WELCOME TO GENESIS 5

GENESIS 5 is a national-level, beginner-friendly hybrid game jam organized by the AR-VR Club of Army Institute of Technology, Pune. It brings together creative students from across India to design, develop, and showcase original games within a limited time.

Our Website: www.genesis5.tech

Theme

This year’s theme is Duality — explore contrast, balance, and opposites through your game. Interpret it through light vs dark, parallel worlds, choice and consequence, past vs future, or opposing characters, mechanics, or perspectives. The interpretation is completely open — express it through gameplay, story, visuals, or mechanics.

Eligibility Criteria

• Open to all students
• Students from any college or university in India are eligible
• Any form of plagiarism will lead to immediate disqualification

Team Size & Participation

• No limit on the number of teams per college
• Team size: 1–4 members
• A participant may be part of only one team

Game Jam Structure

Round 1 – Online Qualifier

• Hosted on itch.io
• Duration: January 15 – January 27, 2026
• Develop a game based on the revealed theme
• Top 20 teams shortlisted:
  • 15 – Main Game Jam Track
  • 5 – VR Game Jam Track

Round 2 – Offline Grand Finale

• Venue: Army Institute of Technology, Pune
• Dates: February 14 – February 15, 2026
• 24-hour live development sprint
• Surprise Element to be integrated into Round 1 game

Tracks

Main Game Jam Track

• Any game engine allowed
• May include sponsor problem statements
• Judged independently

VR Game Jam Track

• Must be developed using Unity
• APK for Meta Quest 2 OR VR simulator build
• Must not duplicate the Main Track game
• Judged independently

Game Parameters

• Game must be developed within the stipulated time
• Must align with the theme and surprise element
• Must be original
• Must be published and submitted via itch.io

Asset Usage

• Use of individual assets is allowed
• Full scenes or complete pre-made prefabs are prohibited
• Use of copyrighted or unlicensed assets leads to disqualification

Judging Criteria

Round 1

• Concept and innovation
• Gameplay complexity
• Art, audio, and visuals
• Theme interpretation
• Player engagement

Round 2

• Surprise element integration
• Gameplay improvements
• Polish, stability, and performance

Submission Process (Round 1)

• Publish game build on itch.io
• Upload a short gameplay video
• Submit within the deadline
• Unstop registration is mandatory

File Naming

• GameName_TeamName
• VR Track: GameName_TeamName_VR

Problem Statement by Our Sponsor

Build. Play. Innovate. Welcome to GENESIS 5.