Join the SOILSCAPE Hackathon on 16-18 October 2026 organized by UNESCO and Cologne Game Lab to help spreading soil awareness across South-East Europe and beyond. You will have 2 days to create and submit a digital game about Soil and UNESCO. The winning team will be invited to showcase their game in SOILSCAPE events across Europe.

Date & Time: October 16^th 7pm to October 18^th 7pm (CET), 2026 (remote/online)

Registration SIGN UP HERE! to receive registration link and updates. Registration deadline: 15 October 2026 11.59pm CET  

Who can participate?

Participants of all skill levels in game development skill and alla levels of soil knowledge are encouraged to take part. We can assist in finding suitable teammates during the event kick-off

Eligibility: Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece, Malta, Montenegro, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, North Macedonia, Türkiye, Italy.

Age: 18 years old and above. 

Participants will be invited to consent to the promotion and dissemination of their game by the organizers and SOILSCAPE project partners (e.g. on websites, social media, and project communications).

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Soil and UNESCO

The theme is Soil and UNESCO. Every game must be about soil and must integrate a UNESCO component, articulating the two. For example, the game could take place in a UNESCO designated site (a Biosphere Reserve, a Global Geopark, a Creative City or a World Heritage Site near to your home) or include a Intangible Cultural Heritage component from your region.

Soil has been a major part of digital games for a long time. For a quick overview and inspiration, read this article.

Rules

• Duration: The hackathon will take place from October 16 to 18, for a duration of 48 hours.
• We value participant wellbeing. The organizers do not encourage working overnight or overtime. Jam comfortably.
• Originality: Games must be built with mostly new, original material and code created or assembled during the scope of the hackathon.
• Publicly available audiovisual resources and limited AI assets (e.g. for ideation, reference, or minor content generation) may be used if proper acknowledgement and disclosure is provided.
• Participants remain responsible for ensuring that all assets used comply with applicable copyright and licensing requirements.
• Contest: One project will be selected as a winner. This game will be showcased at Soil Festivals across Europe with the team’s participation. Mentorship and support will be offered for development and publishing.
• Platforms: The game should be playable on either Windows, Android, or web. Any game engine and development tools may be used.
• Language: The game should be at least in English.
• Content and language should be appropriate for all ages. Projects that do not comply will be disqualified at the discretion of the organizers.
• We do not tolerate harassment, discrimination or intimidation of any kind during the hackathon or as part of submitted work. Participants violating this or any rule may be subject to disqualification at the discretion of the organizers

Evaluation and Winner

One project will be selected as the winner by the evaluation committee (Cologne Game Lab & UNESCO).

Evaluation criteria are:

• Game design, mechanics, user experience (40%)
• Soil literacy, thematic integration (40%)
• Artistic merit, innovation, overall impression (20%)

The winning team (or individual) will receive development, publishing, and other support from the Cologne Game Lab, as well as opportunities to showcase their game at upcoming SOILSCAPE Soil Festivals and through the project’s website and social media channels.

The winning team will be informed of the selection within two weeks following the end of the hackathon.

At least one member of the winning team will have the opportunity to receive travel support to attend a SOILSCAPE event in Italy or another partner country, where they will be able to showcase their game and receive recognition in person.

Any public showcasing or communication involving the winning game will take place in accordance with the participants' stated preferences.

The organization of this event is the responsibility of UNESCO and Cologne Game Lab.

For more information contact: cc@colognegamelab.de; p.armada@unesco.org

Data protection notice

Personal data collected for this hackathon will be processed by the SOILSCAPE project partners for the purpose of organizing the event, communicating with participants, and managing submissions and awards. You may withdraw your consent at any time; however, this may affect your ability to continue participating in the hackathon. Data will not be stored past the duration of the SOILSCAPE project.

About SOILSCAPE

This hackathon is a part of SOILSCAPE, a project coordinated by the French Soil Science Society (AFES) that invites and inspires artists to integrate their unique creative approaches in raising awareness about soil health and preservation. Through artistic expressions – whether visual art, performance, storytelling, or interactive installations – artists have the power to reveal the beauty, importance, and fragility of soils. By tapping into the emotions of human experience, creative work can deepen public understanding and spark meaningful engagement with soil conservation issues.

Funding

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the European Union nor REA can be held responsible for them.

This work has received funding from the European Union and the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).

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We look forward to your creations!