Are there any examples of competitions that have themes that are more (for lack of a better term) constraining? I find the theme for most game jams is so vague you can shoehorn any entry you want in to it. Demake competitions are interesting.
- https://itch.io/jam/fantasy-console-game-jam-3
- https://itch.io/jam/2-buttons-jam-2018
- https://itch.io/jam/1-bit-clicker-jam
- https://itch.io/jam/musicgamejam
If you can think of a constraint, there's a good chance a jam already exists for it. If not, hosting one is easy, and very fun / fulfilling. See https://itch.io/docs/creators/game-jams.