Build a dream-like digital experience that feels surreal, emotional, and alive. Optionally choose 1+ "dream fragments 🧱" to implement: Fluid Interface (organic UI), Emotional Memory (remembers feelings), Temporal Shifts (strange time behavior), Voice of the Machine (speaks/narrates), or Metamorphic Media (evolving visuals/sounds). Prizes: $ 1,000 / $ 300 / $ 200 + $ 500 Community Choice. Goal: Make people feel something real through something unreal.
TL;DR
72-Hour Hackathon
Dreamware
Engineering the Surreal
Menu
Build a dream-like digital experience that feels surreal, emotional, and alive. Optionally choose 1+ "dream fragments" to implement: Fluid Interface (organic UI), Emotional Memory (remembers feelings), Temporal Shifts (strange time behavior), Voice of the Machine (speaks/narrates), or Metamorphic Media (evolving visuals/sounds). Prizes: $ 1,000 / $ 300 / $ 200 + $ 500 Community Choice. Goal: Make people feel something real through something unreal.
TL;DR
A non-profit community — UK [C.I.C] — 15 557 917.
DreamWare Hackathon 2025 invites you to blur the line between technology and imagination to build experiences that don’t just serve users, but haunt them a little.
Today’s apps are functional, logical, and optimized, but rarely alive. What if we brought dreams back into code? What if software could whisper, mutate, or feel instead of just work?
Dreams are the oldest software our minds ever ran, self-generating worlds built from fragments of memory and emotion. They’re nonsensical, yet meaningful. Fleeting, yet vivid.
The Vision
AliveInterfaces
DigitalImagination
Dreamware
2. Emotional Memory
1. Fluid Interface
- Images that evolve with interaction.
- Music that adapts to pace or silence.
- Interfaces that dissolve or rebuild as you explore.
- Users' previous moods affect the next experience.
- Joy, fear, or calmness alter what the system shows.
- Dream-history screen: a map of your emotional trail.
- Screens decay if you stay too long.
- Content rearranges itself each visit.
- Every reload feels like waking from a new dream.
- Buttons that drift slowly across the screen.
- Menus that blur when ignored too long.
- Colors that change based on your typing rhythm.
UI that behaves organically. Shifting, breathing, reacting to user emotion or time.
5. Metamorphic Media
4. Voice of the Machine
- AI conversation or narration of events.
- Reactive soundscapes that reply to user actions.
- Text that types itself like it’s thinking.
Nothing stays static, visuals, sounds, or data morph in real time.
Your app remembers feelings, not data.
Time behaves strangely inside your creation.
Let your system speak back, literally or symbolically.
3. Temporal Shifts
You can participate solo or in teams. We recommend 2−5 people for optimal coordination during the 72 hours, but there’s no strict maximum.
Can I use pre-existing code?
Libraries and frameworks are fine, but your core concept and implementation must be original work created during the hackathon. No repurposing existing projects.
How do I submit my project?
Submission details and the form will be shared closer to the deadline (December 1). Make sure you’re in our Discord for updates.
Are Dream Fragments mandatory?
No. They’re optional inspiration. You can implement one, several, or none—focus on creating something emotionally resonant.
Can I work on my project before November 28?
No. All development must happen during the 72-hour hackathon window (Nov 28 — Dec 1). Planning and research beforehand are allowed.
What if my project isn’t "functional" in a traditional sense?
Perfect. DreamWare celebrates experiences over utility. If it evokes emotion or creates atmosphere, you’re on the right track.
How does Community Choice voting work?
After main judging (Dec 13), the public votes Dec 13-20 on their favorite project. The winner receives an additional $500 prize.