Build the greatest game.
Level up your creativity by participating in the
VRmont Cup Video Game Design Competition!
What is it?
This is a video game design competition for students aged 11-18 (grades 6-12)! Create your own game development studio and design elements for an open source video game! The best submission will be included as a storyquest (playable minigame) in the video game Threadbare, and all submissions will be available for future developers to use in their awesome creations!
Two Competition Tracks!
Choose one:
Explore: Threadbare
Design individual assets for a premade storyquest.
Best for beginner developers!
or
Core: Threadbare
Design a storyquest from scratch!
Best for more advanced developers, or for those wanting more of a challenge!
Schedule of Events
Registration
Open Now! Ends March 10th
Register your team (or as a solo developer) today!
Competition Starts!
This is the official start date for the competition! Feel free to get your teams ready ahead of time, and don’t forget to register!
February 16th, 2026
Live workshop 1 - Coding
Wednesday February 25th, 2026, 3pm-5pm
23-25 Main St, Springfield VT 05156, or virtually.
Need help getting started on your code? Need advice on where to find resources? Have a specific coding-related question? Come to this workshop in-person or via zoom. This will also serve as your opportunity to find more members for your game development studio!
Live workshop 2 - Project Management
Wednesday March 4th, 2026, 3pm-5pm
23-25 Main St, Springfield VT 05156, or virtually.
Learn how to keep your project on track and your team members productive! Join in-person or via Zoom.
Live workshop 3 - Art and Animation
Wednesday March 11th, 2026, 3pm-5pm
23-25 Main St, Springfield VT 05156, or virtually.
Learn how to make some amazing artwork for your project! Join in-person or via Zoom.
Wednesday March 18th, 2026, 3pm-5pm
23-25 Main St, Springfield VT 05156, or virtually.
Live workshop 4 - Music/sfx
Learn how to create and add music and sound effects to your storyquest! Join in-person or via Zoom.
Live workshop 5 - Narrative and Storytelling
Wednesday March 25th, 2026, 3pm-5pm
23-25 Main St, Springfield VT 05156, or virtually.
Learn how to create a stunning narrative that will immerse your players in your storyquest! Join in-person or via Zoom.
Wednesday April 1st, 2026, 3pm-5pm
23-25 Main St, Springfield VT 05156, or virtually.
Live workshop 6 - Marketing
Learn how to design amazing advertising campaigns and a go-to-market strategy for your storyquest! Join in-person or via Zoom.
Final Submission Deadline
April 10th, 2026, 11:59pm
Make sure your submissions are all in! Submit at https://studio.endlessstudios.com/
Live awards micro-con!
Saturday April 18th, 2026, 1-4pm
Hula Lakeside
50 Lakeside Ave, Burlington, VT 05401
Join us at the beautiful Hula Lakeside in Burlington for a game development micro-con and VRmont Cup awards ceremony! Meet game developers from the industry and learn about what other game developers from the region are creating!
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
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Students in 6th-12th grade (ages 11-18) are eligible to join, whether they’re new to game development or already have experience.
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There are two tracks:
Explore: Threadbare—students work in teams to create assets for Art, Sound, Engineering, Go-to-Market, Narrative, and Management/Production.
Core: Storyquest—students design and build two original game levels using the Godot engine and Endless Access Threadbare program.
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The program runs for 8 weeks (February-April), with a clear timeline of deliverables, workshops, and mentorship sessions. Key dates and deadlines are provided above.
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Student names and information are not public-facing and are not stored long-term in any database. Personal information is only used to identify who is a part of which team.
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Nope! You can complete as many or as few categories as you like! Choose from art/animation, narrative, music, coding, marketing, and project management categories and complete what interests you!
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Students receive mentorship from industry professionals, educators, and collegiate game developers, may attend hands-on workshops, and use provided templates and guidelines for each track. Instructional materials are available for educators and students.
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Projects are evaluated using transparent rubrics tailored to each track. Judges include industry professionals and educators, and feedback is provided at the final showcase event.
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The final showcase is held at Hula Lakeside in Burlington, where students present their work and families are welcome to celebrate their achievements. We will also showcase game developersfrom regional studios!
We expect the final event to last 2-3 hours. -
We will be releasing facilitator guides in future iterations of this contest, but will not have any available this year. If you would like to host sessions for students to work on their VRmont Cup submission, please feel free to do so! There will be resources such as slide decks, videos, and explanations that students can follow on their own. We encourage educators to also try out the resources and build their own creations!