Designing a Micro-Game for the Tiniest Game Jam: The Iterative Process
Creating a game for a jam is a unique challenge: the rules must be simple, playable immediately, and fit within strict limits. For the Micro Fiction Games Jam, the goal was to design a tiny, self-contained game that could fit entirely in 280 characters. Here’s how the process unfolded...
Starting with the Theme
The jam’s theme was “Absorb, Repose, Recursion”. The first step was brainstorming how these ideas could translate into a small game.
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Absorb suggested capturing or transforming elements.
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Repose suggested waiting, skipping, or defensive actions.
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Recursion suggested repeating or reversing actions.
Early Concepts and Prototyping
The first prototypes explored several ideas:
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Card-based mechanics where items could be absorbed and used
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Tiny rock-paper-scissors-style games
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Simple grid games like tic-tac-toe
Through rough sketches, it became clear that a small grid with adjacency-based actions would satisfy the theme while remaining compact enough to fit in a 280-character description.
Defining Core Mechanics
After settling on the 4×4 grid, the next step was defining moves:
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Absorb → claim adjacent tiles or items
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Recursion → initially just removed tiles, too weak
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Repose → initially only skipped turns
Early playtests revealed Absorb dominated, and the other moves didn't feel good to use. This led to adjustments:
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Recursion now removes opponent tiles to give it tactical impact
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Repose now blocks tiles to make defensive play meaningful
Iterative Playtesting
Using a simple 4×4 board on paper, multiple playthroughs tested:
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Tile capture strategies
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Game pacing
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How often players chose each move
Observations from testing informed further tweaks:
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Absorb could claim 2 empty tiles or 1 opponent tile, giving flexibility without dominating
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Each turn now requires claiming 1 adjacent tile, keeping the game moving
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Moves no longer require rotation; players can choose based on strategy
Streamlining for the 280-Character Limit
Once the mechanics felt balanced, the challenge was distilling the rules into 280 characters. Every word mattered:
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Removed rotation requirement
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Simplified phrasing (“block 1 square” instead of long explanation)
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Consolidated move effects into single lines
The final description captures the game’s essence while remaining fully playable.
This is what I ended up with:
4×4 grid, players start in opposite corners
Turn: Claim 1 adjacent empty tile & pick one new move:
*Absorb: claim 2 adjacent empty tiles or 1 adjacent opponent tile
*Repose: block 2 tiles next turn
*Recursion: remove 1 opponent tile
Win: control most tiles when board full
Reflection
The game evolved from broad, abstract ideas into a concise, tactical micro-game. The iterative process highlighted:
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How early prototyping reveals design flaws
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The importance of balance between moves
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How constraints like a character limit shape design decisions
This micro-game demonstrates how a tight framework, clear mechanics, and rapid iteration can turn a simple theme into a fully playable, engaging game.
Check Out the Jam
For anyone interested in trying tiny, self-contained games or submitting their own, visit the Micro Fiction Games Jam.
How to Stay Connected
Follow along with development updates, artwork, playtesting sessions, and everything happening with Your Class Rep: The Card Game:
Website: http://www.lessthanpiart.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/lessthanpi
Twitter / X / 🤮: https://x.com/LessThanPi_Art
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lessthanpi_art/
Discord Community: https://discord.gg/mZXwqtUXw4
More updates on Your Class Rep coming soon — thanks for being part of the journey!
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