The Handmade Essentials Jam is a programming jam where participants build simple programs they would use every day.
In the year 2026, even the basic software that comes with your operating system is a disaster. Camera apps can only record once. Calculators need a splash screen. Nobody seems to be able to reliably search your drive for files, and every app is half a gig for some reason.
But we are programmers! So this jam's topic is: rebuild an "essential" program from scratch.
Join the Handmade Network Discord to connect with other jammers. The /joinjam command will give you a role and invite you to the #jam channel. Then, use the remaining time before the jam to brainstorm project ideas or find partners to jam with.
Create a Handmade Network project. This project will act as your submission for the jam, and will allow others to follow along with your progress.
Spend the week working on your project!
As you go, make sure to share progress updates in #project-showcase and #jam on Discord. All posts that use your project tag (e.g. &my-project) will be automatically associated with your project submission.
We give participants a full week because we find it to be a good length of time when creating a full application from scratch. We don't expect participants to work on their jam project full-time; instead we generally encourage evenings and the weekend.
Your Handmade Network project is your submission. Make sure to give your project a meaningful title and description, and make sure to explain the project's goals.
Submissions close .
No AI. Generating code with AI is prohibited. Vibe coding is strictly prohibited and will disqualify your submission. You may still use AI in a "search engine" capacity, but the point of the jam is to build simple software you can understand.
No code before the jam starts. All code must be written during the jam. Before the jam starts, only conceptual work is allowed, e.g. sketches, research, and design.
Using libraries is acceptable, although we encourage the use of "platform layers" like raylib, SDL, and Clay rather than "frameworks" like React or Qt.
Submissions must contain screenshots. We will not download or compile your software when evaluating your submission. Please make sure your project submission has a thorough description and plenty of screenshots. Video is even better!
