Defense Tech Jam Hackathon
about this event
🎮 GAME DEV + AI — 72 HOURS TO PROTOTYPE SOLUTIONS FOR OUR DEFENSE FORCES
Defense Tech Jam is a 3-day rapid prototyping game jam where you'll team up with developers, designers, and AI enthusiasts to turn an idea into a playable demo — all in one weekend. This year's challenges are centered around AI-assisted training and human-AI collaboration.
📅 When : September 18-20th, 2026 (Fri–Sun). Friday: 2:00 PM - 7:30 PM. Saturday: 10:00 AM - 7:30 PM. Sunday: 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM.
📍 Where : Northeastern University Seattle 1st Floor Event Space, 225 Terry Ave N
🎟️ Who : All skill levels welcome — this is a great first hackathon/game jam if you've never done one before!
⚠️ Only 20 seats available for this event — register early to secure your spot! Attendance is required for all three days and the entire duration in order to participate. Note: If you are one of the first 20 people to register and plan to participate in the Hackathon, you will need to attend a mandatory virtual prep session on September 11th at 11 AM. You will receive more information regarding this via email.
This year's challenges all center on AI:
Mission-Ready AI Training — Design gameplay that helps warfighters get comfortable using AI-based assistants and interactive training tools.
Team AI: Trust and Tactics — Build a game exploring how to calibrate trust between humans and AI teammates in dynamic, high-stakes situations.
Cognitive Load Combat — Create a strategy game (single or multiplayer) that reinforces effective decision-making under information overload.
Why join? 🏆 Top prizes up to $5,000 (1st) $3,000 (2nd) $1,000 (3rd). 🎨 Bonus bounty awards: Best Original Artwork, Best Sound/Music/FX, Best Narrative Experience ($100 each). 👥 No team required — teams form on-site, all skills and levels welcome. 🧑🏫 Guidance from Defense Subject Matter Experts and tech/game dev mentors throughout the weekend. 💼 Great chance to build your portfolio and connect with industry pros.
This is for you if you're: Into game development (programmers, artists, musicians, designers, UI/UX — all roles needed). Curious about turning an AI/agent idea into a playable prototype. New to hackathons/game jams and want a supportive place to try one. Looking to meet Seattle's local game dev and defense-tech community.
What to bring : your own dev gear (laptop, monitor, VR headset, etc. — whatever you need to build).
tracks
Mission-Ready AI Training
Design gameplay that helps warfighters get comfortable using AI-based assistants and interactive training tools.
Team AI: Trust and Tactics
Build a game exploring how to calibrate trust between humans and AI teammates in dynamic, high-stakes situations.
Cognitive Load Combat
Create a strategy game (single or multiplayer) that reinforces effective decision-making under information overload.
when
Defense Tech Jam Hackathon — Day 1
Opening day of the game jam
◍ Northeastern University Seattle 1st Floor Event SpaceDefense Tech Jam Hackathon — Day 2
Main building and prototyping day
◍ Northeastern University Seattle 1st Floor Event SpaceDefense Tech Jam Hackathon — Day 3
Final demos and judging
◍ Northeastern University Seattle 1st Floor Event Spacetickets
| tickets | price | Fee | Status | description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Admission | Free | TBA | Available | Free registration — only 20 seats available. Attendance required for all three days. |
prizes
| # | PRIZE | price |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Prize | Winner | $5,000 |
| 2nd Prize | Runner-up | $3,000 |
| 3rd Prize | Third Place | $1,000 |
| Bonus Bounty | Best Original Artwork | $100 |
| Bonus Bounty | Best Sound/Music/FX | $100 |
| Bonus Bounty | Best Narrative Experience | $100 |