Breathing New Life into a Classic: Our Winning Hackathon Journey

By Ori Dagan

Last week, we had the incredible opportunity to stretch our creative and entrepreneurial muscles during the Playtika Innovation Hackathon, hosted by the Adelson School of Entrepreneurship.

Our team was made up of students from multiple tracks, all participating in the “Innovation within Organizations” course. Together, we took on the challenge:
“How can a game be renewed and refreshed to generate new engagement, bring players back, and attract new audiences?”

The hackathon format pushed us to our limits-we had just a few intense hours to brainstorm, test ideas, and create a compelling solution. We quickly got to know one another, challenged each other’s assumptions, and built a shared vision.

We chose to revive “Cut the Rope,” a beloved mobile game released in 2010 with over 990 million lifetime downloads-but very limited player activity today. Our idea was to introduce the “Creators Playground”: a new mode where players can use in-game currency to design and publish their own levels, challenge others, and earn rewards when their creations are played. To fuel long-term engagement, we also proposed a revenue-sharing program that would incentivize top creators and elevate the creative ecosystem around the game.

After successfully pitching our concept to one of the esteemed judges, we earned the chance to present it on stage in front of fellow students, Playtika representatives, and faculty from the Adelson School. Winning first place for our idea was an amazing honor-and a powerful validation of what we learned and achieved together.

This hackathon was more than just a competition. It was a space to apply what we’ve learned, think outside the box, and collaborate under real pressure. We’re proud of what we built - and excited to take these lessons with us into future challenges.