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GDG Stanford: AI-Generated Game Playcast Contest | $9K Prize Pool | Sponsored by DeepMind [Online]
Dream a game. Film it with AI. Go viral.
What if an AI could dream a game into existence — visuals, gameplay, atmosphere — and you captured it on video? That's exactly the challenge.
This is a continuation of our prototype hackathon series, but with a twist: no prototype needed. Just a short AI-generated playcast of a game that doesn't exist yet.
Some game playcasts have cracked 100M+ views. If yours does, your distribution problem is solved.
🎮 The Challenge
Create a 10–30 second AI-generated video playcast of a completely fictional game. Invent the game. Invent the visuals. Invent the vibe. Use any AI tools you want.
Study these for inspiration (the first is the gold standard with 100M+ views):
💰 Prize Pool
$1,000 Cash Prize Pool
1st place: $500
2nd place: $300
3rd place: $200
$8,000 in GCP Credits — courtesy of DeepMind
1st place: $5,000 in GCP credits
2nd place: $2,000 in GCP credits
3rd place: $1,000 in GCP credits
📅 Timeline
Opens: Now
Submission Deadline: Apr 25th Saturday, 10:00 AM PST
📋 How to Submit
Publish your playcast as a public or unlisted YouTube video, then submit a PDF (exported from Google Doc) containing:
Step-by-step proof of work
Reference images copy-pasted directly into the doc
Links to any intermediate videos (unlisted YT clips)
Link to your final playcast (YT link)
A Google Form link:
https://forms.gle/ZzTMd6EZuBJwGQrs9
What is a playcast? A playcast is a short video that looks like real gameplay footage — capturing a game's visuals, action, and on-screen interface as if someone is actively playing it.
👾 Expected Elements in Your Playcast
To make your video feel like genuine gameplay rather than a cinematic animation, it should include recognizable gaming elements:
Typical UI / HUD — Score counters, timers, level indicators and similar game UI elements that ground it in a game world.
Core Mechanics in Action — Visual cues that the game is being played: a hero weaving through traps, puzzle pieces clearing, and so on.
⚖️ How You'll Be Judged
YouTube engagement — Likes collected in the first 24–48 hours after posting (so publish early!).
Judge review — Creativity, quality, and the reproducibility of your process.
✅ Rules
Open to everyone — no prior hackathon experience needed.
Your AI-generated playcast must look like real gameplay footage.
No AI glitches.
No copyrighted game assets or licensed music.
If submitted video has narrative it should be in english.
No ads overlay on a video.
All AI and non-AI tools are welcome.