Build a playable Christmas arcade game in 72 hours using Turbo, the modern 2D game engine built for speed. Solo or team up. No experience required—just bring your love for pixels, chiptunes, and holiday spirit.
The Neuro Nostalgia saga continues: From 90s web design to arcade classics
The Retro Christmas Arcade 2026
INSERT COIN TO JOIN
Neuro Nostalgia 2026
PRESS START:
CHRISTMAS IS GOING RETRO
PRESS START:
Build a playable Christmas arcade game in 72 hours using Turbo, the modern 2D game engine built for speed. Solo or team up. No experience required—just bring your love for pixels, chiptunes, and holiday spirit.
TL;DR
Total Prize Pool: $2,500
Build a Christmas-themed 2D arcade game using Turbo in 72 hours (Dec 14−17, 2026). Retro aesthetics: pixel art, chiptunes, classic gameplay. Solo or teams of 2−4.

Prizes: $ 1,000 / $ 300 / $ 200 + $ 500 Community Choice + $ 500 Category Awards ($ 100 each). Pre-hackathon workshop Dec 18. Turbo support available 24/7.
THE NEURO NOSTALGIA SAGA CONTINUES
Requirements:
Christmas Theme Examples: 🎅 Traditional: Santa delivering presents, snowball fights 🚀 Sci-Fi: Santa in space, robot elves, cyberpunk Christmas 👹 Dark: Krampus survival, evil snowmen, Christmas apocalypse 🎁 Abstract: Holiday emotions as mechanics 🎵 Musical: Rhythm-based Christmas carols
Arcade Game Types: Platformers • Shooters • Puzzle Games • Fighting Games • Racing • Beat-em-ups • Any genre with arcade DNA (high scores, lives, progressive difficulty)
  • Use Turbo game engine (provided by our sponsor)
  • Christmas theme (traditional, sci-fi, horror—anything goes!)
  • Playable in web browser
  • Clear arcade-style gameplay (quick to learn, challenging to master)
  • Built entirely during Dec 19-22, 2025
Create a fully playable Christmas-themed 2D arcade game with 90s gaming spirit.
Why Turbo Is Perfect for Arcade Games:
MEET OUR SPONSOR:
Build a playable Christmas arcade game in 72 hours using Turbo, the modern 2D engine built for speed. Solo or team up. No experience required—just bring your love for pixels, chiptunes, and holiday spirit.
Turbo
  • Lightning-Fast Development
    • Live hot-reload: See changes instantly
    • Command-line based: Skip bloated UIs
    • AI-assisted: Built-in GPT integration
    • Template-driven: Start with working examples
  • Built for Retro Aesthetics
    • Low-res sprite rendering
    • Pixel-perfect graphics
    • 60fps performance (Rust-powered)
    • WebGPU acceleration for classic visuals
  • One-Command Web Publishing
    • turbo publish deploys instantly
    • WebAssembly output runs everywhere
    • No configuration needed
    • Shareable links with one URL
  • Multiplayer Made Easy
    • Built-in networking
    • Global server infrastructure
    • Leaderboards included
    • Real-time multiplayer support
Turbo’s Commitment: As our sponsor, Turbo provides the engine, training, 72-hour support, hosting infrastructure, and post-hackathon showcase opportunities. They’re not just funding prizes—they're empowering you to build something amazing.
Learning Resources:
  • Documentation: docs.turbo.computer
  • Workshop: Dec 18 — "Build Your First Arcade Game"
  • AI Assistant: 24/7 Turbo GPT
  • Support Team: Core developers on Discord
  • Examples: github.com/super-turbo-society
  • Install: curl -sSfL turbo.computer/install.sh | sh
THE RULES
Mandatory:
✅ Must use Turbo engine (sponsor requirement)
✅ Must have an identifiable Christmas theme
✅ Must be playable in browser
✅ All work during 72-hour window (Dec 19 @ 18:00 UTC - Dec 22 @ 18:00 UTC)
✅ Submit on time with source code
GameJam
Teams:
Prizes split as team decides
Find teammates in Discord #team-matching
Solo or up to 4 people
Assets:
✅ Code must be original
✅ Art/audio can be pre-existing (credit required)
✅ AI-generated assets allowed
❌ No stolen copyrighted content, please!
  • Allowed Before Dec 19:
    • Learn Turbo
    • Brainstorm ideas
    • Gather/create assets
    • Form teams
  • Not Allowed Before Dec 19:
    • Writing game code
    • Building mechanics
    • Creating levels
Quality over quantity—nail one challenge rather than rushing through several.
Boost your score with these optional challenges:
(Optional)
BONUS CHALLENGES
🎵 Chiptune Christmas Carol: Original retro audio and sound effects
🏆 High Score Hero: Addictive scoring systems with multipliers
👥 Co-op Christmas: Multiplayer features (2−4 players)
🎮 Genre Bender: Creative genre combinations
👹 Boss Battle Bonanza: Multi-phase Christmas boss fight
🔄 Endless Mode Master: Procedurally generated infinite gameplay
💰 Quarter Muncher: Perfect arcade difficulty balance
🎨 Pixel-Perfect Present: Authentic 8-bit/16-bit art with period-accurate palettes
Bonus
PRIZES
$2,500 TOTAL
$500
Community
WINNER
Plus: Get recognition from the community. Certificate.
$200
Rising Star
Plus: Certificate!
$300
Master Developer
Plus: Feature on Turbo's event website! Certificates!
$1,000
Grand Champion
Plus: Feature on Turbo’s event website, mention in press-release. Certificates!
Winners announced early-2026 — fast payment via many providers from Wire to Crypto.
Category awards are separate from main prizes—you can win both!
CATEGORY EXCELLENCE AWARDS
🕹️ Best Arcade Authenticity - $100
🎮 Best Gameplay & Fun Factor - $100
💻 Best Technical Execution - $100
🎄 Best Christmas Theme - $100
✨ Most Innovative & Creative - $100
Best in each evaluation category:
$100 x 5
TIMELINE
Dec 18, 2025
@ 18:00 UTC
Dec 18, 2025
@ 18:00 UTC
🎓 Pre-Hackathon Workshop:
“Turbo 101: Build Your First Arcade Game”
📝 Registration Opens
Dec 19, 2025
@ 18:00 UTC
Dec 19, 2025
@ 18:00 UTC
🚀 Hackathon Begins
Start of the official 72-hour competition
Dec 19–22, 2025
Dec 19–22, 2025
💻 Development Period
Daily office hours: 10:00–12:00 & 20:00–22:00 UTC
Dec 22, 2025
@ 18:00 UTC
Dec 22, 2025
@ 18:00 UTC
🏁 Submission Deadline
Dec 22-31, 2025
Dec 22-31, 2025
⚖️ Judging Period
Jan 05, 2026
@ 12:00 UTC
Jan 05, 2026
@ 12:00 UTC
🎊 Main Winners + Category Awards Announced
Jan 05–12, 2026
Jan 05–12, 2026
🗳️ Community Voting Period
Jan 13, 2026
@ 12:00 UTC
Jan 13, 2026
@ 12:00 UTC
👑 Community Choice Winner Announced
EVALUATION CRITERIA
Evaluation
WEIGHT SYSTEM
🕹️ Arcade Authenticity
25 pts
Authentic pixel art, chiptune audio, responsive controls, retro presentation, nostalgic factor
🎮 Gameplay & Fun Factor
30 pts
Core loop engagement, intuitive controls, difficulty balance, replayability—highest weighted category
💻 Technical Execution
25 pts
Code quality, effective Turbo usage, 60fps performance, minimal bugs, bonus challenge implementation
🎄 Christmas Theme Integration
10 pts
Theme clarity, creative interpretation, thematic consistency, originality
✨ Innovation &
Creativity
10 pts
Unique mechanics, genre creativity, artistic vision, risk-taking, memorable moments
Category Excellence Awards:
The top-scoring submission in each category wins $ 100 (separate from main prizes).
Meet the expert panel of designers, developers, and creators evaluating every game for creativity, technical mastery, and authentic arcade spirit.
Main Jury
Experts
COMMUNITY & SUPPORT
Channels: #announcements, #team-matching, #tech-support
Discord: discord.gg/gquTWhzT
contact
Turbo
Game-Engine
Website: turbo.computer
Docs: docs.turbo.computer
GitHub: github.com/super-turbo-society
Twitter: @makegamesfast
Hackathon Raptors:
Website: neuronostalgia.com/2026
Twitter: @raptors_hack
Email: hello@raptors.dev
KEY FAQ
F.A.Q.
ABOUT US
Hackathon Raptors: Non-profit organizing inclusive hackathons for community, learning, and fun. UK C.I.C. 15 557 917.
Turbo (Our Sponsor): NYC startup building the future of 2D game development. Mission: make game creation accessible by eliminating complexity and maximizing speed.
Previous Events:
CODE OF CONDUCT
Violations result in disqualification. Report to: hello@raptors.dev
Unacceptable: discrimination, bullying, plagiarism, inappropriate content.
Expected: Be respectful, supportive, collaborative, constructive, and honest.
READY TO PRESS START?
Next Steps:
  1. Join Discord
  2. Add Dec 18 for the workshop to your calendar
  3. Form your team
  4. Install Turbo
  5. Be fully ready before Dec 19
  6. Build Dec 19-22
VIEW NEURO NOSTALGIA 2025
LEARN TURBO
JOIN DISCORD
Launch
The Retro Christmas Arcade 2026
Privacy Policy and Data Collection
Sponsored by Turbo Game Engine © 2026
Organized by Hackathon Raptors
Where holiday magic meets arcade legends
Manage cookies
We use cookies to provide the best site experience.
Manage cookies
Cookie Settings
Cookies necessary for the correct operation of the site are always enabled.
Other cookies are configurable.
Essential cookies
Always On. These cookies are essential so that you can use the website and use its functions. They cannot be turned off. They're set in response to requests made by you, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms.
Analytics cookies
Disabled
These cookies collect information to help us understand how our Websites are being used or how effective our marketing campaigns are, or to help us customise our Websites for you. See a list of the analytics cookies we use here.
Advertising cookies
Disabled
These cookies provide advertising companies with information about your online activity to help them deliver more relevant online advertising to you or to limit how many times you see an ad. This information may be shared with other advertising companies. See a list of the advertising cookies we use here.
Confirm
Made on
Tilda