Shipwrecked is a once-in-a-lifetime, four-day flagship hackathon organized by Hack Club, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that supports a global community of over 50,000 high school makers. The event takes place on Cathleen Stone Island in the Boston Harbor, where 130 hackers will gather for a unique story-based hackathon experience.
On August 8-11, 2025, participants will work together to survive on the island they've been stranded on. The event features:
- A story-based hackathon experience
- Collaborative quests and challenges
- Workshops and sessions for all skill levels
- A blend of outdoor adventure and tech creativity
- A safe, wholesome, and collaborative environment
Before Shipwrecked, participants earn their spot through "The Bay" - a 3-month online event where they:
- Build 4 projects (about 15 hours each)
- Make their projects go viral
- Connect with other makers through The Pier (our video game-like digital meeting space)
- Docker with docker-compose
- Environment configuration (see below)
-
Copy the example environment file to create your own:
cp .env.example .env
-
Fill in the required values in your
.envfile. -
We recommend symlinking
.env.localto.envfor Next.js to properly load your environment variables:ln -s .env .env.local
This ensures that both the development server and any scripts directly reference the same environment file.
The application includes a special Super Admin feature that allows granting administrator privileges to users by visiting /superadmin and entering a password.
-
Set up the super admin password in your environment variables:
SUPERADMIN_PASSWORD="your-secure-password-here" -
Ensure this password is kept secure and only shared with trusted team members.
-
To grant admin access to a user:
- Have them log in to their account
- Direct them to
/superadmin - Enter the password defined in the environment variable
- Upon successful authentication, they will be redirected to the admin dashboard with admin privileges
This feature is particularly useful for:
- Onboarding new administrators
- Restoring admin access if needed
- Quickly granting temporary admin privileges for specific tasks
We provide two simple scripts for local development:
-
Standard Development Setup
./run-debug.sh
This script:
- Starts PostgreSQL and Redis in Docker containers
- Sets up Prisma with the database
- Runs migrations
- Starts the Next.js development server on your host machine
-
Clean Database Setup (use this if you need a fresh database)
./run-debug-cleandb.sh
This script:
- Removes any existing database volume
- Performs all the steps in the standard setup with a clean database
That's it! Your development environment will be running and accessible at http://localhost:3000.
- Code that lands on the
mainbranch is automatically deployed to https://shipwrecked-staging.hackclub.com - For access details, see #shipwrecked-hq in Hack Club Slack
- Production is deployed at https://shipwrecked.hackclub.com
- To deploy to production, run
./upgrade-prod.shafter testing on staging
When contributing to this project, please follow these guidelines to ensure a smooth review process and maintain project stability:
-
For Large Refactors: If you're making significant changes to a page or component, take an additive approach:
- Create a new page/component alongside the existing one
- Don't modify the original until your changes are approved
- This allows for safe, non-destructive changes
-
Before Major Changes: Check with the internal team before starting work on:
- Large-scale refactors
- Major UI/UX changes
- New features that affect core functionality
-
Cross-Device Testing: We prioritize stability across platforms:
- All changes must be tested on both desktop and mobile
- Verify responsive behavior works correctly at different breakpoints
- Document any device-specific considerations in your PR
-
Code Style: Follow the existing patterns in the codebase for consistency
By following these guidelines, you'll help us maintain a stable, high-quality codebase that works well for all users.