GitHub Game Off 2026 Returns With Theme SHIFT

GitHub’s annual Game Off game jam is returning for its 14th year. The theme for Game Off 2026 is SHIFT. Participants must build and submit a game inspired by this theme. The jam runs for a month in November. Participants can work alone or form a team. They must submit their games on itch.io before the deadline of December 1, 2026, at 13:37 PST. Pushing code to GitHub does not automatically submit an entry.

AI-assisted development is allowed during the jam. Participants will be asked about their use of AI when submitting their game. The vast majority of work should take place during the submission period. Participants can use any programming languages, game engines, frameworks, libraries, and tools they prefer. GitHub Copilot is suggested as a tool to help brainstorm game concepts. A community-run Discord server is available for participants to find teammates or share progress.

Voting for the games will end on January 1, 2027, at 13:37 PST. Winners will be announced on the GitHub Blog and GitHub social channels after voting closes. The jam encourages participants to start with one mechanic and one playable level before adding more complexity. Participants can license their games however they like, though open source is encouraged.