Welcome to Blocktoberfest Game Jam 2025
Presented in partnership with Atari® and Block of Horror™ — powered by Portals
Over four weeks, creators from around the world will unleash their darkest ideas in the ultimate celebration of horror and classic gaming.
Build a playable experience or immersive artwork using iconic Atari game worlds or the chilling original concepts of Block of Horror, all inside the browser-based, no-code Portals platform.
Whether you’re a veteran developer, a 3D artist, or a first-time world builder, Blocktoberfest is your chance to remix legendary IP, scare players, and show the global audience what modern horror games can be. All projects are created remotely and showcased entirely online.
The jam runs September 26 – October 24, 2025, followed by judging and a live public showcase on Halloween week. A total prize pool of $50,000 USD is up for grabs across multiple game and art categories.
About Portals
Portals is a browser-based platform for building games without code. Start fast with a drag-and-drop editor, add interactions and rules with visual no-code logic, and iterate right in your browser. Whether it’s your first project or your hundredth, Portals is designed so anyone can create and share a game. All submissions to Blocktoberfest must be built using Portals.
Get started creating your own game on Portals today!
Getting started guide.
- Create an account on Portals.
- Follow the Getting Started Guide.
- Join our Discord and ask questions if you get stuck.
- Watch the beginners tutorial video:
Prizes
A total of $50,000 USD in cash prizes will be awarded. Big Prizes and Mini Prizes are judged separately.
Big Prizes — Games
- Atari Track
1st: $10,000 | 2nd: $7,500 | 3rd: $2,500 - Block of Horror Track
1st: $10,000 | 2nd: $7,500 | 3rd: $2,500 - Artist Track
1st: $2,500 | 2nd: $1,500 | 3rd: $1,000
Mini Prizes — Community's Choice
- Scare Award — Outstanding job scaring the daylights out of the audience: $1,000
- Shocker Award — Outstanding job with a big reveal or twist: $1,000
- Creativity Award — Outstanding use of the IP while expanding upon its art/lore/ethos: $1,000
- Community Award — Best game as voted on by the community: $2,000
Winners for the Big Prizes are selected by consensus among the judging panel. The Community's Choice awards are determined by community voting.
Requirements
All submissions must meet the following requirements to be eligible for judging and prizes.
Core Requirements
- Built using the Portals no-code editor.
- Fully playable with clear start and end conditions (or a looping structure). Artist Track submissions may be non-interactive scenes.
- Submitted by October 23, 2025 — 11:59 PM UTC.
- No NSFW, hateful, plagiarized, or abusive content.
- Comply with the event Code of Conduct.
Theme Requirement
Every submission must clearly integrate official IP from either Atari® or Block of Horror™. Only the allowed titles listed below are permitted.
- Acceptable approaches include visual references, characters, settings, or storylines based on the chosen title.
- Original ideas are welcome as long as the selected IP is unmistakably present and recognizable.
Technical Guidelines
- Test thoroughly in browser.
- Optimize load times and asset performance for smooth play or viewing.
Game Tracks
Choose one of the three creative paths for your submission. Every entry must be built in Portals and must clearly feature official IP from either Atari® or Block of Horror™. Only the titles listed below are permitted.
1. Atari Track (Allowed Titles Only)
- Haunted House
- Dark Chambers
- Dracula: The Undead
- Shark Jaws
- Witch Hunt
- Black Widow
- Demons to Diamonds
- Alien Brigade
2. Block of Horror Track (Allowed Titles Only)
- BUG SUCKERS
- CARRION
- HOUSE
- DEVIL-A-POD
- GIANT MONSTER: DESTROY
- HELL FROZEN OVER
- HOW I BROUGHT ABOUT THE END OF THE WORLD
- LEFTOVERS
- MUTANT MANIAC
- THE NIGHT CHILDREN
- TRANSFORMATION OF THE WOLF
- XENON SPACE RIDERS
3. Artist Track (3D Showcase)
A dedicated path for 3D artists. Submit a Portals scene that showcases your 3D assets themed around an allowed Atari or Block of Horror title. No game logic is required for this track; focus on visual design, composition, materials, lighting, and atmosphere.
- Display your assets inside Portals as a walkable or viewable scene.
- Accepted input: GLB (or create/import directly within Portals).
- Artist Track is judged separately from game tracks with its own prizes.
Judging Criteria
Entries are judged separately within their chosen track (Atari, Block of Horror, or Artist). All scoring uses a 1–10 scale per category. In the event of a tie, winners are selected by consensus among judges.
Judging Window
- Judging Period: October 25 – October 30, 2025
- Public Showcase + Winner Reveal: October 31 – November 3, 2025
Game Tracks (Atari / Block of Horror)
- Use of IP — Clear, creative integration of the chosen allowed title; faithful nods, smart reinterpretations, and recognizable elements.
- Gameplay & Mechanics — Fun factor, clarity of goals, feedback loops, balance, replay value, and moment-to-moment engagement.
- Horror & Atmosphere — Sound, visuals, pacing, tension, and overall mood appropriate to the selected IP and horror theme.
- Polish & Performance — Stability in-browser, loading performance, coherent UX, minimal bugs, and smooth presentation.
- Creativity & Innovation — Original hooks, inventive mechanics or presentation, and memorable ideas that elevate the experience.
Artist Track (3D Showcase)
- IP Integration — Recognizable, tasteful use of the selected allowed title; visual motifs and narrative cues that clearly tie to the IP.
- Artistic Quality — Modeling, materials, texturing, scale, silhouette, and coherence of style; strong craft and finish.
- Composition & Lighting — Staging, mood, readability, focal points, and atmosphere within the Portals scene.
- Technical Execution — Clean geometry, sensible poly density, performant assets, and smooth in-browser viewing.
- Originality — Fresh interpretation, surprising details, and memorable visual ideas.
Scoring Notes: Judges will play or explore submissions in-browser via Portals. Short, complete experiences are fine; ensure start/end conditions are clear and scenes load quickly.