MATLAB Central 25th Anniversary Contest Descriptions, Rules, and Terms

There are two MATLAB Central 25th Anniversary contests:

• STEM Showcase
• MATLAB One-button Game Mini Hack

To enter either contest, you must have a MathWorks Account. If you do not have a MathWorks Account, you can create a MathWorks account. No purchase is necessary to enter the contest.

The rules and terms described within govern your participation in the MATLAB Central 25th Anniversary contests.

Contests

MATLAB One-button Game Contest Mini Hack

How to participate

Build a game using only one button to play

Details:

• Each entry must contain MATLAB code
• Using AI is optional but encouraged
• Create tips & tricks posts in the Discussions area to share your knowledge

Timeframe

This contest runs for 4 weeks. It begins on November 2nd, 2026 at 00:00:00 am EST and ends on November 29th, 2026 at 11:59:59 pm EST.

Judging and Winner Selection

After the submission period closes, eligible submissions will be reviewed by a panel of MathWorks judges.

1. To be considered for a Grand Prize, a participant must submit at least one eligible game and create at least one eligible Tips & Tricks post in the MATLAB Central Discussions area during the contest period.

   Each participant considered for a Grand Prize will be evaluated using the following criteria:

   • Game Creativity
     The originality and inventiveness of the game concept, mechanics, visual design, theme, or use of the one-button constraint.

   • Gameplay and Use of the One-button Constraint
     How effectively the game creates a clear, engaging, and playable experience using only one button as the gameplay control.

   • Technical Execution
     How reliably the game operates and how effectively MATLAB is used to implement the game. Judges may consider functionality, code organization, responsiveness, and overall execution.

   • Tips & Tricks Post Quality
     The clarity, usefulness, accuracy, and educational value of the participant’s eligible Tips & Tricks post or posts. Judges will consider whether the content helps other community members understand the participant’s approach, learn a MATLAB technique, or create and improve their own games.

2. To be considered for a Most Played Award, a participant must submit at least one eligible game and create at least one eligible Tips & Tricks post in the MATLAB Central Discussions area during the contest period.

   For purposes of this award:

   • If an author submits more than one game, only that author’s single most-played eligible game will be used to determine the author’s leaderboard position.
   • If two or more eligible authors have the same number of recorded plays, the author whose qualifying game with more votes will receive the higher ranking.
   • MathWorks may exclude plays that it determines resulted from automated activity, manipulation, technical errors, or other activity inconsistent with fair participation.

Prizes

1. Grand Prizes
   MathWorks judges will hand-pick 3 participants as grand-prize winners according to the Judging and Winner Selection criteria above:
   • 1st place: $300
   • 2nd place: $200
   • 3rd place: $100
2. Most Played Award
   Top 10 Authors on the most-played games leaderboard will each get a $50 Amazon gift card according to the Judging and Winner Selection criteria above:
3. Weekly prizes
   • Each week, MathWorks will give out 5 MathWorks T-shirts or socks to authors who create a game.
   • Each week, MathWorks will give out 5 MathWorks T-shirts or socks to participants who play a game.
4. Virtual badges.
   Participants who submit a game that meets contest rules will earn a One-button Game badge.

Note: MathWorks staff can participate in the contests but are not eligible for prizes except for the virtual badge.

Terms and Conditions

MathWorks reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to modify or terminate the contest(s) for any reason, including in the event of any act or occurrence that it believes would corrupt the integrity, administration, or fairness of the contest(s). MathWorks is not responsible for lost, late, stolen, incomplete, illegible, inaccurate, undelivered, delayed, or misdirected entries. By participating in the contest(s), you agree to release, discharge, and hold harmless MathWorks, its respective affiliates, and any individuals engaged in the development or execution of the contest(s), from any liability, claims, losses, and damages arising out of or related to your participation in the contest(s) or the acceptance, use, misuse, or possession of any prize received in the contest(s). MathWorks collects personal information from you when you enter the contest(s). The information collected is subject to the Privacy Policy. Should you be selected as a winner and/or to receive a prize, you hereby authorize MathWorks to identify you as such, on websites owned by or affiliated with MathWorks, as well as certain other third party websites and/or applications. All taxes, fees, and surcharges on any prizes won are the sole responsibility of the recipients of such prizes.

You will continue to own any applicable intellectual property rights in your submissions, but by entering a submission, you grant to MathWorks a perpetual, worldwide royalty-free license to, without limitation, post the textual descriptions of the submissions on any website owned by or affiliated with MathWorks. Once you enter a submission, the submission cannot be modified in any way until after the judging period is complete.

You also agree to provide your submission directly to MathWorks, and grant to MathWorks a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, copy, modify, distribute, and license others to use, copy, modify, and distribute your submission, or any portion thereof, for any and all MathWorks promotional purposes, on any and all media, in any and all formats, and via any and all modes of transmission, distribution, or dissemination, whether now known or hereafter developed. Nothing herein shall obligate MathWorks to exercise these rights. You hereby waive any right of inspection or approval of the uses to which the submission may be put. You grant the judges the right to use your submission for the purposes of judging this Competition.

You warrant and represent that: (1) you are of eighteen (18) years of age or older, and have the capacity to enter into this agreement; (2) you are not an employee of MathWorks; (3) you have full right, power, and authority to grant these rights and permissions; and (4) your submission a) is original; b) is solely owned by you so that no other party has any rights or interest in the submission, whether known or unknown; and c) does not violate the intellectual property, common law, or any rights of any third parties. You agree that these Terms and the MATLAB Central Terms of Use constitute the entire agreement between you and MathWorks, and supersedes all prior communications and/or understandings, whether written or oral, pertaining hereto. You agree that this agreement will be governed by and construed under and in accordance with the laws of Massachusetts. The contest(s) are void where prohibited. The contest(s) are promoted by The MathWorks, Inc., 3 Apple Hill Drive, Natick, MA 01760-2098. Proof of purchase is not required, and purchase will not improve your chance of winning.