The “Hellenic Cosmos” Cultural Centre of the Foundation of the Hellenic World (FHW) is hosting for the fourth year the Global Game Jam [Athens] this year and offers to those who take part the unique opportunity to create a game for the interactive Tholos, the hemispherical Virtual Reality theatre it features.
At Global Game Jam [Athens] 2026, participants, working in teams, create within 48 hours a game based on the theme that will be announced at the opening. Global Game Jam [Athens] is addressed to those who have a passion for game creation regardless of age, experience, or technical background. A Game Jam is the ideal event to meet and collaborate with new people and to generate new ideas.
Many teams that were formed at similar events have continued beyond the time limits of the event. Many games that were initially created as prototypes for the event evolved into complete games with full features and have achieved significant success.
You do not need to have a team in order to participate in a Game Jam. Often, teams are formed after the theme presentation by people who are drawn to a common idea. Contrary to what one might think, this is very important.
If you love games, if you want to create your own game, if you want to test the limits of your creativity, we are waiting for you on January 30 – February 1.
If you need more information, you can visit the website globalgamejamathens.gr
There you will find additional details about the event such as:
- Preparation information for less experienced participants
- Videos from previous events to get the vibe
- Games developed in our previous events to have fun and see what is feasible to develop in 48 hours
- The themes of previous events to start getting ideas
Out of competition, the Foundation of the Hellenic World will offer to the best implementation for the Tholos the illustrated prize, as well as the opportunity for their game to be available to visitors of the “Hellenic Cosmos” Cultural Centre.
The jury for the prize will consist of FHW executives and, beyond technical excellence and game quality, the following factors will also be taken into account:
- Game duration (ideally 2–5 minutes)
- The way crowd interaction was implemented (is it fun for everyone?)
- Edutainment, meaning it is both Entertaining and Educational
- Suitability for young ages
- Whether it has a theme related to Greek Culture
See how to create a game for the Tholos using the Unity engine.
Download the Unity Framework 2026 here
GGJ [Athens] 2026 Schedule
The following schedule is indicative. There may be changes to the times depending on the progress of the work. The schedule will be adjusted according to the needs that arise. Specifically, regarding the duration of the game presentations on Sunday, we cannot estimate the exact time, as this will depend on the number of games developed and the progress of each team’s presentations.
Friday 30/01/2026
14:00 – Arrival, registration, coffee, networking
15:00 – Start of Presentations – Talks *The program will be announced soon.
16:45 – Keynote video and Global Game Jam 2024 theme presentation
17:15 – Break, Brainstorming
18:00 – Idea pitching – Team formation
20:00 – Start of game development, visit to the Tholos
Saturday 31/01/2026
15:00 – Deadline for creating a Game Project on the Global Game Jam website (http://globalgamejam.org/)
Sunday 01/02/2026
15:00 – Start of game uploading (submission) to the website
17:00 – Completion of game development and submission process.
17:00 – Break, Networking, coffee, testing of games by developers.
18:00 – Game presentations
20:00 – End of Presentations **
21:00 – Departure
* – The talks will be broadcast via Live streaming
** – The end of the presentations will depend on the progress of the presentations. The rest of the schedule will be adjusted accordingly
