Game Off 2026: The theme is SHIFT
GitHub’s annual month-long game jam is back for its 14th year! This November, make a game inspired by the theme SHIFT. Change gears, swap perspectives, bend reality, or just press a certain key. The post Game Off 2026: The theme is SHIFT appeared first on The GitHub Blog .
The theme for the 14th annual Game Off 2026 game jam, organized by GitHub, is SHIFT. Developers are encouraged to interpret this theme in any way they see fit, whether it involves shifting gears, perspectives, dimensions, bits, or even taking a break during the night shift. The submission deadline is December 1, 2026, at 13:37 PST.
Contestants can create games with various mechanics and genres, such as one-button games where players use the Shift keys for control, racing games that change speed by shifting gears, or even a shapeshifting adventure where players transform into creatures and objects with unique abilities and weaknesses. The possibilities are endless, as long as the game adheres to the SHIFT theme.
Participants can work alone or form a team and use any programming languages, game engines, frameworks, libraries, and tools they prefer. They should create a free GitHub account, join the jam on itch.io, and store their game's source code on GitHub before the deadline. After submission, the game can be played and voted on by other developers. The winners will be announced on the GitHub Blog and social channels on January 1, 2027.
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