Dates

Registration: Open now – February 27, 2026

Hackathon Start: February 28, 2026 at 4:00 PM IST

Hackathon End / Submission Deadline: March 1, 2026 at 2:00 PM IST

Game Demos & Peer Voting: March 1, 2026 at 2:30 PM IST

Awards Ceremony: March 1, 2026 at 5:00 PM IST

Eligibility

• Participants must be students aged 17 or under (under 18) at the time of the event

• Teams must consist of 1 to 4 members

• All team members must be U18 — no adult co-builders or professional developers allowed

• Participants must be physically present at Newton School of Technology, Bengaluru for the duration of the event

• Each participant can only be on one team

• By participating, you agree to abide by our Code of Conduct (see below)

Project and Submission Requirements

• All game assets (code, art, music, writing) must be created during the hackathon. Pre-made assets (like free asset packs) must be clearly credited.

• Games must be original work — no submissions of previously started or published projects

• Games must be safe for all audiences — no explicit, violent, or inappropriate content

• Submissions must be made on Devpost before March 1, 2026 at 2:00 PM IST

• Submissions must include: a playable game link, description, screenshots, team member names & ages, and a source code link

• Organizers reserve the right to disqualify any project that violates these rules or the Code of Conduct

Prizes

Campfire Bengaluru celebrates creativity and learning over competition. We award in the following categories:

• Best Overall Game — Top prize for the most impressive game across all categories

• Best Art & Design — Outstanding visual style, character design, or world-building

• Best Story / Narrative — Most compelling storytelling or writing in a game

• Best Beginner Game — Best game made by a team of first-time game developers

• Community Choice Award — Voted by all participants via peer voting

• Most Creative / Experimental — The most unique, out-of-the-box concept

All participants will receive a certificate of participation. Winners receive special prizes, trophies, and recognition on Hack Club's global platform.

Judging Criteria and Winner Selection

Judging at Campfire Bengaluru is a hybrid of peer voting and organizer review:

1. Peer Voting (Community Choice): All participants vote for their favourite games during the demo session (March 1, 2:30 PM). Each team votes for up to 3 games they found most impressive (cannot vote for their own).

2. Organizer Panel Awards: A panel of judges (organizers, mentors, and guest speakers) will evaluate games based on:

   • Creativity & Originality — How unique and imaginative is the concept?

   • Fun Factor — Is it enjoyable to play?

   • Technical Execution — How well was the game built given the time constraint?

   • Art & Presentation — Visual style, sound, and overall polish

   • Story & Theme — Narrative quality and use of game theme

All decisions by the organizer panel are final. Winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony (March 1, 5:00 PM).

Code of Conduct

Campfire Bengaluru is dedicated to providing a safe, inclusive, and harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, appearance, race, or religion. Harassment or disrespectful behaviour will result in immediate disqualification and removal from the event. By registering, all participants agree to this Code of Conduct. For the full code of conduct, see: http://hackcodeofconduct.org/