For nineteen years, the Cloudflight Coding Contest (CCC) that we run has been technologically split in two. There was a game platform where you practice and a separate site where you register.  

It did its job; roughly 5,000 people per edition made it work. But it meant two logins, two URLs, and a contest record that didn’t really exist anywhere. You solved six levels during one edition, and for the next one, you started from nothing. 

This is why we decided it was high time for a major overhaul. Read on to learn how we approached it and what you can expect from this year’s edition. 

The platform is now your ally. The levels, not so much. 

The second last year’s CCC ended, we started working on rebuilding the platform. Our engineers and game masterminds set out with a clear vision of features to upgrade or add to improve your experience: 

One account, one place  

There’s now a single platform for you to practice on past games, register for your location, compete, and see your full history—that means every past edition and every level. It’s fully functional on mobile browsers as well. 

If you’ve competed before, your account and results have already moved over. You can login with the same credentials, just like you always have. In the background, your data is now protected with stronger encryption. 

New game experience 

Probably the most important point for you. The new platform enables a lot of flexibility in what kind of games we can now make.  

Games are now much more interactive by providing as many details and feedback to the contestants as possible. You no longer get a generic error but the exact point of failure with a detailed message. Everything’s presented in a visual style that’s easy to understand. 

This year’s edition makes full use of all of that: we’ve made a brand-new type of game that’s unlike anything you experienced during past CCCs. We can’t wait to unveil it on 23rd October.  

A group of people sit at a table using laptops, focused on their screens. Some wear matching black shirts with yellow text and graphics on the back. The setting appears to be an ornate, historic building.

Management is a breeze 

We’ve streamlined the signup process and made account and team management much more intuitive. For those that like to change their minds last minute (no judgement at all), we’ve made it possible to switch the venue you’re registered for at any time, with one simple operation.    

Practice is now the front door 

The archive of past contest games isn’t a side link anymore. You can play a level any time and see how you’d have placed in that edition’s ranking. When you’re confident you’re up for the challenge, you can register for the current edition from the very same screen. 

Built for the highest accessibility standards 

Our engineers placed a lot of emphasis on making the platform compliant with accessibility standards to offer a great game experience to everyone. 

We made sure to implement features such as keyboard navigation throughout, focus management in every dialog box, and screen-reader labelling. We also made a deliberate technical choice to keep explanatory tooltips reachable on unavailable controls. 

We know which level broke you last time. Up for a rematch? 

The 42nd edition takes place on Friday, 23rd October 2026. Signups are now open. 

The three tracks that you’re used to (and love, we hope) remain unchanged. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right? 

  • #School: 2 hours, for pupils 16+. You can register in teams up to 5 people. 
  • #Classic: 4 hours, for students and professionals. Teams up to 3. 
  • #Data/AI: 4 hours, for people who’d rather train a model. Teams up to 3. 

The Contest takes place on-site at 30+ locations around Europe and the World as well as online from anywhere. It’s completely free to enter.  

Register now 

Six levels with increasing difficulty. Any programming language.  

Almost nobody finishes all six, and that’s exactly the point. 

Space in on-site locations is limited, so make sure to register early to secure your spot. Vienna, Munich, and Linz filled up early in past editions. So, pick yours now, and worry about polishing up your skills later. 

[Register now →] · [Try a past game →] · [Join our Discord for latest updates →]