Game Off 2026: The theme is SHIFT

GitHub’s 14th annual Game Off game jam will run throughout November 2026, inviting developers of all experience levels to create games inspired by the theme “SHIFT,” which can be interpreted broadly through mechanics, stories, perspectives, dimensions, gear shifting, bitwise operations, or other ideas. Participants may work alone or in teams, use any tools, engines, programming languages, and assets, and are required to host their game’s source code in a public GitHub repository and submit the finished game through itch.io by December 1, 2026, at 13:37 PST. AI-assisted development is permitted, with entrants asked to disclose its use during submission. After entries close, participants will rate games for overall experience, gameplay, graphics, audio, innovation, and interpretation of the theme, with voting ending January 1, 2027, and winners announced afterward. The event emphasizes experimentation and accessibility, offering inspiration, development advice, links to engines and frameworks, and community spaces for collaboration, questions, and finding teammates.

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