🍎 Refresh Annapolis Valley Game Jam 🌊

Date
Thursday, Apr 30, 2026 at 11:59PM
Hosted By
Hoist AV is a space for teens interested in design, entrepreneurship and programming.
Presenter

Calling all student coders! Are you ready to build the next big arcade hit? We are hosting a Game Jam where you get to create your very own video game using Microsoft MakeCode Arcade.

A Game Jam is a fun race to make a game based on a specific theme. Whether you’re a pro or just starting out, we want to see what you can create!

🗺️ The Theme: Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia

Your game must be inspired by our home, the Annapolis Valley! Think about what makes this place special. You can focus on history, nature, local legends, your school, or your favourite local shop. If it is in, or from, the Annapolis Valley, it is game.

💡 Need ideas? Check these out:

  • The World’s Biggest Tides: Did you know the Bay of Fundy has the highest tides on Earth? The water can rise up to 16m — that’s as tall as a four-story building!

  • Apple Power: French settlers planted the first apple trees here way back in 1633. At one point, the Valley harvested nearly 3 million barrels of apples a year!

  • Acadian Engineering: Hundreds of years ago, Acadians built “dykes” and “aboiteaux” (special water gates) to reclaim land from the sea for farming.

  • Ghostly History: From the oldest English graveyard in Canada to local “Ghost Walks,” there are plenty of spooky stories to tell.

🕹️ Level Up Your Ideas (Interpretations)

Here are a few examples of how you could use the theme:

  • Tide Runner: A platformer where you have to collect fossils on the ocean floor and get back to the cliffs before the 16m tide rushes back in!

  • Apple Orchard Tycoon: A catch-style game where you sort different types of apples (like Gravensteins or Snow apples) as they fall from the trees.

  • Dyke Defender: A strategy game where you help Acadian farmers build and repair dykes to keep the salt water off their crops.

💰 The Loot (Prizes)

  • 🥇 1st Place: $100

  • 🥈 2nd Place: $75

  • 🥉 3rd Place: $50

  • All submissions (rated beginner and above) will be featured on the Valley wide traveling arcade.

📜 The Rules

  • Platform: You must build your game in Microsoft MakeCode Arcade. You can use Blocks, Python, or JavaScript.

  • Content: Keep it PG! No inappropriate or excessively violent stuff.

  • Contestants: Coders must be elementary to high school aged, and living with the Annapolis Valley.

  • Originality: It must be your own work (or your team’s work).

  • Submission: Share your game by generating a “Share Link” in MakeCode and sending it to us (below for). Submissions need to be received before end of day April 30, 2026.

⏰ Important Dates

  • Start Coding: Right now!

  • Deadline: April 30th

Get started today and show us what makes the Annapolis Valley awesome! 🚀

⚖️ How Do We Judge?

Get points for scoring big across the following 4 categories:

Category Novice Beginner Intermediate Proficient Exemplary
Gameplay Game is barely playable or objective is unknown. Functional but repetitive. Difficulty is flat. Clear objective. Playable. Standard difficulty curve. Engaging flow. Difficulty ramps up. Controls feel tuned. “Addictive” loop. Innovative mechanics. Perfect pacing. High replay value.
Technical Spaghetti code (one long script). High redundancy. Basic event logic. Some variables used. Uses Functions for organization. Readable logic. Advanced logic (Arrays, Sprite Data). Modular code. Algorithmic mastery (custom physics, AI). Efficient & Clean.
Polish No sound. Default assets only. No UI. Basic sound. Mixed assets. Basic score UI. Consistent art. BG Music. Start/End screens. Custom art/music. Animated UI. Tutorial included. “Juicy” effects (shake, particles). Seamless transitions. Professional feel.
Theme Theme ignored. Theme present in title only. Theme integrated into visuals/story. Theme integrated into gameplay mechanics. Theme is central to the innovation of the game.

🧑‍⚖️ Judges

  • Connor Bell: hi! i’m connor. i write code and make art. my code lives on SourceHut and Shadertoy. i’m a Senior Software Developer at Unity.

  • 2 More TBA

🛟 Need Help?

Struggling to figure out how to code an element of your game? We are hosting office hours to help you out:

  • March 7, 2 - 4PM
  • March 21, 2 - 4 PM
  • April 4, 2- 4 PM
  • April 18, 2 - 4 PM
  • Alternative office hours available on request

Drop an email to confirm your spot!

📃 Submissions

Hosted by Hoist Annapolis Valley. A monthly series of workshops for teens interested in design, entrepreneurship and programming.

Thursday, Apr 30, 2026 at 11:59PM