Culver City, CA — [September 9, 2025] — Leading mobile entertainment studio Jam City today announced the inaugural WikiGameJam, a creative hackathon that brings together developers, designers, and Wikipedia enthusiasts to collaborate and create original games inspired and powered by the world's largest free encyclopedia.
The premiere event—cohosted by WikiHaus and Hex House, and sponsored by Jam City, Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit that operates Wikipedia, and Wikimedia NYC, with support from Wiki Caribbean—is designed to spark creativity and collaboration across gaming, technology, and open knowledge communities.
Creators will collaborate to build new experiences that bridge knowledge and play—from browser games built on Wikipedia's live edit feed, to trivia apps powered by Wikidata, to bold new ideas no one has imagined yet. By combining the spirit of open access with the creativity of game development, WikiGameJam highlights the boundless potential of games as tools for learning, exploration, and joy.
"At Jam City, we believe in the transformative power of play", said Josh Yguado, co-founder and CEO of Jam City. "Through this initiative, we're proud to partner with open-knowledge platforms like Wikipedia to empower the next generation of creators–using games to foster education, creativity, and build a more curious future."
WikiGameJam runs from October 3-5 at Hex House, 366 Devoe St in Brooklyn, and is open to passionate gamers and creators of all experience levels who are Wikipedia enthusiasts. The event begins with Friday night inspirational talks, headlined at the inaugural event by Jam City co-founder and CEO Josh Yguado, who will share insights on creativity, play, and the role of games in connecting communities worldwide.
Jennifer 8. Lee, cofounder of WikiHaus, added: "WikiGameJam is about more than making games—it's about building a community of curious, creative minds who can take the knowledge freely available on Wikipedia and turn it into something joyful and interactive."
"Since 2023, our team has been exploring new ways to remix Wikipedia content—through short videos, games, and other creative formats—to inspire younger generations to learn and share free knowledge," said Maryana Pinchuk, Principal Product Manager at the Wikimedia Foundation. "What makes Wikimedia content unique is that anyone can use it, with attribution, and reimagine it. WikiGameJam is an exciting opportunity for game developers and Wikimedia contributors to come together and experiment with how free knowledge can power the games of the future."
"Games have always been an outlet for the intersection of imagination and education. We're very happy to support an event that brings the combo of gaming and Wikipedia to New York City— one of the most fun cities in the world," said Pacita Rudder, Executive Director of Wikimedia NYC.
About Jam City:
Jam City is a leading mobile entertainment studio with a proven track record of creating some of the world's most beloved casual
puzzle and story-driven games. As the creative force behind fan-favorite, award-winning titles such as Disney Emoji Blitz, Harry
Potter: Hogwarts Mystery, Cookie Jam and Panda Pop, Jam City develops engaging, polished, and dynamic games that become an enduring
part of our players' lives. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles with a global network of studios and talent located in Los
Angeles (HQ), Burbank, Cedar Falls, San Diego, San Francisco, and internationally, in Berlin, Bogota, Buenos Aires, Montevideo, and
Toronto. For more information, please visit
www.jamcity.com.
About WikiHaus:
Launched during SXSW 2025, WikiHaus brings together multiple Wikimedia groups to provide space for creative public engagement around
Wikipedia, Creative Commons, and open access. WikiGameJam NYC is WikiHaus's second major collaboration.
About Hex House:
Hex House is an art studio and community space in East Williamsburg. It is a space for making, learning, celebration, & ceremony.
Since 2022, Hex has grown to be a home for 30+ members who all share the space for a deeply wide range of practices and
activities–among us are painters, hackers, woodworkers, zinemakers, livecoders, performers, educators, musicians, and diy reproductive
healthcare workers. Apply to become a member, host an event, and learn more at
hexhouse.studio
About Wikimedia NYC:
Wikimedia New York City is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and local Wikimedia chapter dedicated to fostering a brighter, broader,
and better Wikimedia movement through advancing projects like Wikipedia and other open-content initiatives in partnership with the
communities and institutions of the Greater New York City Area.
Media Contact:
Jam City: Michelle Curran, michelle.curran@jamcity.com
