How to Create a New CTF Competition

CTF competitions are a powerful way to engage your community, assess skills, and create fun learning environments. With Simulations Labs, setting up your own competition is straightforward. Follow this step-by-step guide to create and configure your competition.

Steps to Create a New Competition

1. Go to the Competitions Tab

From your manager dashboard, navigate to the Competitions tab in the sidebar.
 Click the “Create New Competition” button at the top right corner.

2. Configure Competition Settings

You’ll be taken to the new competition form. Fill in the following details:

• Image and Cover Photo
   Upload an eye-catching image and cover photo to represent your competition visually.
  
  

• Label
   Enter the competition name that will be displayed to participants.
  Example: “Summer Offensive CTF 2025”
  
  

• Start and End Dates
   Set the start and end date and time (in UTC).
  This defines when the competition will be open.
  
  

3. Set Enrollment Rules

Choose how participants can register:

• Participation Type
  

  • Individuals – Solo participants only.
    

  • Teams – Set a minimum and maximum number of members per team.

            Important:

• For individual competitions, participants can start solving as soon as the competition begins.

• For team competitions, participants must form their teams before the competition begins. Team creation is locked once the event goes live.

• Access Control Lists (Optional)
  
  

  • Whitelist – Only specific users/teams can enroll.
    

  • Blacklist – Prevent specific users/teams from enrolling.
    
    

4. Set Competition Visibility

Choose who can see and access the competition:

• Public – Anyone can find and enroll.
  
  

• Restricted – Only those with a link can enroll.
  
  

• Only Me – Visible only to you (for testing or draft purposes).
  
  

5. Customize Access (Optional)

Filter eligible participants using additional criteria:

• Country – Allow only members from specific countries.
  
  

• University Country – Limit to students from universities in selected countries.
  
  

• University – Restrict to certain universities.
  
  

• Gender – Restrict based on selected gender(s).
  
  

6. Add Challenges

You’ll see a list of your existing challenges. You can:

• Filter by category, access level, or difficulty.
  
  

• Click to add challenges to the competition.
  
  

• Preview Challenge to see full details before adding.
  
  

? Haven’t created challenges yet?
 Refer to the articles on creating Text-Based, Downloadable, VM-Based, or Mixed Challenges.

7. Add Competition Info

Include important details that participants should know:

• Prizes – Clarify the rewards for winning participants, if any.
  
  

• Rules and Conditions – specify the rules and conditions.
  
  

• Description – Explain the goal, theme, or background of your competition.
  
  

8. Save and Review

Once you’ve filled everything out:

• Click “Save” to publish it.
  
  

• After creating your competition, go to the Preview tab to review the competition details. Ensure that everything looks accurate and consistent with your objectives.