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Design Challenge Winners 2021
Learn more about 2021's finalists and their games
Design Challenge Winners 2020
Check out our 2020 finalists and their games
Design Challenge Winners 2019
Check out our 2019 finalists and their games
Design Challenge Winners 2018
Meet past finalists and hear their stories
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Why Research Matters
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How Intersectionality Impacts Female Players
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Thank You!
Thank you for your interest in this year’s Design Challenge. Submissions are now closed. Please check our website or social handles ( Twitter or Instagram ) for information on our future initiatives. Read about our winners and their experiences below.
In 2021, we hosted our online Game Changer Jam Session for winners of the Change The Game Design Challenge. Learn more about our participants and what they were able to create!
During this four-part Jam Session run by Girls Make Games, winners learned to design and create their own platformer games with no coding experience required!
Learn more about the four sessions here!
Students and their instructor meet for the first time. Together, they go through a tech set up and are fueled to design their own games!
Students create and design the foundations of their games, including the main character and level.
With a fully mapped out level, students learn to add goals and challenges to their game with enemies and collectibles. They dive into the heart of game programming, and implement game logic, rules, and conditions that tie everything together.
Students animate their characters and bring their game to life. They also import music and sound effects, and learn the importance of taking a game from good to amazing!
New York
NY
Taily Baker: curse of the Cheese Witch
1. My Change The Game experience was great, I learned a lot about new gaming software, and the basic foundations of a game. 2. My future plans in the gaming industry are to become a video game designer/character artists. I hope to be a leader for woman of color going into the industry.
Massachusetts
MA
Swords of The Ancients
My Jam Session was extremely informative and was a great learning experience. It helped show me the inner workings of how games are made. The leaders of each session were excellent and extremely helpful. I feel I really came out with more knowledge and would encourage any others to sign up.
Wisconsin
WI
Lunchroom Beef
My experience with the Jam Session was very fun positive. I liked how I was able to express knowledge and creativity while learning about the video game industry and how video games are created.
Maryland
MD
World Unitor
The Change the Game Jam Session taught me so much about how to create a game and I was able to make my own platformer and eventually a multiplayer game on my own. It has inspired me to make more games and pursue a career in the game industry.
California
CA
Divert
The Change the Jam Session was an incredible experience and from not knowing the first thing about game development, they guided me to make my first game in several days. It was amazing to see the idea that I had come to life!
Georgia
GA
Unknown Precedings
The knowledge I gained in these sessions was amazing. My instructor took me under her wing and answered many questions I addressed. I would like to continue learning and exploring a career in the gaming industry. I also gain confidence in addressing my ideas to include inclusion learning prototypes.
Black History Stuck In Time
I would first like to say thank you again to Change the Game for the amazing opportunity, and to all my classmates in my session for such a wonderful time. I had an amazing and productive time in my Jam Session where I was able to increase my knowledge of game making and coding to new heights. Throughout the session I was challenged beyond my own personal capabilities and that led to new growth that I will use in the future of my career in the game industry or computer programming in general.
My Dream
The Change The Game Jam Session helped me learn more about how to make games and what tools are needed to make my ideas into a reality. It was a really fun and enjoyable experience!
North Carolina
NC
There and Back
The Jam Session provided me the opportunity to gain insight into the gaming industry, like what goes into the making of a game and how to build a game myself, with a friendly group. 2. Creating games is certainly something I am very interested in. Even if I may not end up pursing a job in the gaming industry, I would love to continue to make interesting and creative games in my spare time.
Michigan
MI
Enchanting Elements
The Jam session was very fun and I got to learn how to make a fun game. This was the first game I’ve made myself and I’m happy with how it turned out. I hope to be a Creative Director or game coder/programmer in the future!
Deillgence
Change the Game provided some of the best mentorship I have ever received and gave the absolute perfect introduction to designing a platform game!
Kentucky
KY
Mentali
I had such a wonderful experience with Girls make Games and the Change the Game program! All the staff were so friendly and great to work with, and would always be readily available to answer any questions we had. Making games was so easy with all their help, and made it lots of fun! In the future, I plan on going into either Software Engineering or Graphic Design, since I love both art and coding
A long Way From Home
"This Game Changer Jam Session provided me with an amazing opportunity to experience what it's like to make a game, and I couldn't be more grateful to have been one of the few picked to participate. It was a truly game-changing experience!"
The Cowboy’s Code
The Game Changer Jam Session was phenomenal. I enjoyed every jam session and creating a functional game was a truly amazing experience. I will continue to create more games in the future.
Texax
TX
Virtual Animal Adoption
"I really enjoyed learning about the game design industry and meeting people who share my love of games!"
The Curse of New Hope High
I really enjoyed my jam session. It helped me expand my creative skills for my game and understand the process of game development. It was also great to meet with different gamers from around the country.
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