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K12 Game On is now closed.

Stay tuned for the announcement of our Round 3 finalists!

Thank you to all the talented participants who participated in our K12 Game On competition by submitting your idea for an educational video game! 🎉

Your creativity and innovation have truly impressed us. Finalists who have advanced to Round 3 will be notified via email from competitions@stridelearning.com. Students who progress to the final round will be asked to create trailers for their video game. We encourage students to build their trailers around the judging criteria for their grade band.

Round 3 Game Trailers must be received by 5 PM (ET) on January 13, 2025.

Competition Schedule

All students are eligible to participate in the first round and submit their game pitches. Students will be notified via email by competitions@stridelearning.com if they have progressed to the following rounds.

November 18, 2024

Round 1 Pitch Submission Deadline

December 9, 2024

Round 2 Proposal Submission Deadline

January 13, 2025

Round 3 Trailer Submission Deadline

January 15-29, 2025

People's Choice Voting

February 5, 2025

Winners Announced

Prizes

The creator of the best game in each grade band (K–2, 3–5, 6–8, and 9–12), as selected by our judges, will win their choice of one of these gaming systems: Sony PlayStation®5, Microsoft Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch™, or Valve Steam Deck™.

The creator of the game in each grade band receiving the most public votes will be declared the People’s Choice winner and receive a $100 Amazon gift card.

Competition Details

Open to Students in Grades K-12

The Game On K12 Competition is open to all students in grades K–12. Students will be split into divisions based on their grade level (K–2, 3–5, 6–8, and 9–12) and judged against students in the same division.

Each grade band will have two winners—one selected by our judges and one People’s Choice winner chosen through public voting.

Entry Deadline

Students interested in participating should pitch their idea for an educational video game by 5 PM (ET) on November 18, 2024. Parents or guardians must enter on behalf of students aged 13 or under.

Competition Overview

To enter, students must submit a pitch for an educational video game. Pitches should be 6–8 sentences or a video describing the details of their game. All students in grades K–12 are eligible to participate in the first round and will be notified if they have progressed to the next round.

Students who progress to the second round will be asked to submit a full proposal for their educational video game idea. The proposal template can be viewed here. We encourage students to build their proposals around the judging criteria for their grade band.

Students who progress to the final round will be asked to create trailers for their video game—with help from the K12 team—using AI software provided by K12.

Round 1: Pitches will be judged based on the creativity of the game title, descriptiveness of the pitch, and clarity of the game’s educational value.

Round 2: Proposals will be judged based on the game’s title, objectives, characters, story, and mechanics.

Round 3: Trailers will be judged based on the criteria from round 2, as well as the game’s scalability and audience appeal, the quality and flow of the trailer, and how feasible the game would be to create and play.

Read Full Criteria

Need Inspiration?

Need some inspiration to spark your creativity? Check out some of our example pitches.

K–2 Example: Word Wizards

The Word Wizards need help restoring their world’s magic! Players explore various word-themed islands, learn new words, and solve word puzzles to progress.

3–5 Example: Planting Game

Players can grow their very own plant in this game, ensuring that it gets the correct amount of water, sunlight, fertilizer, and more to stay happy and healthy.

6–8 Example: Veterinarian Game

In this game, players manage a vet clinic. By determining how best to treat and care for sick animals, players learn basics about vet science and animal anatomy.

9–12 Example: Coding Conquerors

The cyber realm is under attack by rogue programs. Players must learn coding principles, write scripts, and debug programs to defeat enemies and save the digital world!

Take a look at last year’s finalists!

Please review the rules and regulations related to Game On K12. These terms and conditions must be agreed to upon submission of entry.

Stay in the know.

Follow us on social media to get the latest info on Game On K12 and learn more about how we help students develop and showcase their skills.