About the challenge:
History remembers its heroes, but it is often shaped by the forces working quietly in the background. In this round, you are not the chosen savior—you are the system, intelligence, or power influencing the course of events.
Perhaps you are an algorithm optimizing society through uncomfortable trade-offs, a mysterious entity guiding the beliefs of your followers, or a strategist designing challenges that quietly shape a hero’s path. Your goal is not chaos, but control—justified through logic, efficiency, or necessity.
Participants must create an experience where progress comes from calculated decisions that gradually reshape the world. As the player’s influence grows, the world should react: conversations become more cautious, spaces feel more subdued, and characters respond with uncertainty or quiet unease.
The challenge lies in making players confront the consequences of their own reasoning. You are not simply opposing the hero—you are the force that proves how easily power, when paired with convincing logic, can redefine what feels acceptable.
Get started:
You are not a villain driven by cruelty; you are a system pursuing its own logic. Whether you are an autonomous intelligence optimizing the world through uncompromising metrics, or a powerful entity drawing strength from the unwavering devotion of followers, your choices are guided by cold, calculated reasoning. The tension of this theme lies in justification. Your task is to show how, when power becomes absolute and logic drifts away from empathy, decisions that reshape the world can begin to feel disturbingly easy to defend.
Requirements
What to Build:
The hallmark of a successful entry is how it handles the player’s progression. We are moving away from the "climax of chaos" toward the climax of silence.
- The Erosion of Hope: Success is not measured by high scores or cheers, but by the gradual removal of energy and hope.
- Dynamic Desolation: As the player grows more powerful, the world around you shouldn't just get harder—it should get quieter, emptier, and more terrified.
- The Mirror Effect: By the end of the experience, the player should realize that they didn't just "play" a villain—they proved that, given enough power and a "logical" reason, anyone can become the villain.
What to Submit:
- Playable Build: Must be compatible with Windows or WebGL.
- The "Villain's Logic" Document: A 200-word statement explaining the philosophical justification behind the player's destructive actions.
- The Decay Preview: A 60-second gameplay clip demonstrating the "Quiet Ending" as the player gains power.
Prizes
1st Place
Certificate from Postman API
2nd Place
Best Player Experience
Best Visual and Graphics
Devpost Achievements
Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:
Judges
Postman
Judging Criteria
-
Systemic Dismantling
How effectively the gameplay simulates "unmaking" a world. -
Atmospheric Decay
Technical execution of the world becoming quieter and emptier. -
Narrative Justification
The quality of the villain's logic—is it chillingly sound? -
Technical Polish
Stability, UI/UX, and overall game feel.
Questions? Email the hackathon manager
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