Dream Big. Build Bigger. Pitch the Future.

Join us and your fellow Full Sail innovators at the NEXPLORE2040 Horizons Challenge Hack-N-Jam — April 25–27, 2025!

🌌 Theme

This year’s jam is inspired by NASA’s NEXPLORE Horizons Challenge, focused on creating forward-thinking solutions in space technology and sustainability on Earth.
You’ll choose a challenge focus area:

- Sustainable Food

- Peak Physical and Mental Performance

- Portable, Off-Grid Artificial Intelligence

- Autonomous Health and Diagnosis Monitoring

With this focus area, define a real-world problem to solve. Whether you design a game, an app, a concept prototype, or something entirely new—we want your vision for the future!

👾 What’s a Hack-N-Jam?

We couldn’t contain all the creativity into just a hackathon or game jam—so we’re doing both.
Whether you’re into game design, coding, storytelling, art, or pitching big ideas, this is your chance to collaborate across disciplines and prototype innovative solutions.

🗓 Dates & Times (EST)

📍Location: FS3B Auditorium + Classrooms
👥 Eligibility: Active Full Sail Students + Recent Graduates (Graduated After July 2023)

• Friday, April 25th: Kick-Off & Registration — 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM

• Saturday, April 26th: Workday — 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM

• Sunday, April 27th: Wrap-Up + Demos — 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM

🧠 Team Info

Multidisciplinary teams are highly encouraged!
Teams will form at the start of the event, and can include 1–5 people from any creative or technical background. Whether you’re a developer, artist, storyteller, engineer, or all of the above—there’s a place for you here.

Note: Participants register individually. We’ll help with team formation on Day 1!

💡 Submissions

All final projects must be submitted to Itch.io by the end of the event.
You can submit:

• Digital games (any engine)

• Conceptual prototypes

• Interactive experiences

• Tabletop designs (with video/images)

• Or pitch decks with working demos

Make sure your submission reflects your chosen problem area and proposed solution.

🏆 Judging & Prizes

Projects will be evaluated by industry professionals and challenge partners based on:

• Innovation & Creativity

• Problem-Solving Potential

• Alignment with the Horizons Challenge

• Presentation & Execution

Top teams may unlock opportunities to submit their work to the NEXPLORE2040 Collegiate Pitch Competition later this year!

📚 Workshops & Support

• Live mentoring from Full Sail faculty & external experts

• Workshops on prototyping, pitching, and version control

• Real-time support via ET+ Events Discord

🚀 Join the Challenge

Whether you’re here to prototype the future, meet amazing collaborators, or take your ideas to the stars—this is your jam.

Let’s NEXPLORE new horizons.
Registration opens soon on FS One!
👉 More info