Contests run alongside the talks and training all week. Some are quick one-shot games; others span multiple days with leaderboards. Most are walk-up friendly, so even if you didn’t plan to compete, you probably will.
Headline contest: Hackers Challenge
The Hackers Challenge is SAINTCON’s signature multi-day CTF. It has its own page because it’s got its own rules, stages, and finals. If you only do one contest, do that one.
2026 contest lineup
TBD. The full 2026 contest list will be published once contests are confirmed.
2025 lineup (for reference)
A representative sample of contests that ran in 2025. Most of these are expected to return in some form:
- AppSec Carnival Games: bite-sized app-sec puzzles with a fair-midway feel.
- LAN Cable Contest: speed and accuracy on cable termination.
- Fox Hunt: direction-finding with ham radio, chase a hidden transmitter through the venue.
- ICS Escape Room: industrial control systems puzzle room.
- Network Games: network-themed puzzles.
- Octopus Game: a multi-arm coordination contest.
- RFID: RFID/NFC cloning and manipulation.
- Tamper Evident: defeat tamper-evident seals without leaving a trace.
- The Vault: a safe-cracking contest.
Full descriptions and rules for each contest will post to this page as 2026 organizers confirm.
How contests work
- Check each contest’s rules. Some require registration; some are drop-in.
- Respect the contest space. Contest crews work hard to set these up; treat their gear like you’d want your gear treated.
- Winners and prizes are typically announced on the Friday of the conference, often during the closing session.
Questions
Questions about a specific contest go in Discord during conference week; the dedicated channel for each contest shows up on the contest’s own info board. Questions about running a contest, the contests manager on the Planning Committee page is your contact.
