Welcome to GopherCon Challenge Series 2026!
"Life finds a way..."
And so will you, as you navigate through our digital version of Isla Nublar.
We're thrilled to have everyone here to compete once more. We've spared no expense on this year's challenges - with a new set of puzzles to solve, systems to explore, and prizes to win.
Getting Started
Competition Duration
The competition starts on Tuesday, August 4th, at 08:00 Pacific, and runs through Thursday, August 6th at 14:00 Pacific.
Participation and Eligibility
This competition is intended primarily for attendees of GopherCon 2026. While remote participation is allowed, prize eligibility is only for in-person attendees, and prizes must be collected in-person.
Registration
Click on the 'Registration' button on the top-right of this page to begin your expedition!
Joining A Team
Need to find a team? Reach out in #gophercon-cs in Gophers Slack!
Already have a team? The Team Captain will need to send you an invite to join the expedition.
Accepting The Challenge
Explore the 'Challenges' section to see the list of available challenges. Like the park itself, new attractions will be unveiled throughout the competition - check back often. Solve the challenges and submit your flags to earn points.
Park Rules
"The lack of humility before nature that's being displayed here staggers me."
- Flag Locations: Unless specified as physically on-site, challenge flags will be on a subdomain of jurassicpark.io. DO NOT ATTACK INFRASTRUCTURE OUTSIDE OF THIS DOMAIN. Bonus and speaker flags may be located outside this domain.
- Respect the Platform: Do not attempt to attack the platform or infrastructure. Focus on solving the challenges provided.
- No Sharing Flags: Do not share flags with other teams. Each team must solve the challenges independently.
- Fair Play: No cheating or use of unfair means to gain points. Play honestly and ethically.
- Challenge Restrictions: Some challenges may have specific restrictions. Please read the instructions carefully before attempting.
- Reporting Issues: If you encounter any issues or bugs, report them to the competition organizers immediately.
- Environmental Respect: Respect the venue, other participants, and staff. Follow all venue rules and guidelines.
Violating these rules will lead to disqualification from the competition.
Prizes
"We spared no expense."
Team-Based Prizes
- First Place: Up to four tickets to GopherCon 2027 and $400 USD cash.
- Second Place: Up to four full-day workshop passes to GopherCon 2027 and $200 USD cash
- Third Place: Up to four half-day workshop passes to GopherCon 2027 and $100 USD cash
The winning teams are determined as the three teams which have the highest score at the close of the competition. In the event of a tie, number of challenges solved will be utilized as a tiebreaker.
High Score Prizes
For each day of the competition, the player with the highest individual score for that day will receive a prize. For clarity, those timelines are:
- Tuesday August 4th 08:00 Pacifc -> Tuesday August 4th 16:00 Pacific
- Tuesday August 4th 16:01 Pacific -> Wednesday August 5th 16:00 Pacific
- Wednesday August 5th 16:01 Pacific -> Thursday August 6th 14:00 Pacific
Individual Achievement Awards
We have a set of four Individual Achievement awards that players can acquire by meeting certain achievements throughout the course of the competition. These achievements will need to be revealed and discovered throughout the competition. Each individual achievement award awards one mechanical keyboard, and one half-day workshop pass to GopherCon 2027.
Participation Prizes
Participation prizes will be awarded at various times throughout the competition, to any competitor who has recently completed a challenge.
Contact
Leading up to, during, and after the competition, you can reach out for help in the #gophercon-cs channel in Gophers Slack.
Throughout the competition, one of the Challenge Series admins will be present at the designated location to offer assistance.
Thanks to our Sponsors
"The endorsements alone will pay for the expedition."