Scoring the Holidays: My 48-Hour Music Sprint for Secret Santa Jam 2025
While most were wrapping gifts, I was wrapping soundscapes. Participating in the Secret Santa Jam 2025 on itch.io was a whirlwind of creativity. The premise of the jam is beautiful: you make a game for one specific person based on their “wishlist letter.” This year, I decided to open a 48-hour window to provide free, custom music for as many participants as I could reach.
I ended up assisting with 11 different projects with 15+ unique tracks. The challenge? Each game had a completely different soul. From the PlayStation 1-era nostalgia of Penguins-SS25 to the high-stakes mechanical puzzles of Electrified, I had to pivot my mindset every few hours. When the clock is ticking, you don’t have the luxury of second-guessing. You have to find that “sonic anchor”—the one melody or texture that defines the game—and build around it instantly.
Another challenge I recognized was the limited information available at the start, but in a jam environment, that’s part of the thrill. It’s a ‘make or break’ situation where second-guessing isn’t an option, and you think it is you have really the luxury to put first try aside (kudos to you!). While a major studio project would offer months of preparation to nail down the fine details of the score, a game jam forces you to trust your instincts and let the music define the project’s identity on the fly.
It wasn’t all smooth sailing. Early in the jam, a couple of trolls attempted to derail the momentum by claiming my music was AI-generated. In a jam that prides itself on human connection and manual effort, it was an annoying distraction. But I took it as a backhanded compliment: if my 48-hour output sounds “too good to be human,” I must be doing something right. I’m happy to say 5-6 of these games are already confirmed and playable, proving that human creativity still wins the holiday season.
5 Hidden Gems from the 2025 Secret Santa Jam You Need to Play
After the dust settled, several projects stood out for their ingenuity and charm. Here are five games I had the pleasure of scoring that you should check out right now:
Electrified by bluefireknightyt – A clever puzzle game where you play as a butterfly. You aren’t just fluttering around; you’re solving intricate electrical connections to access a central core. The contrast between the delicate protagonist and the harsh industrial puzzles makes for a great atmosphere.
PENGUINS! (SS25) by achrostel – This is a genuine love letter to the PS1 era. It’s actually a PlayStation 1 homebrew game! You wander around finding penguin friends. It’s best played on an emulator like Duckstation to get that authentic 90s feel (and to hear the music correctly!).
Catatro by sourpixel – What happens when Balatro meets cats? You get Catatro. It takes the addictive deck-building loop and adds a feline twist that is as charming as it is challenging.
Roubliée – Forgotten Rust by Elical – An atmospheric submarine exploration game. You dive deep into a silent ocean, collecting scrap to upgrade your vessel. The sense of isolation here is palpable, and the “power-management” movement system keeps you on edge.
Project Hail Blank by 12-parsec – A fast-paced shooter that focuses on dodging and obstacle avoidance. It’s pure mechanical skill, requiring you to move constantly while dealing with threats.
Dash for your Life, by Ahmed Salama – A brutal platformer where one wrong move into a spike means starting over. It’s a “just one more try” game for the holidays. While the game’s idea did change after the music was sent, according to Salama, it would be a given that the soundtrack would’ve been changed if there was enough time. For time being, a vision is always expanding, and so is both game development and the music which belongs.
Composition Without Code: The Role of a “Music Mercenary” in Game Jams
Being a “Music Mercenary” is a specific kind of thrill. In the Secret Santa Jam, you aren’t just making “generic background music.” You are interpreting a developer’s vision for a gift they are giving to someone else. It’s an exercise in empathy and speed.
My workflow involves reading the developer’s “letter” and looking at early screenshots. I’m not just looking for a genre; I’m looking for a mood. Is it “melancholy submarine isolation” or “vibrant butterfly puzzling”? This year, I had to navigate the “AI-fear” that is currently gripping the industry. When two trolls tried to claim my work was automated, it highlighted a sad reality: people are starting to forget what high-speed human talent looks like.
But that’s why these jams matter. They are a “Proof of Life” for the indie scene. By providing custom, non-AI tracks for 11 different creators, I’m helping ensure that the personal touch of the Secret Santa tradition remains intact. It’s about more than the notes on the page—it’s about the community behind the keyboard.
And while at it, here is a clip of some music I’ve made for other projects not related to Secret Santa Jam 2025 – More information about my music can be found here.