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Out of the four original challenges in Gamedev.js Jam 2025, where the winners from the first three were presented on May 11th, the V Shaders challenge had an extended deadline, and now those best entries are finally out as well.

This year’s Gamedev.js Jam 2025 brought many creative highlights, but the V Shaders Challenge, organized in collaboration with V Systems, truly stood out. The challenge celebrated innovation and artistry in WebGL, showcasing just how far developers can push the limits of real-time rendering.

The official wrap-up from V Systems offers a detailed look at the most impressive projects.

Shaders take the spotlight

For the first time ever, the V Shaders Challenge ran as a special category within the broader Gamedev.js Jam. Participants were tasked with creating either a standalone shader or incorporating advanced shader techniques into their game jam submissions. The competition welcomed both newcomers and veterans of shader coding, offering a unique creative space within the jam.

Notable entries and participants

Among the top entries were works by shader enthusiasts and game developers well-known in the community. Several participants from the js13kGames competition — such as Xem and John Edvard Reiten — brought their signature creativity to the challenge, blending technical finesse with deep artistic intent.

Andrzej Mazur, the creator of js13kGames and founder of Enclave Games, joined the challenge with vibe-coded js13kGames shader as well. His participation not only boosted visibility for the challenge, but also bridged the js13kGames and Gamedev.js communities once again.

Judging and awards

The challenge featured a dedicated panel of shader-savvy judges who scored entries on creativity, technical execution, and originality. Top projects special recognition and prizes ($1000 each) sponsored by V Systems, helping to further support and motivate WebGL developers:

• Digital World: Connie Xu
• Cassette Futurism: Andrzej Mazur
• Blockchain: ROBO
• V Systems: John Edvard Reiten
• Blockchain: Xem

Winners were showcased not only on the Gamedev.js site, but also via V Systems’ Medium post and social channels, giving them additional exposure.

Looking ahead

The success of the V Shaders Challenge this year reaffirmed the community’s growing interest in low-level graphics programming within web environments. Whether through standalone shaders or integrated game experiences, participants embraced the opportunity to explore GLSL and beyond.

We’re excited to continue pushing this niche forward — in future editions of Gamedev.js Jam, hopefully also js13kGames, and potentially with standalone shader events as well.

Until then, if you missed the fun or want to relive it, explore the results and featured entries over in the full wrap-up on Medium.