High School Video Game Design Competitions

The WSPTA Game Development Competition is a STEM-based program, introduced in 2016, to encourage and support student success. Students attending a middle or high school with a PTA/PTSA in good standing may participate and share their knowledge and creativity based on an assigned theme.

The purpose is to provide an opportunity for students, either individually or in teams of up to six members, to use their creative talents and express themselves by developing a game, either a physical board game or a computer game. Students' submissions are judged in the following areas: best board game, best computer game, arts and animation, game design, programming (code), and audio design.

To ensure all students have an equal opportunity to participate (regardless of access to computers and programming classes) a new category was added in 2020, best board game. Students may now enter by creating a board game (this includes card games) so no prior knowledge of programming is required. All students will be able to showcase their creativity, determination, and game design skills.

The 2020-2021 winners are located on the Student Showcase page.

"Earth Waves at Cassini" by NASA Goddard Photo and Video is licensed under CC BY 2.0

The theme for the 2021-2022 competition is Changing the World.

"If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him… A wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness. We need not wait to see what others do."
Mahatma Gandhi

The deadline date for submissions is March 1, 2022.

Eligibility

Students must participate through a local PTA/PTSA in good standing. Parent groups not affiliated with WSPTA are not eligible to sponsor this program. It is the responsibility of the local PTA/PTSA to determine each student's eligibility in the program. A student/team may develop an entry in or outside of school.

View the Eligibility and Entry Rules for 2021-2022.

Grade Divisions

Computer Games

Students in grades 9-12 may participate individually or in teams of up to six members. Teams are encouraged and may be composed of multiple grades. A PTA/PTSA must be in good standing and may have an unlimited number of teams.

Students in grades 6-8 may be affiliated with a team that has a team member in 9th grade or higher whose PTA/PTSA is in good standing.

Board Games

Students in grades 6-12 may participate individually or in teams of up to six members. Teams are encouraged and may be composed of multiple grades. A PTA/PTSA must be in good standing and may have an unlimited number of teams. Click here for a resource on how to create your own board game.

Timelines

Final project submissions are due March 1, 2022.

The online form is required to identify the team and provide information about your game. This year you will need to provide a link to the file-sharing folder where your game and supporting materials can be accessed by the judges. Contact the Game Development Competition chair with questions.

Winners will be announced in April 2022. Funding for the prizes is provided by a grant, with the top prizes being $150 each.

Registration - Submittal Process

Individuals or teams will register directly with WSPTA by completing an online submission form, due March 1, 2022. Students will upload their submissions directly to the state level for judging. There is no fee for participation.

Computer game entries:
1. Do not forget to include your source code with your entry. If for some reason the judges cannot get your game to run, the source code will help them judge your game.

2. Include information about the audio and images/artwork so that the judges will know if it was created by a team member or if it was taken from somewhere else. If using audio or images/artwork from another source, make sure to also provide the credit for that source.