The programming community is once again invited to flex their creative coding skills in the Vintage Computing Christmas Challenge 2025. This year's task? Generate a mathematically precise snowflake pattern using exclusively the asterisk (*) character, with submissions open until December 24, 2025, at 18:00 CET.

Organized by retro computing enthusiast Logiker, the challenge emphasizes algorithmic elegance and vintage aesthetics. The snowflake must be perfectly symmetric, and participants must adhere to strict size-measurement guidelines to ensure fair competition. The announcement notes that the promotional video contains an extraneous asterisk on the right side—"a leftover from copying the shape"—which should be disregarded.

"If you got motivated to something different as above, this might be for you..."

This challenge resonates with developers who blend nostalgia with technical precision, reminiscent of ASCII art traditions from the 1980s and 1990s. Winners will receive digital copies of BrewOtaku magazine, while top Commodore 64/Amiga entries will earn K&A Plus magazines and a retro game. Sponsors are still welcome to enhance the prize pool.

For complete rules and submission details (which open "in a few days"), participants must visit the official site. The challenge underscores the enduring appeal of constrained programming problems, where minimal tools (a single character!) unlock maximal creativity—a testament to the ingenuity still thriving in the retro computing scene.