How do team workspaces work in a virtual hackathon on Flat.social?

Each team gets an audio isolation zone on the Hacking Floor. Inside their zone, team members hear each other clearly but can't hear other teams. Each zone has whiteboards for sketching and sticky notes for organizing tasks. Mentors can walk in and out of zones naturally.

Can mentors visit teams during the hackathon?

Yes. Mentors walk their avatars between team zones. Spatial audio lets them hear what a team is discussing as they approach. They can join the conversation, offer advice, and move on to the next team. It works exactly like mentoring at a physical hackathon.

How do demo presentations work?

Teams present in a Conference room with Speaker layout. The presenter shares their screen to show the prototype. The audience watches and sends reactions (fireworks, hearts, magic). Judges score each presentation. It creates real demo day energy.

Do participants need to download anything?

No. Flat.social runs in the browser. Participants click a link and join. This works for internal company hackathons and open community events with external participants.

How many teams can a virtual hackathon support?

The number depends on your room layout and plan. A single Hacking Floor can hold 5-10 team zones with audio isolation. For larger hackathons, create multiple hacking rooms. Each team works independently in their zone regardless of how many other teams are nearby.

Can I run team formation through the platform?

Yes. Use speed networking before the hack begins. Participants pitch ideas in timed 1-on-1 rounds. After the rounds, they form teams in the spatial room by walking up to people they connected with. It's organic and fast.

Virtual Hackathon

Team workspaces, mentor walk-arounds, and demo stages for collaborative coding events

By Flat Team·March 5, 2026

It's 2 AM during your company's virtual hackathon. Four developers huddle in their team zone, sketching architecture on a whiteboard. A mentor walks past, overhears them debating database choices, and jumps in with advice. Two zones over, another team is testing their prototype and cheering. The energy feels like a real hackathon, except nobody is in the same city.

Most online hackathons fall flat because they use video calls for everything. Teams work in silent Zoom rooms. Mentors can't wander between groups. The demo session is a parade of screen shares with no audience energy.

On Flat.social, your hackathon has a physical layout. Teams work in audio-isolated zones with whiteboards and sticky notes. Mentors walk between teams through spatial audio spaces. Demos happen on a virtual stage with reactions flying. It's the collaborative energy of an in-person hackathon, accessible from anywhere.

Teams Building Together

Watch teams brainstorm on whiteboards and collaborate in audio-isolated workspaces, recreating the energy of an in-person hackathon.

What is a virtual hackathon?

A virtual hackathon is an online event where teams collaborate intensively over hours or days to build projects, prototypes, or solutions. Participants form teams, brainstorm, code, and present their work, all remotely. The best virtual hackathons recreate the collaborative energy and spontaneous mentoring of in-person events.

Why Run Your Virtual Hackathon on Flat.social

Team Workspaces

Audio isolation zones give each team their own space. They brainstorm, code, and debate without hearing other teams. Whiteboards and sticky notes keep ideas visual and organized.

Mentor Walk-Arounds

Mentors move between team zones through spatial audio. They overhear discussions, offer advice, and move on. It recreates the best part of in-person hackathons: spontaneous expert guidance.

Demo Stage

A Conference room with Speaker layout for team presentations. Screen sharing for live demos. The audience reacts with fireworks and hearts. Every team gets their moment.

Speed Team Formation

Run speed networking before the hack begins. Participants pitch ideas in timed rounds. Teams form organically based on interest and skills. No spreadsheet required.

Event Infrastructure

Billboards display rules, schedules, and judging criteria. NPC characters hold FAQs and resource links. Multiple rooms for the main hall, team work, mentors, and the demo stage.

Mentor Walk-Arounds

Mentors approach team zones through spatial audio, overhear discussions, and offer guidance exactly when it is needed most.

How to Organize a Virtual Hackathon on Flat.social

1
Design the hackathon venue
Create a flat with rooms: a Main Hall for kickoff and closing, a Hacking Floor with team zones, a Mentor Lounge, and a Demo Stage (Conference room). Use build mode to set up team areas with whiteboards and sticky notes.
2
Set up event info
Place billboards with the hackathon schedule, rules, judging criteria, and prize info. Add NPC characters with FAQ answers and resource links. Create a "Help Desk" area where organizers can answer questions.
3
Configure roles
Create roles for organizers, mentors, judges, and participants. Organizers get full permissions. Mentors can roam all zones. Participants get their team zone with whiteboard access. Judges get access to the demo stage.
4
Run team formation
Open with a kickoff in the Main Hall (Conference mode). Then run speed networking so participants pitch ideas and find teammates. Once teams form, assign each team to a zone on the Hacking Floor.
5
Hack, mentor, demo
Teams work in their zones. Mentors walk between teams offering guidance. At demo time, teams present in the Conference room with screen sharing. The audience sends reactions. Judges deliberate. Winners are announced.

Launch Your Virtual Hackathon

Team spaces, mentor walk-arounds, and a demo stage. Build your hackathon venue in minutes. Free to start.

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Hackathon Phases on Flat.social

How each phase of your virtual hackathon works in spatial rooms.

Speed networking rounds to pitch ideas and find teammates

Team Formation Conversations

Participants pitch ideas and find teammates through natural face-to-face conversations, forming stronger teams organically.

Tips for Hackathon Organizers

Running a virtual hackathon that produces great projects and great memories:

1. Invest in team formation. Don't skip speed networking. Teams that form around genuine interest build better projects than randomly assigned groups. Spend 30 minutes on formation; it saves hours of friction.

2. Set up team zones before the event. Each zone needs a whiteboard, sticky notes, and a billboard with the schedule and judging criteria. When teams arrive at their zone, they should be ready to work immediately.

3. Brief your mentors. Tell them to walk between zones, listen, and only jump in when they can add value. The best mentor interactions are 5-minute drive-bys, not 30-minute lectures. The spatial format makes this natural.

4. Schedule check-ins, not status meetings. Post a billboard that says "Mentor walk-around at 3 PM." Mentors visit each team for a quick progress check. It's lighter than forcing everyone into a call.

5. Make demos feel like a show. Reactions from the audience create energy. Encourage people to send fireworks, hearts, and magic during presentations. A demo with 50 people sending reactions feels like a virtual conference platform keynote.

Demo Day Energy

Teams present their projects on the demo stage while the audience sends reactions, creating the excitement of a live hackathon finale.

Tips for Hackathon Participants

Making the most of your virtual hackathon on Flat.social:

Use the whiteboard early. Before writing code, sketch the architecture on the whiteboard. It gets everyone on the same page and saves rewrites later. Sticky notes work great for breaking the project into tasks.

Talk to mentors. When a mentor walks past your zone, ask questions. They're there to help. A 3-minute conversation with someone experienced can save your team hours of debugging.

Visit other teams during breaks. Walk to other zones and see what they're building. Cross-team inspiration happens at every good hackathon. Just don't overstay. A quick "cool project!" and move on.

Practice your demo. You get 3-5 minutes on the demo stage. Practice the flow: problem, solution, live demo, impact. Screen share your prototype and show it working. The audience will react, and that energy carries you through.

Downloads required for participants

Role permissions (organizer, mentor, judge, participant)

Presentation layouts for demo day

Collaboration tools for team workspaces

Virtual Hackathon FAQ

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Build Your Hackathon Venue

Team zones, mentor walk-arounds, whiteboards, and a demo stage. Everything you need for a hackathon that produces real results. Free to start.

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