est. 2019 / season 14 loading

NERDATHONS

48 hours. One obsession. Ship something nobody asked for.

Weekend-long, theme-locked build marathons for coders, crafters, lore-keepers, and hardware gremlins. The only rule: finish something.

next drop: SPREADSHEET SORCERYbrooklyn // remote
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/01

What's a nerdathon

I.
Pick a theme

Each season we drop a weirdly specific prompt. You don't get to argue with it.

II.
Form a squad

Solo, duo, or a five-nerd dreamteam. Recruit in our Discord or show up alone.

III.
Ship in 48h

Friday 6pm to Sunday 6pm. Sleep is optional. Demo is mandatory.

/02

Upcoming drops

#001MAR 14–16

Spreadsheet Sorcery

Build something unhinged in a spreadsheet.

Brooklyn + Remote★★☆☆☆
#002APR 25–27

Lore Engine

Invent a world. Document it like Wikipedia.

Berlin + Remote★★★☆☆
#003JUN 06–08

Hardware Haiku

One PCB. One purpose. Seventeen syllables.

Tokyo + Remote★★★★★
/03

The four tracks

TRK.01
CODE

Compilers, CRDTs, cursed regex. If it segfaults, it counts.

TRK.02
CRAFT

Mech keyboards, 3D prints, hand-bound zines. Atoms welcome.

TRK.03
LORE

Wikis, taxonomies, fictional linguistics, fan canon defended.

TRK.04
HARDWARE

FPGAs, soldering irons, salvaged Game Boys. Smoke is feedback.

/04

Hall of legends

rankhandleartifact
001team_voidDOOM port that runs inside an Excel macro
002lichen.devGenerative tarot deck with 1,143 unique cards
003@bytebardA 47-page fictional ISO standard for tea brewing
004kernel_kidsMechanical keyboard shaped like the Linux mascot
005solo_pixelHand-drawn font with one glyph per Pokémon
/05

Frequently nerded questions

Do I need to know how to code?+

No. Half our winners can't open a terminal. Bring whatever obsession you've got.

Can I compete solo?+

Yes. Solo, duo, or squads up to five. Lone wolves have won twice.

What do I actually win?+

A custom-engraved aluminum trophy, lifetime bragging rights, and one (1) very strong handshake.

Is it really 48 hours straight?+

It's 48 hours on the clock. Sleep is allowed but historically discouraged.

What does it cost?+

$0 to enter. We're funded by sponsors who also peaked at LAN parties.

// transmission incoming

Get the drop alert.

One email per season when registration opens. Zero marketing. Promise made by a real nerd.