Game Dev Champions 2024 now open

The video games mental health charity Safe In Our World has opened interest registration for the Mental Health Game Dev Champions 2024. The competition is aimed at empowering gamers and developers to create intimate and personal video games based on real lived experiences.

“Safe In Our World was launched on the eve of the pandemic, arriving at a vital time to offer support for gamers,” says Sarah Sorrell, charity director.

“If there is one legacy that Covid-19 has left, it’s that perhaps people are now talking more about their mental health. That is the theme of this competition; to continue this vital conversation and encourage people to express what they went through and share their experience by making a game that means something to them.”

Entry Categories:

• Solo Dev, Ages 18 – 24
• Solo Dev, Ages 25+
• Small Team, Ages 18 – 24
• Small Team, Ages 25+

Awards Categories:

• Best Narrative
• Best Audio
• Best Game
• Best Gameplay Innovation
• Best Art
• Best Technical Innovation

There will be awards for each age and group-size entry category, with a shortlist of 3 finalists for each category. The judging panel will include esteemed industry folk, game developers, indie publishers, and clinicians.

Prizes include:

• Unity Pro Licenses for all winners.
• Credits from Unity Asset store.
• Game Pass Subscriptions for all winners.
• Sidekick Journal for all winners.
• Mental Health Awareness Course.
• Mentorship with judges.
• Intel Motherboard and CPU.
• Personalised introductions to select Indie Publishers.
• GDC 2025 All Access Passes / DevCom 2025 All Access Passes (travel not included)..

More prizes will be announced. Solo entries are allowed, or teams may enter the group category.

Rules:

• Aspiring developers must be at least 18-years-old, and not part of an existing development team.
• All games must be produced within the time frame of the challenge, games made before 1 June are not permitted.
• A ‘Small Team’ must be a team of people who do notnormally work together on projects and must be a maximum of 6 people.
• The Game Dev challenge is for people just starting their carrier in the games industry, to qualify you must not work within the industry or have only done so for 2 years or less.
• The Safe In Our World standard guidelines on conduct apply to all aspects of the competition.
• Games may be created using any games engine you wish if it is accessible to the judges.
• All Games must include the theme in some way, make it special to your journey.
• All games must be complete and in a full working order.
• You may enter multiple games if you wish, if they are all created during the given time.

Interest registration for Safe In Our World’s Mental Health Game Dev Champions 2024 closes 31 May 2024.

* Register interest here.