This hackathons is only open to students. Double check the event page for more information as this may mean only those from a particular university/country are eligible.
Event Type
in person
434
Participants
₹50,000
Prize Pool
39
Est. Projects
Organizers
Alex Johnson
alex@example.org
Jamie Rivera
jamie@example.org
Sam Chen
sam@example.org
Quality Score
Quality Score
72/100
High confidence
Organiser16/20
Event Maturity14/20
Sponsors18/25
Participants12/20
Let’s kick off 2026 with creativity, code, and chaos!
JoyStix (DTU’s Video Game Development Society) and AIMS (DTU’s AI & ML Society) proudly present the Brainwave Winter Game Jam 2026 — a high-energy, online + offline game development challenge bringing together students and indie developers from across India.
This is your chance to think fast, build faster, and turn ideas into playable games — all within a limited time and under a thrilling theme revealed at the start of the jam.
What Is Brainwave Game Jam?
Brainwave is a fortnight-long game jam where participants conceptualize, design, and develop a complete game from scratch based on a common theme.
Whether you’re a first-time game developer or a seasoned indie creator, this jam is all about:
Creativity & innovation
Collaboration & rapid prototyping
Experimentation without limits
You can participate solo or in teams, and the theme can be integrated into your gameplay, visuals, mechanics, or narrative.
Event Timeline:
Round 1 — Online Qualifier
1 – 9 January 2026
Mode: Online
Theme reveal
Idea building, prototyping, and initial development
Teams submit their games online through itch.io page
Final Round — Offline 24-Hour Game Jam
16 – 17 January 2026
DTU Campus, Delhi
Duration: 24 hours, non-stop
Top teams from Round 1 will be invited to DTU for an intense, overnight offline finale — code, design, debug, repeat!
Rules
Plagiarism is strictly prohibited
The game must be built entirely between 1–17 January 2026
Entries not following the theme will be disqualified
You may reuse your own previously created assets
Third-party assets are allowed only with proper commercial usage rights
Team size: 1–5 members
All participants must be registered on Unstop
Judging Criteria:
Your game will be evaluated on:
Originality & Innovation
Theme Implementation
Visuals & Asset Harmony
Gameplay & Fun Factor
Polish & Completeness
Submission Process
Participants must submit the following:
A Git repository link containing:
Complete game files
Asset credits and documentation
A concise overview including:
Game title
Genre
Core gameplay description
Screenshots, concept art, or gameplay videos
(Optional) A brief story or narrative synopsis
Technical details:
Game engine
Tools
Technologies used
️ Submissions without valid Unstop registration will be considered invalid.