Two Games Secure $100K Each From Blue Ocean Games-GGJ Jam

When Rising Tide, the global “trailer jam” challenge, organized in collaboration with Global Game Jam and Blue Ocean Games, ran in May 2025, more than a thousand game creators set sail to prove their ideas could make waves. In the months since, two games have received investments of $100,000 each.

Stylized western Cardboard Cowboy is described by its developer, Jorge, as “what you get when you bundle up the gunslinging action of games like Call of Juarez, and dish out the story through a sprawling colorful toy box-like badlands.”

According to Jorge, the concept came from a practical challenge. “Honestly, Cardboard Cowboy began with my own inability to model anything overly complex,” he admits. “I thought, I could doodle as many enemy units, guns, and pieces of scenery as my foolish heart desired if I just made everything a cutout!”

Beyond the competition itself, Jorge says the jam offered something even more valuable: community. “I spoke to a publisher because of this jam, I met my current marketing partner, and a few other devs who I regularly keep in touch with. Events like this helped me get to know the common experiences of others and to be inspired by their work.” Read more about Cardboard Cowboy and Jorge’s story here.

From the Old West to a game that hits all the right notes, literally.

In Double Whammy, you work at a guitar shop by day and fight monsters by night. That sense of joyful absurdity gives Double Whammy its signature charm. “What makes it special is how these guitar-themed gameplay systems connect into something you won’t find anywhere else,” explains the game’s developer, SGI.

SGI entered the jam hoping for feedback and exposure. He didn’t expect what came next. “I wasn’t sure what to expect when I entered,” he says. “So everything has exceeded my expectations!” Now, with investment, the game can grow beyond a passion project.

Participating in the Rising Tide partner jam was a reminder of what game jams can do for indie creators. “Opportunities like this are great,” SGI says. “You have to finish and submit something within a tight deadline. Deadlines force you to work harder and put your brain into overdrive. And the results of jams can grow into bigger projects, so I think they are very helpful.” Read more about Double Whammy and SGI’s story here.

Blue Ocean Games just completed a second edition of Rising Tide, with a second round of public voting running from Oct. 10 through Oct. 24.

Blue Ocean Games has also launched a new tool that helps indie developers query and analyze Steam reviews to uncover insights about players, genres, and design trends — straight from real player feedback. You can select up to five games at a time, and the tool will automatically load up to 100 reviews per game before applying your custom prompt. Check it out: blueoceangames.com/review-analysis