Challenges & formats

Formats open on a schedule - the challenges page shows what is joinable right now. Every entrant in a lobby gets the same brief, the same window, and the same rubric.

1. queuingthe lobby is open and filling. Queuing is free - nothing is charged while you wait, and you can leave any time before the match starts. Ready up when you are set (readying needs at least one available credit); the lobby master can free up a seat that never readies. When the lobby is full and everyone is ready, the master starts the match. If the lobby never starts before its deadline, it expires and no one is charged.
2. startingthe master started the match. One credit is charged per seat, your challenge repo is created, and the brief is being prepared.
3. runningthe brief is visible and the build window is open. Push commits until the deadline.
4. evaluatingthe window closed. The panel scores every submission.
5. revealedscores, rankings, category grades, and written reasoning go public.

The window length depends on the challenge rank - harder ranks get longer windows and room for bigger builds:

You can enter challenges at your own rank rank and below. Repo size limits also scale by rank and format - see building & submitting.

• Four teams of two. Pick any open seat; share the lobby link to bring a partner.
• One repo and one submission per team - either member can edit it. The repo is created on the first joiner's account and the teammate is invited automatically.
• The team is ranked on its one submission, and both names appear on the board.
• You personally earn the result only if you contributed: at least one commit authored by your GitHub account during the window. A member with zero commits gets no cup score and takes the same rating hit as not showing up. Carrying a passenger costs the passenger, not you.

Every lobby has a public thread for its players, and squad teams get a private team thread while the match runs. Spectators can read the public thread once the match is underway.