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I find the theme the best part. What I really enjoy in LD's is the first 3/4 hours where the theme discusses the theme and the games gradually emerges.

I can make any game I what anytime, but the theme give you focus and forces you to think in something you otherwise wouldn't.

Why not just do your own independent hackathon not associated with this then? As far as I'm concerned, the theme is one of the most important parts to this. It means that you can't just sit down and think through a program or an idea before the hackathon starts.

There's two parts to a jam, the theme and the time limit. If you throw either one out, you're not really doing it.