Rules & regulations
Everyone agrees to the rules for their role before taking part. Builders go through an interactive orientation; mentors and admins get a briefing. The full text is here so you can read it any time. Agreement version 2026-06.
Your orientation is told as the voyage. The heart of it:
💛 Be kind. Encourage, share a charger, lend an idea. No bullying, no put-downs, no leaving anyone out.
🤝 Be fair. Everyone gets the same shot. Treat every builder, mentor, and helper with respect.
🛟 Be safe. If someone is struggling or something feels wrong, tell a mentor. We keep this a safe harbor for everyone.
✅ Log it true. Your build log sets your complexity tier, automatically and capped. Log only what really works — a working Skiff beats a broken Galleon, every time.
🚫 No stowaways. Don't pass off someone else's work as yours. Build your own thing for your own customer.
🗣️ Own your build. Be ready to explain how it works with the AI switched off. Honesty earns trust, and trust is the whole game.
📍 Stay aboard. Stay in the venue and follow the staff and overnight rules. A parent or guardian knows you're here.
😴 Rest and refuel. Sleep when you can, eat, drink water, take breaks. A rested builder ships better.
🆘 Speak up. Feeling unwell, unsafe, or upset? Tell a mentor or organizer straight away. Always.
Score the Trust Rubric for every submitted builder. Aim for two judges per build so one harsh or generous eye can't swing a result, and leave one win and one next step in the note.
The question is always "does this help the person it's for," never "is it the flashiest." Score craft against where that builder started, not against the strongest build in the room.
The complexity band is derived from the build log and capped. Don't reward a long feature list with trust points, and don't try to set complexity by hand.
You're working with minors. Keep conduct appropriate and professional, never be alone one-to-one with a participant, don't exchange private contact details, and report any concern to the lead organizer immediately.
Scores, notes, and participant information stay within the event team. Don't share or post them.
Opening each leg, the score reveal, finale mode, and reset are yours to run. Open legs as the night progresses so builders only see what's live.
Never alter scores. Complexity and the top-3 finalists are derived by the system — keep them that way. Use the finalist override only for a genuine tie.
Participant data is your responsibility. Access it only to run the event; don't export or share it.
Reset and hard deletes cannot be undone. Confirm carefully before you use them — ideally never during the live event.
When working with minors, follow the same conduct and reporting rules every mentor signs up to.
The People's Trust vote is open to everyone, no sign-in needed. House rules: one vote per device, vote for the build you genuinely trust most, and keep it kind. The official scores and results are the organizers' to announce.