Eric Lorenz, host of the Avant Beetle game art pop ups, is hosting a long-form (2 week) Protest Game Jam April 4-17. In addition, he is running a workshop for novice game developers to help them get started.

Make a Protest Video Game - Beginner Workshop
(Part of AvantBeetle’s Protest Game Jam)

Curious about making a video game but not sure where to start? This free beginner-friendly workshop will show you how to create your own small game! No coding required! We’ll introduce three accessible tools that make game creation approachable for anyone:

• Bitsy - a simple tool for making pixel art narrative games

• Twine - perfect for interactive stories and branching choices

• Downpour - a mobile-friendly tool for making interactive zines

Participants will learn the basics of each program and leave with the knowledge needed to start building their own game.

This workshop is happening in conjunction with AvantBeetle’s Protest Game Jam, a two-week creative event where artists, writers, designers, and curious beginners can make games that express ideas, frustrations, and visions for change. After the workshop, you’ll have the opportunity to continue developing your game and submit it to the jam, to be featured in a public exhibition!

No experience required - just bring your curiosity and creativity.

What: Protest Game Workshop and Game Jam Kick Off

When: 6-9 pm April 5, 2026

Where: The Supermarket art gallery, 638 N. Highland NE, Atlanta, 30306

How Much: FREE!
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AvantBeetle’s Protest Game Jam

Date: April 4 till April 17th
Where: Online, on Itch.io
All ages welcome

The Jam

We’re living in a time of uncertainty, tension, and constant noise. Moments like these can feel overwhelming, but they can also remind us why creativity matters. From April 4–17, this jam invites creators of all backgrounds to take two weeks to channel their thoughts, emotions, and ideas into making a game. There are no restrictions on style, genre, or format, your game can be playful, weird, abstract, personal, humorous, or experimental, but at its heart it should be about protesting something. Big or small, serious or absurd, direct or symbolic, make a game that pushes back against something in the world.  

The Goal

This jam is about speaking up through play.

Games are more than entertainment! They’re a way to tell stories, share experiences, question systems, and imagine different futures. This is your chance to air your grievances, tell your story, challenge an idea, call something out, or stick it to the man in the way only an interactive work can.

Protest doesn’t always have to look the same. It can be loud or quiet, angry or hopeful, deeply personal or wildly absurd. Your game might critique a system, highlight an injustice, reflect on a personal experience, or simply ask players to see the world from a different perspective.

By creating and sharing these works, we build something larger than any single game. We create a space where people can learn from each other’s experiences, perspectives, frustrations, and hopes.

Art has always played a role in movements for change. This jam is an invitation to add your voice to that tradition using creativity, play, and experimentation to say something that matters.