GitHub's Game Off 2026 is underway. Its theme is SHIFT, a deliberately open prompt for games about changing gears, perspectives, worlds or anything else a creator can make of the word. GitHub announced the theme on November 1 and is inviting solo makers and teams to build through the month. For someone looking for a concrete reason to finish and share a game, the jam supplies both a deadline and an audience of other makers.
When is the Game Off 2026 deadline?
GitHub says entries must be submitted by December 1, 2026, at 13:37 PST. The project should be started during the jam, although starter projects and templates are allowed; most of the work should happen during the submission period. The source code must live in a public GitHub repository. A repository push alone does not enter the jam: the finished game also needs a separate submission on the official itch.io jam page.
After submissions close, participants can play and rate the games. GitHub lists overall quality, gameplay, graphics, audio, innovation and interpretation of the theme as voting categories. It says voting closes on January 1, 2027, at 13:37 PST. Check the official jam page for any later changes before submitting.
Can you use AI to make a Game Off entry?
Yes. GitHub's published rules explicitly allow AI-assisted development and say entrants will be asked to disclose how they used AI. The rules allow makers to choose their tools, engines, languages and assets, and to work alone or with a team. Open source is encouraged but not required. That makes the jam accessible to both experienced game developers and people experimenting with new creation tools, provided they meet the public-repository and submission requirements.
What makes SHIFT a useful game prompt?
The theme can be a mechanic rather than a slogan. Changing a player's perspective could alter the map; switching gears could affect the rules rather than only speed; a single Shift key could be the entire control scheme. Those are possible interpretations, not mandatory designs. GitHub's advice is to begin with one mechanic and one playable level. A small game that is clear and finished gives people more to engage with than an ambitious concept that never becomes playable.
The jam also illustrates why a software launch is a social event. Making a game creates the artifact; showing it, explaining its idea and listening to other players creates an audience. VIBPS did not organize Game Off and has no affiliation with GitHub or itch.io, but makers who finish an eligible app or game can also share the work they own on VIBPS.