CELEBRATION

OF YOUNG GAME DESIGNERS

GRADES 3-12

CONGRATULATIONS TO 2021’S TOP SELECTED GAME DESIGNERS!

Join us for our first-ever livestream event on Sunday, March 21 at 5pm. Meet the top selected game designers, learn all about their dream-inspired games, and experience the excitement of a game-jam weekend.

ATTEND THE EVENT

SUBMISSION DEADLINE:

February 1, 2021

TOP SELECTED ANNOUNCED:

February 15, 2021

VIRTUAL GAME JAM WEEKEND FOR TOP SELECTED:

February 26-28, 2021

THEME:

‘Dream’

New this year, ASAP! is expanding its suite of Celebrations to include game design. The Celebration of Young Game Designers will nurture creativity and provide a new platform for joyful learning, creative problem solving and connecting young gamers. Individual students in grades 3-12 are invited to submit their idea for a video game based on the theme ‘Dream.’ The top finalists will join a panel of professional designers in a game jam weekend–a unique chance to collaborate with a professional team and learn about the many skills and creative processes needed in the creation of a real video game.

SUBMISSION MUST INCLUDE:

IMPORTANT: Game idea submissions must exclude violence, killing and acts of hatred and/or exclusion.
Elevator Pitch: Summarize the details of your game idea (60 words or less)
Design Goals: What is the player’s experience like while playing the game? Is it fast, flashy and humorous? Slow, cinematic, and tense? (60 words or less)
Core Gameplay Loop: This defines what the player DOES while playing your game. What repetitive activities will the player will take to level up in your game? (150 words or less.)
Wireframe(s): Draw your game idea using your choice of art materials and submit a picture of your drawing(s).
Setting: Describe the world in which your game takes place. Is it set in outer space? An abstract What colors make up your world? (60 words or less)
Story: What is the story behind the game? (If applicable. 150 words or less)
Characters: Who are the characters in the game? (If applicable. 60 words or less)
Prototyping & Playtesting Recap: What did you discover during your prototyping and playtesting processes? Did you learn something about your game that required you to adjust your original game idea? (150 words or less)
Adherence to the theme ‘Dream’

RESOURCES:

Sample Submission

Curious about what a CYGD submission might look like? Check out committee members Yiyi and Alexia’s sample video game submission here. As you’ll see, it’s a little writing, a little drawing, and a lot of imagination–all things we know you’re great at!

Using The Theme ‘Dream’

Elevator Pitch

Imagine you’ve suddenly found yourself riding on an elevator with the one person who could bring your video game idea into reality. You have about one minute to convince them that your idea is worth assembling a whole team of designers and developers to bring your game to life. Your ‘elevator pitch,’ sometimes called the ‘high concept pitch,’ should illustrate the overall concept of your game, plus important details, in just a few words. It’s important to have this pitch ready at any stage of your design process, so as you move from the early stages of your thinking through designing and making it, you’ll update your elevator pitch.

Core Gameplay Loop

Click here to learn more about gameplay loops.

Wireframes

Check out this wireframe how-to.

And these wireframe examples.

Prototyping & Playtesting