For engineering leads
Put two strategy codes head to head at your developer event
Participants write their own strategy code, online qualifiers narrow the field, and the tournament final runs on the stage screen at the event. The audience follows each turn as the code decides.
Ask about running it
How the session runs
Four steps. The first three happen before the event, the last one on the day.
1
Announce and sign up
Game rules and sample code are already public, so you use them as they are. Participants can practise on the game screen without signing in.
2
Online qualifiers
Each participant finishes and submits a strategy, and the codes play each other on the qualifier screen. Participants can revise and retest as often as they like.
3
Confirm the finalists
Qualifier results decide who advances. In each of the past three runs, 16 people reached the final.
4
On-stage final
The stage screen runs the tournament through the bracket. A match plays out turn by turn with a live scoreboard, so the audience can follow it.
Why this works at a developer event
The audience roots for code
Nobody sits through a talk; they watch a result. What runs on stage is code a colleague wrote, and a bad call shows up on the scoreboard immediately.
Seniority does not decide it
This is not competitive programming. It is about reading the opponent's pattern, and a short simple strategy really does beat an elaborate one — so newer engineers have a reason to enter.
AI tools are allowed
A person designs the strategy; the implementation can come from any tool. We do not restrict it. What competes is judgement, not typing speed.
Past runs
Run three years in a row at the internal developer event of a large Korean platform company. A new game each year, and 16 finalists each year. The screens below are the ones actually used, still open today.
What is included
Here is who does what, written down first. When this boundary is vague it becomes a problem on the day of the event.
What Code Battle does
- Advice on picking a game and tuning rules for your event
- Qualifier and final screen setup for your participant count and bracket
- Rules document and sample code for participants
- Rehearsal checklist and asynchronous support before the event
What you do
- Sign-ups and internal announcements
- Participant list and confirming the finalists
- Running the event and operating the equipment on site
- Fixing the event date and the session length
Custom game development beyond this scope and on-site support during the event are agreed separately. Cost depends on the game and the number of participants, so we quote after your enquiry.
Get in touch
Tell us these three things and the first reply will cover feasibility and lead time. We answer within two business days.
- When the event is planned
- Expected number of participants
- How much time the session can take
Try it yourself first
This is what participants see. Write a strategy and battle right now, no sign-in needed.