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Innovation Games 2025: High School Guidelines

Overview

Read and review the competition rules on the Innovation Games competition page.

High School Tic-Tac-Toe projects will be written using the Python programming language in Codecraft Works’ Tic-Tac-Toe editor ⎋.

While you can use AI tools to generate code that would work in this particular challenge, it may not necessarily give you the code needed to win the game. Tic-Tac-Toe typically ends in a draw if played correctly. With that in mind, we have an additional factor used to determine the winner of a match that ends in a draw. We use the average amount of time, recorded in nano-seconds, needed to compute the various moves made by the player in to account and use the lower average as a tie breaker. That means that the code that determines where the player should move not only has to correctly pick the right spot, it also has to do it as quickly as possible. The code generated by AI tools may be able to get the moves you want to make, but will it be able to do it in the most efficient way possible?

To participate in the coding competition, coaches must complete the three steps below.

Step 1: Register for Program Access with Codecraft

1. To create an account for themselves, coaches will visit CodecraftWorks.com ⎋ and click the gold-colored “Login” button on the left side of the site. If you are viewing this page on a mobile device, the button may appear at the top of the page instead. Selecting this button will take you to the login page. If you have already created an account, you can skip this step.

2. Coaches must confirm their email address, school, and students’ grade level in this form: Innovation Games Coding: Program Registration ⎋. Codecraft will be in touch ASAP with a link and code to a custom program. This program is where coaches and students will access competition resources and project submission.

Step 2: Create & Distribute Student Accounts

1. Once coaches have received their program information, coaches will create student accounts that have usernames and passwords. Coaches will also be able to reset student passwords. To create student accounts, follow these instructions: How to Create Student Accounts with Passwords ⎋.

2. Coaches will distribute usernames and passwords to their students and be equipped to handle any password resets. To change a student’s password or display name, follow these instructions: How to Manage Student Accounts with Passwords ⎋.

Login Instructions

Students can log in by entering their program’s short code on the main login page ⎋ or by clicking the “Student Login” button on their program page. For more detailed instructions, view this page: How to Log in to Student Accounts With Passwords ⎋.

Coaches will continue to log in with their email addresses on the main login page ⎋.

Step 3: Submit Students’ Projects

1. Students must log into the accounts created for them, as described in Step 2.

2. When they log in, students will be directed to their coach’s program page. Beginning on October 27, 2025, they will see the “Submit CCPC Project” button on that page. Click on this button and fill in the requested information to submit the project. Again, students must be logged into their accounts to see this button. Competition entries must be submitted through the coach’s program page NO LATER​ than 4 pm on November 3, 2025.

3. All students must submit projects using their own Codecraft accounts. Coaches should not be logged into the Codecraft platform for project submission; each student’s account should be used to submit their own project.

Judging

Players’ programs will be randomly matched against each other in a bracketed tournament. There will be multiple games of tic-tac-toe per matchup.

The victor of a matchup will be whoever wins the most games. In the event of a draw, the Player that ran most efficiently (i.e. least amount of time to execute) will be the winner. Winners will advance through the bracket until there is a single Player left standing.

“Player” matches will be run through our interface. Details about the interface can be found on your program page. View the “Step 1: Register for Program Access with Codecraft” and “Step 2: Create & Distribute Student Accounts” sections above for help joining your program.

If a Player submits an invalid move, their turn will be skipped. If a single game lasts more than a certain amount of turns (in excess of 9), the Player that ran most efficiently will be the winner.

If a Player program fails to submit a move, crashes, gets stuck in an infinite loop, or fails to compile, they will be disqualified.