Launching alongside The Game Awards 2025, Node 59 invites indie devs and retro renegades to create the ultimate throwback game using the free, open-source GDevelop engine.
We’re kicking things off with our first ever developer challenge: INSERT COIN TO CONTINUE — a retro-style game jam with real stakes. The top entries will premiere on our new indie game hub, Node 59, launching LIVE on December 11, 2025, immediately after our official livestream of The Game Awards.
That’s right — we’re hosting a Game Awards Watch Party, then flipping the switch to launch Node 59 into orbit. Winners will be announced during our post-awards broadcast, streamed directly from the platform.
THEME: INSERT COIN TO CONTINUE
We want games that look, feel, and play like they came straight out of a floppy disk, cartridge, or forgotten shareware CD-ROM. Your game should channel the spirit of 80s/90s arcade machines, pixel classics, or retro-futurist lost media. Weird, heartfelt, glitchy—absolutely.
Optional Style Tracks
- Action / Shmup: Side-scrolling shooters, brawlers, run-and-guns—anything fast-paced and arcade-ready. Think dodging lasers, collecting powerups, and chasing high scores.
- Narrative / Lost Media: Mysterious story-driven games or experimental titles that feel like they were unearthed from a forgotten console. Embrace analog horror, pixel art diaries, or meta-narratives.
- Puzzle / Strategy: Mind-bending challenges, grid logic, real-time tactics, or abstract thinkers in the retro spirit. Think cerebral games you’d find on a dusty DOS disc.
- Visual Flex: Games that go hard on aesthetic: scanlines, phosphor glow, VHS fuzz, acid-neon menus—your style is your message. Let your pixels scream.
- Wildcard / Buckazoid Mode: Go totally off-script. Make something weird, fun, or satirical—bonus points for games that cleverly include Buckazoids as lore, currency, or feature.
Community & Rewards
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Platform Revenue: A percentage of all monetized platform revenue will go to the Buckazoids wallet (CTO), supporting both indie devs and the coin ecosystem.
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AI Usage: Use of AI tools for enhancement, assistance, or prototyping is permitted, but gameplay, spirit, and design must reflect human creativity.
ENGINE: GDEVELOP
- All entries must use GDevelop (free, open-source, no-code/low-code engine for Windows, macOS, Linux, and browsers).
- You can: Work solo or as a team; use GDevelop extensions, behaviors, and open libraries; build for desktop or web.
- You cannot: Use another engine (Unity, Godot, etc.); submit previously published games.
New to GDevelop? Find tutorials and docs at gdevelop.io.
PRIZES
Grand Prize Winner
- Game premiere during live launch event
- Featured slot on Node 59
- Full Steam release support (submission & promo costs covered)
- Complete launch kit: copywriting, press assets, screenshots, trailer promo
- Optional post-contest dev support
Top 3 Finalists
- Featured in Node 59’s launch lineup
- Spotlighted in post–Game Awards content
- Highlighted in newsletter, socials, and launch trailer
Community Choice
- Voted by fans pre-launch
- Featured on platform with a Community Pick badge
KEY DATES
| Milestone | Date |
|---|
| Submissions Open | August 1, 2025 |
| Submission Deadline | November 10, 2025 |
| Finalists Announced | Early December 2025 |
| Live Awards & Launch | December 11, 2025 |
HOW TO ENTER
- Build your game using GDevelop
- Prepare a downloadable or web-playable version
- Submit your build, screenshots, and a short description through our official form (coming soon)
- No entry fee required
Contest rules and entry form coming soon. Start building now—you’ve got until November 10 to submit!
Enter the Competition
CONTACT & UPDATES
- Sponsors/Brands/Partners: info@projectb59.com
- AMA & News: Live X Space AMA coming soon—stay tuned!
ABOUT NODE 59
Node 59 is a new indie game platform launching in sync with The Game Awards—a curated hub for retro-inspired titles, creative experiments, and games that defy the algorithm. We’re building a creator-first monetization model that supports developers without nickel-and-diming players.
This contest is Node 59’s official ignition sequence. If you’ve got game dev nostalgia, creative edge, and a working keyboard—it’s time to INSERT COIN HERE!