Top 10 games from the JS13K 2020 competition 🕹

The ninth annual js13kGames competition wrapped up last weekend with over 220 games submitted. All created in a month and in less than 13kB of JavaScript. For anyone not in the know, js13kGames is a JavaScript coding competition for HTML5 game developers.

This year’s theme was 404, and as with previous years, participants had the freedom to interpret this however they liked.

Here are this year’s top 10 entries as voted on by the participants themselves.

Enjoy!

Ninja vs. Evilcorp

Ninja vs EVILCORP is a platformer inspired by games like Super Meat Boy and Stealth B*$#@rd Deluxe. Use your ninja skills to scale the tower and find the evil plans, but be careful to avoid the security cameras and guards.

View source Play By @remvst

https://gfycat.com/weirdbeneficialgoldenretriever

“This game is amazingly good! So smooth! I love the motion blur, the cloth simulation, the raycasting view cones for security camera, the awesome levels, everything! 

Edge Not Found

Edge Not Found is a Sokoban-style game with more than 20 puzzles set on an infinitely repeating grid.

View source Play By @Auroriax

https://gfycat.com/memorableunevenkingbird

“A unique concept for a game that plays on the 404 them well.”

CHOCH

You play as CHOCH, a little web crawler on the hunt for a missing page. Navigate the server, and avoid the elaborate intrusion prevention systems in place, and you’ll be 200 OK.

View source Play By @kostik1337 and @lampysprites

https://gfycat.com/wanweeklybee

“Excellent visual effect, game character, and the background music! Loves the old CRT and plasma effect!”

Track not found?!

In Track Not Found?!, the train has to cross the river, but you’ll have to play with dimensions, perspectives, and optical illusions to actually make it.

View source Play By @xem

https://gfycat.com/realcautiousbrocketdeer

“What an innovative game! Brilliant idea!”

Stolen Sword

Overcome the demons, and reclaim the Stolen Sword by dragging, jumping, or slashing on your desktop or mobile device.

View source Play By @chiaogu

https://gfycat.com/wideeyedagedcanine

“Amazing work. Runs smooth, animations are superb, environment looks awesome and it plays well on mobile too. “

The Last Spartan

The Last Spartan is an arcade hack ‘n’ slash survival game set in the procedurally generated battlefields of ancient Sparta, 404 B.C.

View source Play By @ferronsays

https://gfycat.com/dimwittedthriftyeft

FOURFOLD

FOURFOLD is a fun-filled puzzle game with very satisfying and therapeutic audio.

View source Play By @rottencandy

https://gfycat.com/lastmemorablekingfisher

“A great puzzler, with its design creating a lot of neat little red herrings for the solution.”

I want to Google the Game

Point your browser (literally) to the search engine and navigate obstacles, like paywalls and dark patterns as you search for the game.

View source Play By @mvasilkov

https://gfycat.com/frigideveryadamsstaghornedbeetle

“This short-but-sweet game has it all: some music to set the mood, snappy controls, and thematically appropriate visual gags to make the experience worthwhile.”

Highway 404

Survive Highway 404, which is a Spyhunter-style game featuring your favorite HTTP status codes. Yup, there’s even a 418 – Teapot not Found!

View source Play By @herebefrogs

https://gfycat.com/neatwhichblacklemur

“Excellent integration of theme and gameplay – controls are snappy and the gameplay loop is solid.”

MINIPUNK

The evil 404 Megacorp threatens to take over the internet. Only you can stop them in this short 3D action game.

View source Play By @codyebberson

https://gfycat.com/helplesscaringhoverfly

“Nice! I like the neon drenched cyber punk aesthetics, it works really well.”

That was just the top 10. There are plenty more to explore on the JS13K website.

Kudos

Congratulations @end3r on hosting yet another great JS13K competition. Also, a big thanks to the partners, supporters and friends who help make this all possible.

Finally, thanks to everyone who took part in the competition: jammers, sponsors, experts, and those who took the time to play the games. See you again next year!

Written by

Lee Reilly

@leereilly

Developer / Marketing / Community at GitHub. Twitter: https://twitter.com/leereilly.