your phone or tablet, with a friend or against the computer opponents across 30 increasingly challenging levels.
No longer available on iOS. Apple make old software obsolete for no reason other than it’s old. Same as they do with hardware. I can only recommend you go with an Android device next time you drop your iPhone!
Move next to your opponents to capture their cells. Shuffle one space, and you’ll grow a clone. Move two spaces, and you’ll jump, potentially leaving a gap in your defences. The balance of power can shift rapidly back and forth, and with deep and engaging gameplay you’ll be engrossed for hours. And if you do manage to beat every level, you’ll unlock the full-strength computer AI to really test your mettle.
This chaotic physics game was built for the annual GMTK Games Jam 2026, where you have to build a full game in just 4 days to fit the theme “Count Down“.
Created in just 4 days for the 
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