The Game Jam™
Organized by Dimension
The Game Jam™ is a flagship competition of TantraFiesta 2026, the annual technical fest of IIIT Nagpur and one of the largest tech fests in Central India. It brings together game developers, designers and innovators from across the country to showcase their talent. Teams work under the theme “Plot Twist” to rapidly design, develop and prototype games, putting creativity, technical execution, game mechanics, storytelling, art, sound design, teamwork and rapid iteration to the test.
₹450 per participant (team leader pays for all members)
Total prize pool: ₹35,000
- 1st place: ₹20,000
- 2nd place: ₹10,000
- 3rd place: ₹5,000
Stages & Timeline
Round 1 — Online
25 Sep – 5 Oct 2026
Games are submitted through the official Game Jam portal at itch.io/jam/tf-iiitn-game-jam-2026, with documentation covering credits, assets and the compiled game, plus a Git repository link containing all game files. After submitting on itch.io, participants post about their game on GameDoora so the Round 2 judges can play it. Judged on theme adherence, gameplay and mechanics, innovation and creativity, aesthetics, sound and music, and enjoyment factor.
Round 2 — Offline Finale
23 Oct – 24 Oct 2026
Shortlisted teams are invited to the IIIT Nagpur campus and given 24 hours to work on and modify their game. The Round 2 theme is revealed on the day the round begins. All finalist teams must reach campus by 9:00 AM on 23 October 2026. Judgment parameters for the final round are announced on the day of the event.
Rules & Regulations
- The game must run standalone without requiring judges to download external software, and must be playable using only keyboard and mouse (web or PC builds) or touch controls (Android builds).
- The game must be published and submitted through the itch.io page and comply with the submission criteria.
- The game must not be a copy of any existing game — it should be unique.
- Participants must share the source code of their game through a Git repository.
- The submitted game must be set as free so judges can play and evaluate it.
- Individual assets may be used if you hold the legal rights or licenses; full scenes and pre-made game prefabs are not allowed.
- The use of generative AI is NOT allowed.
- All external assets must be credited properly; pirated assets and content lead to disqualification.
- The entry is invalid if the participant has not registered on Unstop.
- All participants must bring their own laptop and setup for the final round.
- Finalists arriving before 23 October must arrange their own accommodation or contact the organizers about the Guest House (charges apply).
- Decisions of the judges and organizers are final and binding.
Contact Organizers
Samarth Kodape
+91 78880 45421bt25csh049@iiitn.ac.inAkshat Vyas
+91 78801 45151bt25csh058@iiitn.ac.inHetansh Vakta
+91 99799 55969bt25csh001@iiitn.ac.in
