On November 20th, individual players, teams, and algorithms clashed in an epic 4-hour coding challenge – NIXathon. With spaceships, strategy, and prizes on the line, it was a battle of brains and algorithms. Continue reading to find out how it all unfolded.
With hackathon energy and a single task, it was a battle like no other. In total, 43 teams and 160 individual players competed against each other and AI to win valuable prizes and to gain eternal glory.
The main task was to beat all other players in a game where spaceships could either collect coins or shoot each other to gain points 🛸 The teams’ task was to create an algorithm that would beat all other players while the individual players were playing the game themselves.
The event concluded with a dramatic Show Match, where the top 3 algorithms fought against the best individual player. It sounds simple enough, but strategy was just as important as programming knowledge. Rest assured, the human player still won – proving that AI isn’t taking over just yet 😉
The winners of the 2024 NIXathon:
Congratulations to the best individual player, who won a JBL speaker: Dávid Felker.
He was the absolute winner of the event, who also defeated the algorithms 🏆
The team competition was also fierce, let’s see the top 3:
- Team Pupa&Lupa won 1st place, and Sony PlayStation 5 was awarded to each member.
- Team Karaf got 2nd place and Apple AirPods.
- Team if err != nil came in 3rd and the members could take home Apple HomePod minis.
The Team’s Contest – Strategy
Let’s hear more about the team competition from Iryna Laktionova, Golang Developer and third-place winner:
“It was my first time participating in a NIXathon. We were all from the Golang department, but my teammates were not in Budapest. In a sense, it was even easier to talk online as there were fewer distractions. I just grabbed a slice of pizza and sat in an office, and then we could start programming immediately.
Generally, the task wasn’t difficult, but we only had 4 hours, and it was not enough. We spent the first half an hour just thinking about how to approach the problem. Then, there were so many issues to handle! In the end, we created our own strategy to receive more points, but we couldn’t finish everything.”
Coming up with a winning strategy was the way to go:
“We started by focusing on the coins, but then we did the math. There were only 5 coins on the map, so a total of 10 points. We realized that even if you collect all the coins, you can still lose to someone who is focusing on destroying the ships. So we decided to change our algorithm so as not to collect coins at all and went for the kills.
This strategy won us the 3rd place in the end.”
They didn’t expect this at all; the team was stunned but over the moon! This result gave them a much-needed confidence boost 😌
“There were so many smart people there, and in my team, some of us had only 2 or 3 years of experience… we didn’t know if we could make it.
Next year, I would like to participate again. I really enjoyed the competition; it was great. Now I know that the task is actually easy, and it is okay if you don’t finish your work. You can still win!”
The Individual Players’ Contest – Skill
The individual players faced other difficulties. The ultimate winner of the event, Dávid Felker, a Java Developer, shared his thoughts and experiences 🎮
“I was very excited; this was my first NIXathon – my colleague told me to join the event. He said that he would like to see me compete and win, and that was enough encouragement. I didn’t know that I could also just play. I think this is a great idea, this way anyone can join the competition.
I really enjoyed the game and had a lot of fun. Of course, I still kept an eye on the top list because it was my goal to do well.”
When asked about the main challenges he faced, Dávid shared the various perspectives of the game 🤔
“There were 4 players, so it was more like rock-paper-scissors. No matter what your strategy was, the others could still defeat you. The time limit also provided some difficulty.
For example, there was an algorithm that went straight to the middle of the arena and stayed there as the area got smaller and smaller. But if two algorithms had thought the same way, they would have either collided or shot each other, and then the third one, which was passive, would have won by collecting coins the whole time. So, luck was also a factor.”
Dávid also shared the secrets behind his well-earned first place and discussed the difference between fighting with algorithms and humans 🤖
“The game against the algorithms was more about strategy while playing against humans was more about agility and fast reactions. If you maneuvered well, you could avoid the other spaceships. However, the algorithms already expected such a move, so you had to spend more time thinking and calculating your next steps.
I really enjoyed these two different styles. At the final match against the three algorithms, I got into a bad position; I thought I was about to lose. I flew in front of the bot, but instead of shooting me, it probably thought that I was an asteroid and just turned away. I survived and won the game.
Next year, I will join a team as a developer. I’m more interested in creating the algorithm. Now, I didn’t know what to expect; I was scared that it would be difficult. But it didn’t seem overwhelming.
I was very happy and surprised that I won. And I love my new NIXathon merch! I received a cardholder, socks, and a T-shirt. Anyone can have a JBL speaker, but only I have these unique prizes!”
Just like Iryna and Dávid, we cannot wait for next year’s NIXathon. While the competition is exclusively designed for our team, you can still be a part of it — join our team and tackle challenges like these with us year-round. Who knows? Maybe next time, you’ll be on the inside, coding your way to glory 🏆
