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Pressemitteilung

Games for Change Launches 2023 Student Challenge 

National game design program and competition invites young people to create games focused on social and environmental impact 

NEW YORK (February 1, 2023) — Today, Games for Change opened the 8th annual G4C Student Challenge game design competition. Between February 1 and April 18, middle and high school students across the U.S. can participate in a series of public events and game design programs to learn about causes affecting their communities, develop digital design and coding skills, and submit original games for a chance to win prizes and national recognition.

 

Nearly 300 schools are already participating in this year’s Student Challenge, which connects youth interest in video games to learning and civic engagement. Participating educators and students have access to unique learning opportunities, including the Level Up Series of masterclasses featuring industry experts from FunPlus, The New York Video Game Critics Circle, and Tripwire Interactive.

 

From February 5 through 12, Games for Change will host a week of virtual and in-person Game Jams to help students get started on their game design project. Game Jams are free and open to the public for any students in grades 5-12, and include:

 

A full schedule with registration links can be found on the Events page of the Student Challenge website. 

 

Educators and families can also use the new Quick Start Game Jam Guide to host their own Game Jams anytime and anywhere, for any number of people. 

 

All games created for the Student Challenge must address one of the 2023 social impact themes. Learning resources associated with each theme are curated by leading cause-based organizations and companies, and available for students, educators, and families to explore on the Student Challenge website. Themes and partners for the 2022-2023 program include:

 

  • Climate Action Heroes: Games that propose ways to address climate change and actions each of us can take every day at home, in school, at work, and in our community.

  • Give Peace a Chance (in partnership with the Nobel Peace Center): Games that explore how Nobel Peace Laureates advocated for a more peaceful and just world where students can demonstrate ways they, too, can build peace, end conflict, and stand up for human rights.

  • Positive Play: Designing Inclusive Virtual Worlds (in partnership with Hasbro):  To create a positive culture within online gaming, students will design games to promote diverse, safe, and inclusive gaming communities.


Students can submit completed games through the Student Challenge online portal through April 18, 2023, and finalists will be recognized at a culminating Awards Ceremony in June. Winners will receive prizes including technology, video games, and opportunities with leading game companies. National Champions will receive a $10,000 scholarship, generously provided by Take-Two Interactive.  

 

This year’s competition will also feature five special award categories, including:

 

  1. The Character Design Award, a new award category in partnership with FunPlus, which will recognize the design and creation of original  characters living in a virtual game world related to one of the three themes.

 

  1. The Game Accessibility Challenge, in partnership with AbleGamers, will recognize games that introduce one or more accessibility features to support the gameplay experience for players with different abilities (visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive/learning).

 

  1. The Fair Game Writing Challenge, sponsored by the New York Videogame Critics Circle, will allow students to submit a Video Game Review and Poem. One student winner selected from each of the four regions will receive a $500 cash prize, special mentorship opportunities, and a potential publication opportunity.

 

  1. The XR Innovation Challenge will recognize games created for an extended reality platform, including augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). Games can be created using CoSpaces or other student-friendly platforms. 

 

  1. The Made with Unity Award will highlight and celebrate student games created using the Unity design platform.

 

The 2022-2023 G4C Student Challenge is generously funded by: General Motors, Take-Two Interactive, the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, the National Endowment for the Arts, Verizon, Bigglesworth Family Foundation, Bill Recker, Motorola Solutions Foundation, Best Buy Foundation, the Grable Foundation, Unity Charitable Fund, Hasbro Foundation, Richard King Mellon Foundation, Omidyar Network, and FunPlus. Partners of the Student Challenge include: the Nobel Peace Center, AbleGamers, the New York Videogame Critics Circle, Unity,.

 

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About Games For Change

Since 2004, Games For Change (G4C) has empowered game creators and innovators to

drive real-world change — using games and immersive media to help people learn, improve

their communities, and make the world a better place. G4C partners with technology and gaming companies, nonprofits, foundations, and government agencies to run world-class events, public arcades, design challenges, and youth programs. G4C supports a global community of game developers working on using games to tackle real-world challenges, from humanitarian conflicts to climate change and education.