Devs of Vice City is a Grand Theft Auto (GTA)-inspired overnight hackathon set in the fictional city of San Viceroy. Teams act as independent crews tasked with solving large-scale urban problems using legal, illegal, ethical, or unconventional approaches. The event emphasizes originality, adaptability, system thinking, and storytelling under pressure.
Unlike traditional hackathons, this competition simulates a dynamic city environment where crises, chaos, and insider threats challenge teams to pivot solutions rapidly and effectively.
City Setting:San Viceroy – a loud, broken, overcrowded, corrupt, yet intelligent city where systems exist but rarely behave as expected.
Tracks:
Track 1: Wanted Level ∞ – Traffic, chases, and emergency chaos
Track 2: The Perfect Heist – Underground economy, money, and corruption
Track 3: NPCs With Free Will – Citizen behavior, influence, and social engineering
Track 4: Inside Job – Insider threats and system trust
Eligibility Criteria:
Open to all participants
Team size: 1–5 members
Inter-college and inter-specialization teams allowed
Each participant may join only one team
Competition Rounds:
Round 1: The Crew Dossier (Pre-event Screening)
Teams submit a deck including crew name, track selection, problem understanding, initial solution, and unconventional angle
Bonus points for prototypes, product repositories, or videos
Deadline: 13 February 2026
Shortlisting Criteria: Track relevance, originality, narrative immersion, feasibility, ethical adaptability
Round 2: Final Overnight Hackathon
12-hour overnight event
Escalating city-scale crises simulate system overloads, misinformation, public panic, and insider failures
Teams must adapt solutions in real time
Judging emphasizes logical adaptation, creativity under pressure, system coherence, storytelling, and practical applicability
Rules & Guidelines:
No pre-built or previously submitted projects
Plagiarism or misrepresentation is prohibited
Teams must follow ethical boundaries and event constraints
Any disruptive or unethical behavior may lead to disqualification
Organizers’ and judges’ decisions are final and binding
Expected Outcomes:
Design real-world systems for traffic, financial, social, or insider challenges
Innovate solutions under chaotic, unpredictable scenarios
Develop adaptability, system thinking, and crisis management skills
