Welcome!

ISACA, GAMED, and ACM present the UWW Hackathon Software Jam of 2025! The Software Jam is a 24-hour development period that runs from 5pm on Friday, March 7 to 5pm the following Saturday, March 8. Groups and individuals are challenged to create a game or project from scratch.

Theme

(Retro)

The theme is a basis on the inspiration of your project. It is up to YOU to interpret the theme the best way you see fit! It could be a new spin on a classic arcade game or even a blast to the past with a talking virtual office assistant!

Modifiers

Modifiers are extra challenges that will net you extra points if performed well! Modifiers are not required to be completed, but will increase your chances of winning greatly.

• Plug-and-Play: Create a program that utilizes the feature(s) of a device that isn’t a standard PC/laptop (touchscreen, sensors, gamepad, etc.).
• Committed: Utilize a form of source control (GitHub, Bitbucket, etc.).
• Extra Credit: Utilize a programming feature not taught at UWW (shaders, smart pointers, etc.).

Rules

As the Hackathon’s Software Jam is a competition, the rules are to be followed exactly as written.

• Participants can take part in the competition by themselves or in a team of up to three members. No matter the team size, prizes will remain the same. As a result, it is up to the winning team members to distribute the prizes fairly.
• Teams with moderators are prohibited from winning the competition. Moderators are aware of the Software Jam theme and modifiers before the event, resulting in an unfair advantage over participants.
• Any game engine, framework, etc. is permitted.
• Previously-created code is permitted, but the majority of the software must be completed within the 24-hour time limit.
• All software must be submitted by the 5pm deadline on the Software Jam itch.io page. It is recommended that you submit your software well ahead of time in case of any unexpected issues.
• Generative AI for code creation is permitted, but the majority of the software must be written by the participant.
• As the Software Jam is a university-sponsored event, NSFW and offensive/discriminatory content is not permitted.
• Your software must be completely free to use fully.
• Do not upload or run any code designed for malicious purposes.
• Participants are permitted to utilize online resources and ask others for assistance in programming. However, moderators will not write any code for participants.

Judging Criteria

During presentations, participants will have the opportunity to “argue their case” on how they hit certain targets. Submissions will be judged by the sponsors on the following criteria:

• Use of Hackathon theme: 0-5 points
• Use of Plug-and-Play modifier: 0-3 points
• Use of Committed modifier: 0-1 point
• Use of Extra Credit modifier: 0-3 points
• Innovation (Is it a unique piece of software (hasn’t been done before)?): 0-5 points
• User experience (Is it intuitive? Is it more than a console application?): 0-5 points