Recent Games: CRESCENDO, REEFSCAPE, and REBUILT

Why study old games

The game changes every year, but the structure (auto, teleop, endgame, RP, Coopertition) stays consistent. Studying recent games is the fastest way to internalize how FRC actually plays — and watching match videos from these seasons is one of the best things a rookie can do.

2024: CRESCENDO

CRESCENDO had a music theme. Alliances scored foam rings called Notes into a Speaker (higher value) and an Amp. In the endgame, robots climbed a Chain on a structure called the Stage and could score Notes in a high Trap. Coopertition was earned when both alliances pressed their Amp's Coopertition button early in teleop. CRESCENDO rewarded fast, accurate shooting and reliable climbing — many top robots combined an intake, a shooter, and a climber.

2025: REEFSCAPE presented by Haas

Part of an ocean-exploration theme, REEFSCAPE asked alliances to score Coral, harvest Algae, and attach to the Barge.

• Coral are ~11⅞-inch-long pieces of 4-inch-diameter Schedule 40 cellular-core (foam-core) PVC pipe, scored onto a four-level Reef (higher levels are worth more).
• Algae are 16-inch rubber playground balls that start on the Reef and must be dislodged, then scored in the Processor or the Barge's net.
• Endgame: park under the Barge (2 pts), or hang on the shallow Cage (6 pts) or deep Cage (12 pts).
• Coopertition: when both alliances process at least two Algae in the Processor, each earns a Coopertition Bonus, which lowers the threshold needed for ranking bonuses — a direct, rules-level reward for cooperating with your opponent.

2026: REBUILT presented by Haas

Part of the FIRST AGE (archaeology) season, REBUILT was revealed at the January 10, 2026 Kickoff.

• Game piece: Fuel — high-density yellow foam balls about 5.91 inches (15.0 cm) in diameter and roughly half a pound each, made exclusively by AndyMark. There are 504 on the field, and robots can preload up to eight.
• Scoring: robots shoot Fuel into a Hub on their alliance's side. A twist: the Hub only scores when it is 'activated,' and activation alternates throughout the match — so timing matters.
• Field elements include the Neutral Zone, Alliance Zones, Outpost (with a Corral and Chute), Depot, Trenches, and Bumps, on a 27-by-54-foot carpeted field.
• Endgame: robots climb a ladder-shaped Tower, ascending up to three rungs for points.

How to use these examples

Notice the pattern across all three years:

1. There's a game piece to manipulate (Notes, Coral/Algae, Fuel).
2. There are scoring locations worth different point values.
3. There's a 15-second autonomous worth bonus value.
4. There's a climbing/parking endgame that swings matches.
5. There's a Coopertition element and ranking-point bonuses.

When the next game drops at Kickoff, you'll recognize this skeleton instantly — and you'll know what questions to ask of the Game Manual.

Learn more

• REBUILT (2026 FIRST game) — Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebuilt_(FIRST)
• Reefscape — Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reefscape