Now in its second decade, js13kGames asks developers to fit an entire HTML5 game — theme included — into 13 kilobytes of JavaScript. The competition was started by GitHub Star Andrzej Mazur, known as @end3r, and has run annually since 2012 with an international field of entrants. For 2023 the theme was "13th century", and the results range from medieval racing to castle building.
The judging panel's picks
Path to Glory is a JavaScript entry by remvst, played at js13kgames.com/entries/path-to-glory with source at github.com/remvst/knight.
Merlin vs Alfonso comes from the merlinvsalfonso GitHub account, with both a playable build and the repository at github.com/merlinvsalfonso/merlingame.
Casual Crusade is by anttihaavikko, whose source lives at github.com/anttihaavikko/casual-crusade.
Tiny worlds and darker ones
Tiny Yurts, from burntcustard, is another JavaScript entry, playable online with code at github.com/burntcustard/tiny-yurts.
UPYRI is by roblouie, with the entry hosted at js13kgames.com/entries/upyri and source at github.com/roblouie/js13k-2023.
CASTLE 🏰 ESCAPE (2023) is a JavaScript game from xem, with the code at github.com/xem/js13k23.
More entries from the top thirteen
Super Castle Game by mvasilkov is playable at js13kgames.com/entries/super-castle-game, source at github.com/mvasilkov/super2023.
FEAST NIGHT comes from wololoa, with the repository at github.com/wololoa/js13k2023.
Knight Dreams is jani-nykanen's entry, with source at github.com/jani-nykanen/knight-dreams.
Robin of Thirteensley is by csubagio; its source sits in the js13k-robin repository under github.com/csubagio.
Fort Knight comes from tyler6699, with code at github.com/tyler6699/js13k2023.
The Terror of Mongolia is jacklehamster's entry, and the repository is github.com/jacklehamster/khan-js13k/.
WitchCup1276 by DerBenniBanni rounds out the list, with source at github.com/DerBenniBanni/js13k2023_witch_racing.
Credits and what's next
Every entry in this year's field is listed at js13kgames.com/entries/2023, and the competition's judges and sponsors are credited on the js13kGames site. The thirteenth edition returns next year.
Before then, Game Off opens on November 1 — a month-long jam where entrants may use as many kilobytes and as many languages as they like. Registration is at itch.io/jam/game-off-2023, with more information at gameoff.github.com.
