The 2025
GameSalad Student Creator
Challenge!

Join students all over the United States as they build awesome video games and compete for prizes and bragging rights!

The 2024 GameSalad Video Game Creation Challenge aims to engage students in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (“STEAM”) skills by challenging them to create original video games.

Submissions will be accepted through April 5, 2025!

2024 High School Individual Winner: Doodle Series

(click the image to play)

Contest Categories

Divisions

The contents is divided into two divisions:

Middle School: Ages 10 – 14*
High School: Ages 14* – 18

* Students aged 14 can choose which division their game will be competing in.

Games can be entered into the following categories:

Award Categories

Best Overall Game – Individual (Prize: $250, 1 Year of GameSalad Pro)

Games created by any individual student.

Best Overall Game – Team (Prize: $500, 1 Year of GameSalad Pro)

Games created by any team of students of two or more. Prize will be split evenly among team members.

2024 High School Team Winner: Path of Gen 

(click the image to play)

Judging Criteria

A panel of judges designated will review and score all submissions based on the following criteria:

  • Functionality – is the game largely free of bugs
  • Expression of Theme – if entered into the “My Story” special category, the game will be judged on both how it subjectively exemplifies the theme as well as how well it expresses the connection to the student as stated in the accompanying student essay.
  • Innovation / Creative Vision – originality and uniqueness of the game concept, art, and music. BE ORIGINAL. You WILL get a lower score for assets that copy or are heavily based on existing game, movie, or book characters not in the public domain. We may adjust if it’s obvious your usage is “fair use” for satire or commentary.
  • Engaging game play – the extent to which games keep players fully engaged
  • Well balanced game play – clarity of game play goals, balance of challenges and rewards, feedback to the player

Eligibility

This contest is open to all students who:

  1. Attend school in the United States, one of it’s territories or districts, or an American Armed Forces School Abroad,
  2. Are no younger than 10 years of age and no older than 19 years of age as of the end of the Contest Period (June 1, 2024).
  3. Are in grades 5 – 12 attending pubic, private, religious, or charter schools or are enrolled in a GED or correspondence school program, or are attending a home school program.
  4. Have their parent’s / legal guardian’s permission to participate in the Challenge

Full rules and guidelines available at https://gamesalad.com/education/student-challenge/2025-challenge/rules

Check out previous year’s winners and runner ups: https://gamesalad.com/featured-student-games/

Enter Now!