Who can participate in js13kGames and how do you enter?

js13kGames is open to web game developers — the competition is built around a hard 13KB size limit for the finished game. To enter, you build a web game that fits that limit and submit it through the official site during the competition's submission window. The event runs annually, so the exact rules, dates, and entry form live on js13kgames.com rather than being fixed year-round.

Who the competition is for

The site describes js13kGames as a coding competition for web game developers. That framing matters more than any formal eligibility list:

• You need to make a web game. The 13KB limit is the defining constraint, so the target platform is the browser.
• The size limit is the point, not a side rule. A 13KB cap forces small, hand-optimized builds — compressed assets, minimal code, and careful choices about what to include.
• It is a recurring event, not an always-open submission form. Because it is annual, participation is tied to that year's edition and its submission window.

If you have never shipped a browser game before, the limit is still the main thing to design around; there is no indication the competition is restricted to professional or previously published developers.

How entering works

1. Check the current edition on js13kgames.com. The site is the source of truth for the year's theme, rules, and deadlines. Confirm which edition is active before you start.
2. Build a web game within the 13KB limit. Everything that ships counts toward that budget, so plan for compression and avoid heavy dependencies.
3. Submit during the submission window. The competition is annual, so entries are accepted only in that period — not year-round.
4. Follow the official rules and entry path on the site. Specific submission mechanics, required files, and any category details are published there for each edition.

What to verify before you commit

Because the details change per edition, treat these as the things to confirm on the official site rather than assume:

The practical takeaway: if you are a web game developer willing to work inside a 13KB budget, you can participate — start by reading the current edition's rules and submission window on js13kgames.com, then build to the limit.