Everything for running hackathons & game jams.
Guides, platform comparisons, case studies, and news for organizers — judging, scheduling, teambuilding, and everything that goes into a great event.
Hackathon Themes 2026: Data From 3,821 Hackathons + Ideas
The top hackathon themes of 2026 from 3,821 public hackathons: AI is on 45%, cybersecurity grew 54%, blockchain fell 27%. Plus ideas for every theme.
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Game Jam Judging Criteria: A Fair, Weighted Rubric
How to judge a game jam fairly, with the weighted rubric from a $16,000 jam (game quality 50%, creativity and theme 30%, presentation 20%) and score anchors.
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Tools to Host a Hackathon: 18 Picks by Stage (2026)
The tools to host a hackathon, mapped to every stage — registration, teams, chat, submissions, judging, certificates — with free picks and 3 stacks to copy.
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How to Host a Hackathon: A 10-Step Guide (2026)
How to host a hackathon in 10 steps — format, rules, registration, teams, the build, submissions, judging and the reveal — with a planning timeline.
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HackathonHost is the official game jam platform for Gamepons
Gamepons — Baku's game development ecosystem builder and Azerbaijan's biggest game jam organizer — now runs its jams exclusively on HackathonHost.
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Best Hackathon Hosting Services (2026)
Compare hackathon hosting services in 2026 — self-serve platforms, managed hosting and event agencies — what each model controls, costs and leaves to you.
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7 Emerging Game Jam Formats Worth Running
Seven emerging game jam formats — async sprint, relay, mentor-gated, audience-influenced, portfolio-first, constrained and season-based — and how to pick one.
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Hackathon Event Platform Reviews: What Actually Matters
What event platform reviews miss for hackathons: team formation, submission rules, weighted judging, score normalization, live control — and how to test each.
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7 Online Hackathon Formats That Actually Work
Seven online hackathon formats that work — sprint, async week, staged, tracks, team matching, mentor-led, demo day — and how to pick one for a virtual event.
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What Is a Hackathon? A Host's Practical Guide
A hackathon is a time-boxed team competition — what the word means, how the format works, and what a host has to get right from registration to judging.
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