ABOUT THE COMPETITION

The 2022-2023 Student Challenge competition is now closed for submissions, students will be notified of their standing in mid-May

The G4C Student Challenge culminates in a national game design competition, through which middle and high school students (grades 5-12) can enter their original social impact games for the chance to win prizes, including a $10,000 scholarship, generously provided by Take-Two Interactive. Games are evaluated April – May.  All students will be notified of their standing in the competition in May and winners are announced at an Awards Ceremony at the end of the school year.

 
The competition is broken down into 4 U.S. regions: Northeast, South, Midwest, and West. First, students will compete on the regional level with others in their division and age group. Age groups include “Junior” (grades 5-8) and “Senior” (grades 9-12). Regional winners will then advance to compete against each other for the title of National Champion. 
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COMPETITION DIVISIONS

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WEST

Alaska
Arizona
California
Colorado
Hawaii
Idaho
Montana
Nevada
New Mexico
Oregon
Texas
Utah
Washington
Wyoming

MIDWEST

Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
Nebraska
North Dakota
Ohio
South Dakota
Wisconsin

SOUTH

Alabama
Arkansas
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maryland
Mississippi
North Carolina
Oklahoma
Puerto Rico
South Carolina
Tennessee
Virginia

NORTHEAST

Connecticut
Maine
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New York
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
Vermont
West Virginia

JUDGING CRITERIA

Games will be evaluated by industry pros and Theme topic experts. All games will be judged on the following:

GAMEPLAY: 

  • Is the game playable? 
  • Is the gameplay smooth and bug-free?
  • Is it well-balanced (not too easy/hard)?
  • Do players have meaningful choices in the process of achieving the game’s goal?

ORIGINALITY: 

  • Is the game new, fresh, and innovative?
  • How unique is the design and concept of the game?
  • Does it bear little resemblance to other games (particularly re: Scratch remixes)?

USE OF THEME: 

  • Does the game address its Theme in a meaningful way?
  • Is the Theme information presented clearly and accurately?

OVERALL WOW FACTOR: 

  • How engaging and fun is the game?
  • Would you recommend it to someone else?