We’re calling all developers to take part in Genies Jam: a Unity game development competition called CHANGING IDENTITIES.

What is Genies Jam? 

The challenge is simple: using Genies’ Avatar SDK for Unity, developers are tasked with creating games focused on player avatars within a ten-day timeframe. While there is plenty of fun to be had, this competition has real stakes — event winners will receive the following prizes: 

🏆 1st Place:  $1,000 prize 

🥈 2nd Place: $500 prize 

🥉 3rd Place:  $250 prize 

 🎖 4th–10th Place: $50 Visa gift cards

👗 Best Clothing Asset: $200 cash prize

That’s not all — we’ve also partnered with the San Francisco Game Development Community to offer the exciting opportunity for one winner to feature their game at Game Developers Conference 2026! The selected winner can showcase their game from the official SF Game Development booth, and they will also receive a complimentary GDC 2026 event pass. 

If you don’t win a prize in the competition, you still have a chance to walk away a winner: 

After the event concludes, 20 $25 gift cards will be raffled off to those who complete the post-Jam survey — competition winners are excluded from consideration, increasing your odds of walking away with a gift!

How do I participate in Genies Jam? 

Participants must create an account on Genies Hub in order to be eligible for Genies Jam. 

All Genies Jam participants are required to use the Genies Avatar SDK for their Unity project. This kit enables participants to build character-centric game prototypes with Genies’ avatar framework. Those interested in participating should make sure they have installed Unity 2022.3.62f2 and downloaded the Genies Avatar SDK from the Unity Asset Store. 

In the event you get stuck while using the Genies Avatar SDK, you can always refer to our Getting Started guide to help troubleshoot your issues. If you need additional technical support during the event, you can connect with our team in the Genies Discord server for assistance. 

What is the Genies Avatar SDK? 

The Avatar Software Development Kit is a free, ready out-of-the-box avatar solution for Unity game development. This SDK provides everything you need to integrate expressive, customizable avatars directly into your own games and virtual experiences. 

Avatar Framework

At the core of the Genies Avatar SDK is our Avatar Framework — a flexible system for building and integrating high-quality avatars into your game world. These characters can easily adapt to your existing setup, including games with pre-built custom animations or control systems. 

The framework is designed to make characters persistent, interoperable, and fully customizable, enabling developers to define their game’s look, style, and animation logic, all while maintaining cross-platform compatibility for any experience requiring players to log into their Genies accounts. Whether you’re building a social experience, UGC platform, or multiplayer adventure, the Avatar Framework enables you to deliver characters that are natural, performant, and unique to each player.

Avatar Editor & Genies Closet

Our high-fidelity avatars are fully customizable through our Avatar Editor and the Genies Closet, which are both included in the Genies Avatar SDK. Everything from the avatar’s physical attributes to clothing and accessories can be tailored, empowering developers to bring their characters’ digital identities to life. With our interoperable asset pipeline, players and developers can create, upload, and store their own clothing models. Our auto-rigging technology ensures that any asset can seamlessly work with others in its environment. Players can earn these assets, receive them as rewards, or purchase them from other players. These assets persist in their inventories across any experience that supports Genies' avatars.

Genies Login

Through the Genies Login, avatars are also interoperable across any game built with the SDK. By using the Starter Sample in the Avatar SDK package, developers can easily customize the login UI with the preconfigured login scripts. On the Genies Hub website, developers and users can set up their accounts to leverage their avatars wherever Genies Login is integrated. The streamlined login system offers a simple, persistent identity layer for your players, allowing them to carry the same avatar and inventory anywhere the Genies framework is supported.

What are the Rules for Genies Jam? 

Individual developers and teams are both welcome to the Genies Jam. There are no limits to how many team members are allowed, but we recommend keeping teams to four or fewer participants. 

Tip: Can’t find anyone to team up with for the event? Visit the #find-a-team channel on Discord to team up with fellow jammers! 

1. Projects must be created with Unity. 

2. Projects must be submitted as playable games for Windows, Mac, iOS, or Android, or as project ZIP files. 

3. All projects must be uniquely created during and for Genies Jam — previously created games may not be submitted.

4. Pre-existing code or assets that you have legal rights to are permitted, but you MUST disclose them in your submission. Please note — this will negatively affect your score in the “Visuals” category to keep the jam fair to those who create code and assets from scratch. 

5. Submissions must be safe and appropriate for all audiences. Nudity, profanity, sexual content, or other inappropriate material is strictly prohibited.

What are the Judgment Criteria?

Games submitted for Genies Jam will be evaluated across five distinct categories: 

1. Theme: How does your game meet the theme of the event? Creative interpretations are welcome!

2. Fun: Is your game enjoyable to play? 

3. Innovation: Did you develop new game mechanics or bring an interesting twist to the game’s aesthetics?

4. Visuals: How well do your art and style come together in your game?

5. Audio: How immersive are your audio files and sound effects?

How can I sign up for Genies Jam?

Click here to register today! Submissions are now open and close December 22nd 2025 at 1:00 PM.