Girls Who Code HHS Hackathon 2026

Overview

The Girls Who Code HHS Hackathon 2026 is an online competition challenging students to develop games that promote social good. The primary goal is to create a game that makes a positive impact on the world, whether by raising awareness, teaching a new skill, challenging misconceptions, or offering new perspectives on real-world problems. Participants are encouraged to focus on thoughtful ideas, creative execution, and a clear connection between their game and a social purpose. Key requirements for all game submissions include accessibility, usability, and purpose. Games should be beginner-friendly, feature intuitive controls and an easy-to-navigate interface, and clearly connect gameplay to a real-world issue or a positive social outcome. Three optional themes—CONNECT, DISCOVER, and TRANSFORM—are provided as creative starting points, but participants are free to pursue their own concepts. Participants must be students aged 14 to 18. Submissions must include the game's source code, a demo video demonstrating gameplay (with a voiceover recommended), and a 3-4 sentence project description explaining the game's function, the real-world issue it addresses, and its social good promotion. The deadline for submissions is October 28, 2026, at 11:45 PM CDT.

What to build

A playable game that promotes social good by addressing a real-world issue. The game should use interaction, decision-making, storytelling, or other gameplay mechanics to help players understand a problem, learn something useful, or consider a positive action. It must be beginner-friendly, easy to navigate, and connected to a clear social purpose. Participants can use themes like CONNECT (community, empathy), DISCOVER (learning, challenging misinformation), or TRANSFORM (environmental challenges, healthy communities) as inspiration, but these are optional. Examples include games that investigate online headlines for misinformation, collaborative games about accessibility, or strategy games about reducing environmental waste.

Prizes

Key dates

• Hackathon StartOctober 29, 2026 at 12:45am EDT
• DeadlineOctober 28, 2026 @ 11:45pm CDT

Eligibility

Participants must meet the published eligibility requirements of ages 14–18 and be enrolled in high school.

How to enter

1. Find your cause: Choose a real-world issue that matters to you.
2. Pick your direction: Use one of the provided themes for inspiration, or develop your own concept.
3. Build your game: Turn your idea into an interactive experience using the tools and technologies that work for you.
4. Playtest and refine: Make sure the game works, instructions make sense, and players can navigate it easily.
5. Submit your creation: Upload your code, demo recording, and project description to Devpost before the deadline.

Submission requirements

• Source code: Upload your code or provide a link to a repository containing it.
• Demo video: Include a screen recording showing how your game works, demonstrating main features and gameplay. A voiceover is strongly recommended.
• Project description: Write 3–4 sentences explaining what your game does, which real-world issue it addresses, and how it promotes social good.
• Original Work and Intellectual Property: Submit work created by you or with permission to use. Open-source resources are allowed with proper attribution. Do not copy other projects or use copyrighted material without permission.
• AI Tools and External Resources: AI coding assistants and other development tools may be used, but participants are responsible for understanding and explaining the code. Disclose substantial use of AI-generated code/content if requested.
• Appropriate Content and Conduct: Projects must be respectful and appropriate for a high school audience. Prohibited content includes harassment, discrimination, hateful content, threats, and harmful software. Games must not encourage illegal activity or collect sensitive personal information unnecessarily. Participants must be respectful.
• Privacy and Security: Do not include passwords, API keys, private credentials, or confidential information in submissions. Obtain permission for identifiable images/recordings. If collecting user data, explain what is collected and why, handling it responsibly.
• Submission Accuracy and Deadlines: All required materials must be submitted through Devpost by the deadline. Submissions must accurately represent functionality and contributions. Incomplete, fraudulent, or rule-violating submissions may be disqualified.

Judging criteria

• Social Impact: How clearly does the game address a real-world issue, and what positive impact could it have?
• Coding and Implementation: How much technical effort, problem-solving, and thoughtful implementation does the project demonstrate?
• Usability: How intuitive, accessible, and easy to navigate is the game?

Sponsors & partners

Resources

• Full Rules