37 Games Made Over 48 Hours at Garena Game Jam 3

Garena Game Jam 3 successfully concluded with a total of 37 games made over the span of 48 hours. 150 people participated in this game jam.

This is the third iteration of the game jam program held by publisher Garena. It was held in BINUS University Kemanggisan, Jakarta, on February 6-8, 2026.

During the short timeline of 3 days, game developers are challenged to finish a game and present it to a board of jurors.

“Nothing Works as Expected” challenges young developers

A developer receiving feedback from Hans Saleh, Country Head of Garena Indonesia & MENA. (Garena)
A developer receiving feedback from Hans Saleh, Country Head of Garena Indonesia & MENA. (Garena)

Garena Game Jam 3 challenges the contestants with developing a game around “Nothing Works as Expected” as a theme.

This theme is not just meaningless jargon; it invites the developers to create a game that breaks the norms and conventions of game development. All of these need to be understood by the contestants to pursue a unique, creative, and meaningful form of game.

Participating developers also received mentorship and consultation with local and overseas experts from Garena.

Deputy Minister of Creative Economy of the Republic of Indonesia, Irene Umar, appreciated the event as an effort to push local talent’s abilities in video game development.

“I’m grateful to Garena Game Jam, because this isn’t just about a game-making competition, but also about ‘what’s next?’. Here, you get mentors and checkpoints not only from game developers but also from various roles in the industry. Opportunities like this are invaluable and should be utilized to the fullest,” said Irene.

Let Meow Out! becomes Garena Game Jam 3 champion

All the winners from Garena Game Jam 3. (Garena)
All the winners from Garena Game Jam 3. Lelesasa team got the first prize. (Garena)

After an intense and grueling 48 hours, Let Meow Out! becomes the champion of Garena Game Jam 3. Made by the Lelesasa team from the University of Indonesia, Let Meow Out! is a puzzle-platformer game where players have to traverse levels inspired by various video game titles.

With the emphasis of unorthodox puzzle-solving segments packaged in enjoyable and surprising gameplay, this game understood the assignment of creating a game that is indeed “Nothing Works as Expected.”

Lelesasa team, which was also the runner-up of Garena Game Jam 2 in 2025, felt that the competition helped them to learn and compete at the same time. They are also able to try games made by their rivals to learn and explore many possibilities.

“With a 48-hour development time, the biggest challenge came from finding the right idea, which we only found in the last 36 hours. This year’s Garena Game Jam theme felt more challenging than previous editions. It was even more exciting because we managed to win this year’s Garena Game Jam, as the competition theme was more surprising and challenging,” said Alwie Attar Elfandra, a member of the Lelesasa team.

Following behind Let Meow Out!, Fall Through from the Potentially Functional team (University of Indonesia) clenched the second prize, while Get Flagged! by the Barista team (Bandung Institute of Technology) finished in third place.

Muhammad Daannii, a solo developer from Malang State Polytechnic, won the Most Creative Team award with his game, No Cat Works as Expected.

All games developed in Garena Game Jam 3 can be played for free at Garena’s Itch.io page.

Mecca Medina
Mecca Medina

A writer with more than 10 years of experience in writing entertainment content, from anime/manga to video games. Mecca has 5 years of experience in esports with GGWP, proven by receiving several awards and nominations, both personally and as a whole publication. In Honor of Kings, he is a top 100 Ming user in Jakarta, and he's working hard to achieve the same feat in Mobile Legends.