D6 Lean Green Zine Jam questions with Junk Food Games
Junk Food Games is hosting a Lean Green Zine Jam from February 23 to April 20, 2026. It sounds like fun so I did a mini interview with Chris about it. You should join and make weird (green) games.
Game jams are good for the soul
“I admire anybody who finishes a work of art, no matter how awful it may be.” — Kurt Vonnegut, Palm Sunday
I’m a huge fan of game jams — development sprints that are limited by a (usually short) time period and are (usually) centered around a specific theme or technology. The time limit could be hours, days, or months. Some are for video games, but tabletop game jams are becoming increasingly popular.1
Game jams allow designers to break out of creative ruts by enforcing restrictions. The One Page RPG Jam is a perfect example. By limiting the scope to a single sheet of paper, we naturally come up with innovative ways of packing a lot of game into a little space. And there’s nothing like making a weird little game to renew your spirit.
It is with that in mind that I wanted to share Junk Food Games’ Lean Green Zine Jam that is running from February 23 to April 20, 2026.2
The theme is simple: make it lean (small format, few pages), make it green (colorful or on colored paper), and make it a zine (something easily printed and assembled).
The inherent joy and simplicity of this jam caught my attention, so I reached out to Chris of Junk Food Games. I asked if he wanted to do a little interview, and he graciously said yes!
What follows are a few questions from me and answers from Chris.
D6 Lean Green Zine Questions with Chris
Q1. What particular moment or project inspired you to create Lean Green Zine Jam?
As AI garbage seems to pop up around every corner, I wanted something that puts the human-made aspect at the forefront. Zines really embody that feeling to me.
Also, I previously made a couple games that fit the theme of this jam. I selfishly wanted an excuse to make another.
Q2. You’ve run a tabletop game jam before called the Tiny Keepsake Jam about making tiny games and with artifacts. What did you learn from running that jam?
I learned that I probably had a pretty narrow vision of what a keepsake game could be! There was a very wide spectrum of submissions and it was incredibly inspiring.
Q3. What kinds of zines would you hope people submit to the jam and what does your ideal submission look like?
I hope folks submit something that might be a little out of their comfort zone. I want to see things that blur the line between games and other art forms.
I’m hoping to actually submit something and do my own hand-drawn illustrations.
Q4. What makes a zine game really feel like a zine game to you other than page count?
There’s a certain quality that really grabs me with zine games. I think it’s a raw, almost stream-of-consciousness, vibe that is unconcerned with polish and feels really honest.
Q5. What advice would you give someone who has never made a physical game before and who wants to get involved?
Don’t overthink it! Put together a mini-zine, or foldie, and just start writing and drawing! Check out the how-to video on the jam page.
Q6. What would make you feel like the jam was a success after submissions close?
It has to get more submissions than the Tiny Keepsake Jam. ;) Honestly, if this jam inspires someone to make something, I’ve succeeded.
Where can people find Junk Food Games online and which game should they try first?
Folks can find me at junkfoodgames.itch.io. I recommend trying Wither & Grow! It’s a game that fits the jam theme perfectly.
Resources to get started
Never made a game or entered a jam before? No problem.
I’ve got a ton of resources to help get you started. You’ll easily make a playable game before the jam deadline on April 20, 2026.
📘 The first and best place to start is Make Your Own One-Page RPG. I know it says it’s for one-page games, but the principles work for any type of game. It will help you with theme, mechanisms, writing, layout, and publishing. Complete the exercises at the end of each chapter and you’ll make a fully playable game.
📘 If you want to make an adventure for your favorite system, ADVENTURE! is a great resource. Each chapter covers a topic like hooks, rumors, encounters, maps, and so on with hands-on exercises at the end of each one.
If you want to print and fold your own zine, Shouting Crow’s Make Your Own Foldie guide has you covered.
Now that Affinity is free, it’s a very good tool for doing layout. If you ever want to have your zine professionally printed, the EP CMYK Color Palette can help. And don’t forget to stay out of the gutter.
Need free art? Use public domain art or check out Rabbits & Demons.
Most importantly, have fun with it. Game jams are a way to express your creativity in new ways. It doesn’t need to be a masterpiece. It’s the act of creation that is the reward.
Make weird games.
- E.P. 💀
P.S. If you love tabletop games, you should check out Tumulus. It’s a print-only, quarterly zine packed with Skeleton Code Machine game design content.
Play some weird and wonderful games at shop.exeunt.press.
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I don’t have hard data for recent years, but I did perform an analysis of ten years of game jams in 2023 at Skeleton Code Machine.
To be clear, the Lean Green Zine Jam is hosted by Junk Food Games and is not associated with Exeunt Press or Skeleton Code Machine. But Chris makes cool stuff and I’m excited about it. Therefore, I’m sharing it here.
I'm going to try to make a thing for this jam.