JS13K 2020: The best games squeezed into 13 kilobytes
The ninth annual js13kGames competition closed with more than 220 entries, each built in a month and packed into under 13kB of JavaScript. This year's theme was 404, and participants were free to run with that however they liked. Below are the top 10 entries as voted by the participants themselves.
Ninja vs. EVILCORP
Ninja vs. EVILCORP is a platformer in the spirit of Super Meat Boy and Stealth B*$#@rd Deluxe. You scale a tower using ninja skills while dodging security cameras and guards to locate the evil plans. The game leans heavily on polished presentation, with motion blur, cloth simulation and raycast vision cones for camera detection. (@remvst)
Edge Not Found
Edge Not Found is a Sokoban-style puzzle game that places more than 20 levels on an infinitely repeating grid — a clever spin on the theme of a world that never quite ends. (@Auroriax)
CHOCH
You play CHOCH, a little web crawler hunting for a missing page. Navigate through the server while evading elaborate intrusion prevention systems to reach a 200 OK. The visual style leans into retro CRT and plasma effects, complete with fitting background music. (@kostik1337, @lampysprites)
Track Not Found?!
Track Not Found?! tasks you with getting a train across a river. The twist: you must bend dimensions, views and optical illusions to actually make it happen. An inventive puzzle that makes clever use of the core constraint. (@xem)
Stolen Sword
Stolen Sword has you defeating demons to reclaim your blade, with controls built for drag, jump or slash actions across both desktop and mobile. The game was praised for smooth performance, strong animations and an appealing environment that works well on touchscreens. (@chiaogu)
The Last Spartan
The Last Spartan is an arcade hack-and-slash survival game set in procedurally generated battlefields of ancient Sparta, 404 B.C. (@ferronsays)
FOURFOLD
FOURFOLD is a puzzle game that mixes thoughtful design with therapeutic audio. Voters noted the level design's knack for creating neat red herrings that obscure the actual solution path. (@rottencandy)
I Want to Google the Game
Point your browser — quite literally — at the search engine in this one. The goal is to navigate obstacles such as paywalls and dark patterns while searching for the game itself. Reviewers celebrated its snappy controls, mood-setting music and on-theme visual gags. (@mvasilkov)
Highway 404
Highway 404 puts you behind the wheels in a Spy Hunter-inspired ride packed with your favorite HTTP status codes — including a 418 Teapot Not Found. The theme integration is on point with tight controls and a solid gameplay loop. (@herebefrogs)
MINIPUNK
MINIPUNK is a short 3D action game where the evil 404 Megacorp is out to take over the internet, and you're the only one who can stop them. The neon-drenched cyberpunk aesthetic drew particular praise from voters. (@codyebberson)
For the full list of entries ::plus many more games beyond this top 10, check out the winners section on the JS13K website.
Thanks to @end3r for running the competition again, plus the partners, sponsors and all the jammers who submitted, voted and played through this year's games.
