Join us for the "GitHub Game Off" game jam
Tags: gamedev, github, hackathon, programming
Published: 2021-11-15 02:48:19

Whilst Hacktoberfest is over, the hacking fun doesn't have to stop. Get your coding skills on, and participate in the [GitHub Game Off](https://itch.io/jam/game-off-2021) competition.

## What is the GitHub Game Off?

Game Off is an open gaming event, where participants build a game. The competition is open to anyone; teams, or individuals. There are no rules on what type of game, engine, or programming format you need to use. You can build any game you like, with any engine, using any programming language.

The Game Off has been running for nine years now, and each year there is a theme. The theme is only announced at the start of November.

![Game Off](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/zapl49gs057s2dk50a73.gif)
 
## This year's theme is: BUG :bug:

For the 2021 Game Off, participants will need to create games centered around the theme "bug". The themes are always somewhat vague, meaning you can take it any direction you like.

Do you want to squash bugs? Create bugs? Maybe your game is just full of bugs? Bugs and ladders? Get creative, and get coding.

## Winners

Whilst there are no prizes for the competition, winners receive lots of bragging rights. Not to mention you now have an amazing game to add to your resume. Games are voted on by each participant. You can't vote for your own game, and some of the GitHub staff will be playing your game too.

All games submitted have the chance to be featured on various GitHub platforms, like social media, or even the GitHub blog.

This year, there are over 7,600 people participating! That's a lot of games we're going to have to play :smile: 

## What if you've never built a game before?

If you've never built a game before, don't worry. The Game Off is designed to be open to all participants; first timers, right through to veterans.

Newbies, juniors, or those wanting to get their head around a new platform or language, have so many options to choose from. There's something for everyone, from JavaScript, to C#, Flutter, Java, Python, Go, and more. Check out the [Game Off website](https://itch.io/jam/game-off-2021) for lots of links to various gaming engines, platforms, and tutorials.

## Okay, you got me! So how do I participate?

![Game Off Bug](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/codlpbpps3r9xw319lga.gif)

The Game Off is open for anyone to participate in. Follow these steps to be part of the game off:

1. Sign up for a [free GitHub account](https://github.com/) if you don't already have one.
2. Click "Join jam" on the official [Game Off website](https://itch.io/jam/game-off-2021).
3. Build a game and store your code on GitHub under a public repository.
4. Push all game/code/asset changes to your repo by December 1, 1.37pm PT.
5. Submit your game on the official [Game Off website](https://itch.io/jam/game-off-2021).

And that's it! After all games are submitted and the jam ends, you'll have the chance to play everyone else's game and vote for your favourites.

There's lots of categories to win. Including Overall, Gameplay, Graphics, Audio, Innovation and Theme Interpretation. Voting will end on the Jan 1, where winners will be announced.

But hurry! You have only two more weeks to get your game created and submitted. And if gaming isn't your cup of tea :coffee: check out the [GitHub Actions Hackathon](https://dev.to/devteam/join-us-for-the-2021-github-actions-hackathon-on-dev-4hn4).

Good luck :heart: