RETURNING
JUNE 24-26th 2022

ORLANDO, FL

#DEFENSETECHJAM

GAME DEVS + RAPID PROTOTYPING

MOBILIZING IN SEATTLE SEPTEMBER 18th 2026

48 HOURS TO VISUALIZE HARD PROBLEMS & SOLUTIONS


 1 Weekend of Challenges - Infinite Possibilities

Want to support the Jam? Not sure if its for you?

Game Devs, Defense Subject Matter Experts, Active or Retired Military,

Web & Tech Devs, Mentors & Volunteers.

Learn More

SO WHAT’S A DEFENSE TECH JAM ?

It is the collaborative innovation event that works closely with the Defense Industry

Defense·Tech·Jam

noun

1. an event in which individuals come together in a physical environment and attempt to rapidly prototype a game (video or otherwise) focused on some element of the challenges faced by the various branches of the military in a limited amount of time;


A "defense" hackathon: She was on the team that made that awesome game that solved key challenges at the Defense Tech Jam!

2026 Challenges

BELOW ARE CHALLENGES TEAMS ARE ENCOURAGED TO FORM SOLUTIONS ON. 

Let's have a conversation

AI Familiarization Through Interactive Assistants



Soldiers are gaining access to increasingly capable AI assistants that can make intelligence, training materials, publications, and technical manuals easier to explore. The challenge is helping users build the confidence and practical skills to engage these tools effectively—especially when information is complex, unfamiliar, or time-sensitive.


Create game-based experiences that let participants interact with different types of conversational AI assistants, test effective prompting and information-retrieval strategies, and become more comfortable integrating AI into real-world mission workflows.

Team AI:

Trust your Synthetic Teammates

Calibrating Trust with AI Teammates



Effective human-autonomy teaming requires more than simply trusting an AI system. Operators must recognize when to rely on an autonomous teammate, when to question its recommendation, and when human judgment must take the lead.


Develop game play that rewards well-calibrated trust while exposing the risks of misuse, complacency, disuse, mistrust, and overreliance. Players should practice building strategies that help human and synthetic teammates perform effectively together in dynamic decision environments.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions All Around!

Command & Decision under information overload



Modern decision-makers must interpret growing volumes of information whose relevance, accuracy, and urgency may be uncertain. In high-risk environments, teams need disciplined ways to exchange information, reduce noise, delegate tasks, and act on the most consequential insights before time runs out.


Create an engaging single- or multiplayer strategy game that places participants inside an information-saturated scenario. The experience should reinforce effective data exchange, prioritization, task coordination, and timely decision-making while accounting for the added speed and complexity introduced by automation and AI.


Living Terrain: 3D Change Detection

Rapid Mapping for

Wildfire, Training, and Mission Planning



Land cover and vegetation can change faster than conventional maps can be updated. Outdated information limits wildfire modeling, obscures conditions at the urban interface, and reduces the accuracy of environmental, remote-sensing, and training-impact assessments.


Build a game that that fuses space-, airborne-, and ground-based observations into frequently updated, high-resolution 3D vegetation and land-cover data. Solutions may create new voxelized inputs by connecting sources such as GEDI and airborne laser scanning, or build applications using FastFuels, with AI-driven imputation filling critical information gaps.


Code the Abyss: Fast Data Challenge
Turn Undersea Mission Data into Actionable Insight



Undersea platforms, unmanned systems, sensors, and test ranges generate large volumes of mission data. When processing and analysis take too long, engineers and operators lose valuable time identifying performance issues, understanding outcomes, and improving the next mission.



Create a simple working prototype that shortens the path from raw data to meaningful insight. Through automated processing, visualization, or analysis, the solution should help users detect patterns sooner, investigate issues faster, and convert complex undersea mission data into decisions that strengthen operational effectiveness.

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General Categories of Interest

SOLVING DEFENSE PROBLEMS, ALSO HELPS SOLVE WORLD PROBLEMS. THINK DUAL USE SOLUTIONS.

Training & Human Performance

Immersive Simulation | Skill Retention | Cognitive Load | Team Readiness | Physical Readiness

Helping

our Defenders

Mental Health | Sleep & Recovery | Injury Prevention | PTSD & Depression

Veteran & Community

Support

Deployment Challenges | Family, Spouse & Child Support | Workforce Transition | Healthcare Access

EVENT AGENDA

Get ready for an action packed 48 Hours!

Hosted at Northeastern University

225 Terry Ave N. Seattle Wa 98109


PITCHES AND TEAMS

The night you chart a course for fun & excitement. Have an idea? Pitch it. Heard a fantastic idea? Join a team. As is with most jams, remember to bring your development gear.


2:00 - 3:00pm - Registration/Networking

3:00 - 3:30pm - Kick-Off / Challenges Presentation

3:30 - 4:00pm - Pitches

4:30 - 5:00pm - Teams assembled

5:00 - 6:00pm - Dinner & Start Development

7:30pm - End of Day 1

THE GRIND

The non-stop game-building action remains non-stop, except for the times you have to stop for food and ask for help.


10:00am - 11:30am - Arrive and Dev continues

11:30am - 12:30pm - Lunch Served

12:30 - 5:30pm - Dev Continues

5:30 - 6:30pm - Dinner served

6:30 - 7:30pm - Dev Continues

7:30pm - End of Day 2

FINAL SHOWCASE

The hard work hopefully looks like it is forming into something recognizable as fun. Success or failure, hopefully, you learned something. Tonight, you will present your team’s game concept for everyone to enjoy!


10:00am - 11:00am Arrive, continue development

11:00am - 12:00n - Finalize prototypes

12:00n - 1:30pm - Lunch & Judging

1:30 - 2:30pm - Presentations & Awards

3:00pm - Jam concludes

Core Ecosystem Benefits

These are the fundamental goals we ask of ourselves and our partners

within all of our actions and activities, as we tackle hard problems and seek their solutions.

Relationship

Building

We create spaces where developers, industry leaders, students and experts connect in meaningful ways. These relationships often evolve into lasting friendships, partnerships, mentorships, and collaborations.

Innovation

meets Mission

Our jams must act as rapid prototyping labs where teams explore new and experimental frontier tech and test bold ideas. This low-risk environment sparks innovation and insights that partners can take back into their organizations.

We must create a safe and fun place to fail or succeed.

Regional

Spotlight

Our events must highlight the strengths that define a region—By showcasing local talent and organizations we elevate our cities, counties and communities in a positive and unique ways onto a national and global stage.

Recruitment, Retention & Refinement

Our jams give developers a chance to sharpen their skills in a fast, creative environment while companies can provide stimulating experiences that help retain their talent. At the same time, sponsors and mentors can spot emerging talent in action, creating natural pathways for recruitment and team growth.

Is this jam for me?

How can I get Involved?

Defense Subject Matter Experts (SMEs)

You know the lay of the land, of the industry, or the hard aspects of conflict, war and maintaining peace. Have you been in the field as active military or supported our guardians, warfighters, and defenders? The devs don't know what you know. We need you to guide our teams as they rapidly prototype solutions.

Join as Defense SME

Tech & Game Dev Mentors


Building things the smart way is already hard, with limited time is even harder. If you are an expert in the  tools, devices, software, platforms and methods that can make solutions happen we need you to help guide the devs building under pressure.

Join as Gaming/Tech Mentor

Sponsors / R&D Partners

You make innovation happen. You will be in front of highly skilled, trained talent, have your brand on full display and fully integrated into the weekend. Have a technology you want some R&D experimented on? Have a challenge you want others to take a stab at? Want to highlight your brand or tech? We need you!

Join as Partner/Sponsor

Game & Tech

Developers

You turn ideas into reality. Whether you build immersive games, develop cutting-edge software, or craft innovative tech solutions, your skills bring visions to life. Over an intense weekend, you’ll join forces with experts, mentors, and innovators to tackle challenges, prototype rapidly, and create something amazing from the ground up.

Join as a Participant

First

Timers

New to game jams, hackathons, or tech events? This is your chance to dive in, learn, and create alongside experienced developers, mentors, and industry pros. No matter your skill level, you’ll gain hands-on experience, build your portfolio, this is a safe place to fail or success and discover just how much you can accomplish in one weekend.

Join as a First Timer

SO HOW DOES THE EVENT WORK?

THROUGH THE CHAOS OF RAPID INNOVATION EMERGES MISSION FOCUS

Step 1

Select a Challenge

There are so many areas of military simulation that need help! Choose a category of military simulation(see below) and take on the challenge to create an innovative solution using gaming and emerging technology. Speak to experts, take their advice and incorporate your own ideas into your solution. Consider that boundaries often spark the best creativity!

Step 3

Form Dev Teams

Don’t have an existing development team? No problem! We will form teams at the event. All skills and skill levels welcome. Also remember to bring your own development equipment (Desktop, Monitor, Laptop, VR headsets, musical instruments, etc).

Step 4

Build Your Game

Developing software, games or experiences in 48 hours is hard, exhausting, and laborious work that is also collaborative, thought provoking, exciting, rewarding, and fun.

Step 2

Pitch Your Idea (Or Not)

Ideas for solutions will be focused on one of the challenges and/or categories of interest. The best ideas will be used to make innovative solutions for military simulation! If you just want to use your skills then join one of the ideas pitched instead!

Step 1

Select a Challenge

There are so many areas of healthcare that need help! Choose a category of healthcare (see below) and take on the challenge to create an innovative solution using gaming and emerging technology. Speak to experts, take their advice and incorporate your own ideas into your solution. Consider that boundaries often spark the best creativity!

Step 3

Form Dev Teams

Don’t have an existing development team? No problem! We will form teams at the event. All skills and skill levels welcome. Also remember to bring your own development equipment (Desktop, Monitor, Laptop, VR headsets, musical instruments, etc).

Step 4

Build Your Game

Developing software, games or experiences in 48 hours is hard, exhausting, and laborious work that is also collaborative, thought provoking, exciting, rewarding, and fun.

Step 2

Pitch Your Idea (Or Not)

Have a great idea, or know someone who does? Everyone is welcome to pitch their concept using gaming tech to the group. The best ideas will be used to make innovative solutions for healthcare! If you just want to use your skills then join one of the ideas pitched instead!

PRIZES AND AWARDS

1st Place - $1000

2nd Place - $500

3rd Place - $250

$100 for each Bounty

  • Best Original Artwork 
  • Best Sound/Music/FX
  • Best Narrative Experience

1st Place - $5000

2nd Place - $3500

3rd Place - $1000

$100 for each Bounty

  • Best Original Artwork 
  • Best Sound/Music/FX
  • Best Narrative Experience

OUR AMAZING VENUE

PNW / Seattle

HELPFUL SKILLS

F E A T U R E S

  • Game Design

    Have you got a game? In your head? About military sim? And you just need to get it out, with the support of a strong team? Join on of ours!

  • Programming

    Are your algorithms Karplus-Strong? Take this opportunity to show everyone the strength of your Programming Kung Fu by creating an epically optimized galactic adventure! 

  • Music

    Great music and sound effects have the capacity to truly transform a game into an experience. Jams aren’t just for programmers- musicians wanted!

  • Motion & Video

    Quickly generate excitement for your team’s game with an awesome, funny, inspiring, silly, educational, or all-of-the-above trailer- here’s an example from a previous game jam! 

  • Technology

    Games can require a lot of interaction & integration with various technologies, PC, Mac, Mobile Phones, Tablets, SDKs, APIs, Plugins, Consoles and kitchen sinks. If you can leap these hurdles in a single bound, then we need you!

  • Art

    Artists wanted: 2D or 3D and must have skills (middling to mad; negotiable) and the ability to have fun while creating serious beauty. Come get your art on! 

  • Marketing & PR

    If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, did it make a sound? You get the idea- our teams need exposure! If you are a mad social scientist, bring your promotional knowledge to the table. Without advertising, a terrible thing happens- nothing! 

  • UI/UX Design

    Is the rest of your team so worried about finishing that they haven’t even considered usability? Did they forget the astronaut needs access to a restroom? Perhaps… It is your time to shine.

  • Defense Expert

    You certainly couldn’t have an Armed Forces Jam without some bonafide professionals! If you’re a veteran, active duty member of the military, or professional within a defense industry contractor then we need your insights, guidance and support. Join a team or consult with them all!

Check out Previous Projects

Learn about EMERGING & GAMING TECH

USED WITHIN THE MILITARY SIMULATION INDUSTRY

CAPT. DAN COVELLI -

ARMED FORCES JAM INTERVIEW

TYSON GRIFFIN - DESCRIBES THE VALUE OF GAME JAMS EFFECT ON IMPROVING DEFENSE WITH TALENT & CREATIVITY

Previous Esteemed JUDGES

SUPPORT US

Are you an organization within the Defense Industry?

Be a part of this event. With your help we can discover innovative and sometimes unconventional concepts

that can help our Defense Industry and this event is the place to do it!


We’d also love for you to participate in our Innovation & Diversifier Challenges: You provide us a set of goals or initiatives

and watch as some of our development teams take them on, building games incorporating the elements in which you are interested.

INTERESTED?

Want exposure and make an impact? Click Here to become a Sponsor

ORGANIZING EVENT COLLABORATORS


Supporting the Central Florida Tech Grove and their national security agency customers

with rapid innovation for challenging needs

Prize Pool Sponsor

Food everyday, Working with awesome talented people, working on something cool like games, lasting connections & opportunities

ARE YOU READY TO JOIN IN?

CONTACT US

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You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.
– Albert Einstein
Indienomicon Foundation Inc.

hello@indienomicon.org