GitHub opened its 14th annual Game Off on November 1, 2026 with the theme “SHIFT.” Participants can work alone or in teams, use their preferred languages and engines, and submit a game through itch.io. GitHub says the project should begin during the jam, with most work completed during the submission period. The deadline is December 1, 2026 at 13:37 Pacific Standard Time.
A public repository and an itch.io submission are separate requirements
Participants must keep the game’s source in a public GitHub repository and push it before the deadline. GitHub explicitly says that pushing code does not submit the entry: the participant must also join the jam and submit the game on itch.io. That distinction is worth testing early rather than discovering it during the final hour.
Templates and starter projects are permitted, but the announcement says the vast majority of work should occur during the jam. A team should record third-party assets, licences and substantial pre-existing components so voters can understand what was created during November.
Related sources: GitHub: Game Off 2026 — SHIFT ↗
The event allows broad tool choice, including AI-assisted development
GitHub permits open-source, commercial, commissioned and original assets, and allows AI-assisted development. The submission process will ask participants about their use of AI so other people can better understand how the game was made. The announcement does not state that AI use improves judging or exempts an entrant from asset licences.
Developers using an assistant should keep a small provenance log: which tool and version was used, what code or art it influenced, what prompts contained, and how the result was reviewed. Do not paste private collaborator material into an unapproved service, and inspect generated code for licences, vulnerabilities and functionality before committing it.
Related sources: GitHub: Game Off 2026 — SHIFT ↗
The strongest jam plan starts with one playable mechanic
GitHub recommends beginning with one mechanic and one playable level before expanding the scope. That is practical engineering advice rather than a guarantee of a competitive entry. A minimal build should include a reproducible setup, basic controls, a licence decision and a short test on the target platform.
Canadian participants should convert the published Pacific deadline for their own time zone and avoid treating a local midnight as the cutoff. They should also test the itch.io page and repository permissions in advance. The event is global; the announcement does not promise Canadian prizes, regional judging or employment outcomes.
Related sources: GitHub: Game Off 2026 — SHIFT ↗
Community voting continues after submissions close
After the submission window, participants can play and rate entries for overall quality, gameplay, graphics, audio, innovation and interpretation of the theme. Voting ends January 1, 2027 at 13:37 PST, with winners planned for a later GitHub Blog and social announcement. Until then, no entry is a winner and participation counts are unknown.
A jam is useful for practice, collaboration and a finished portfolio artifact even when it produces no commercial result. Keep claims bounded to the official rules: Game Off is accepting eligible entries under the announced timeline; the eventual number, quality and outcome of submissions require later evidence.
Sources and editorial method
We use the linked original statements and reports to distinguish documented facts from our analysis. Company announcements describe their authors’ plans and claims; they are not independent verification of future outcomes. This article is dated and will be revised if material evidence changes. Read our editorial standards and corrections process.
- GitHub: Game Off 2026 — SHIFT ↗ — Official November 1 announcement; dates, public-repository and itch.io steps, voting, tool rules and AI-use disclosure.
- GitHub Docs: licensing a repository ↗ — Official repository-licensing guidance; GitHub says jam entrants may choose their licence.