Rules

Dates and deadlines

Haunted Hacks: Realtime AI Edition takes place on October 31, 2026, from 10:00am to 6:00pm Pacific Time at Y Combinator, 560 20th St, San Francisco, CA 94107.

Hacking begins at 11:00am. Final submissions are due by 4:00pm Pacific Time. Judging takes place from 4:00pm to 5:00pm, followed by the award ceremony from 5:00pm to 6:00pm.

Registration and eligibility

  • Participation and project submissions are limited to confirmed in-person attendees.
  • Request an attendance spot through the YC event page. Devpost is used only for project submissions.
  • Teams must have 2–4 members. Solo entries are not allowed.
  • No one under 15 years old may attend.
  • Attendees aged 15–17 must have a parental consent form signed before the event. Email [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) to request the form.

Project and submission requirements

Projects must be started on October 31, 2026 and must use AI in real time.

Final submissions must be completed on Devpost by 4:00pm Pacific Time and include a project name, demo video link, technologies used, APIs and capabilities used, project description, and at least one screenshot.

Draft entries and entries not submitted by the deadline will not be considered by the judges.

Prizes and tracks

  • Overall hackathon winner: A guaranteed YC interview.
  • Stateful Apps track: iPhone Duo. Projects must use durable-actors from Terse to qualify.
  • Agent-to-agent communication track: Mac Mini. Projects must use Agent Relay for agent-to-agent communication to qualify.
  • Costume contest: Bragging rights.

All submissions will be considered for the overall hackathon prize.

Judging criteria

  • Use of real-time AI and relevant track technology: How meaningfully does the project use AI in real time? For track prizes, how meaningfully does it use the corresponding technology?
  • Originality and creativity: How fresh and inventive is the idea?
  • Execution and demo: How well does the project work, and how clearly and convincingly does the demo communicate it?
  • User experience and design: Is the experience intuitive, cohesive, and thoughtfully designed?
  • Potential and impact: Does the project demonstrate a compelling use case or direction that could be developed further?

Code of conduct

The Hack Code of Conduct applies to all attendees, sponsors, partners, volunteers, and staff throughout the event and associated activities.

Harassment, discriminatory conduct, intimidation, unwelcome sexual attention, and unwanted physical contact are not tolerated. Respect requests to stop unwelcome behavior and requests not to be photographed or recorded. Projects, demos, and sponsor activities are covered by the same policy. Organizers may issue warnings or remove people who violate the code.

For a concern or incident, contact Olivier Simard-Morissette at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) or speak with event staff immediately. Please read the full code of conduct.