Imagine your own game. Win cash prizes.
The K12 Game On Competition is back! Submit an original educational game concept for a chance to win cash prizes. Not only that, but every valid entry will be automatically entered into a raffle for a chance to win $100.
Chris Melissinos is a lifelong gamer and currently serves as a Principal Evangelist at Amazon Web Services (AWS), where his work has been responsible for influencing next-gen game technology and AWS offerings while advocating for developer needs. Previously, he served as Chief Gaming Officer at Sun Microsystems, creator and guest curator of the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s “The Art of Video Games” exhibition, earning him the 2013 “Ambassador Award” at the Game Developers Conference Choice Awards. He was also Executive Director of Media and Entertainment at Verizon, and is a founding board member of the Video Game History Foundation.
A frequent speaker at major industry events and universities around the world, he has been featured in more than 30 news outlets including CBS, ABC, BBC, NPR, Wired, TimeMagazine, National Geographic, Nintendo Power, Game Informer, and TEDx. He is also the host of “Boss Rush”, a weekly news livestream for the video game industry, on LinkedIn, YouTube, and Twitch.
What is K12 Game On?
Turn Your Ideas Into a Game
K12 Game On challenges students to think like game designers by creating an original game that makes learning fun, whether they love coding, storytelling, art, strategy, problem-solving, or game design.
Competition Details
Digital or physical game concepts accepted.
Violent and/or combat games are not permitted.
Entry Deadline
• Entries open at 9 AM
(ET) on Sept. 22, 2026.
• Deadline to enter is 5
PM (ET) on Nov. 30, 2026.
PRIZES
Win Cash Prizes & Gain National Recognition
Overall Winners
All overall winners will get a prize of $100 each within the following bands:
K–2, 3–5, 6–8, and 9–12
People’s Choice Winners
All People’s Choice winners will get a prize of $50 each within the following bands:
K–2, 3–5, 6–8, and 9–12
Bonus Raffle Prize
Every valid entry is automatically entered for a chance to win an additional $100 raffle prize.
The raffle prize will be given at the same time as the other prizes, around April 2027.
One submission may not receive both the Overall Winner and People’s Choice awards, and invalid entries will not be entered in the raffle.
Important Dates
Competition Overview
All Participants Should Include:
Game Title
Game Idea
Learning Goal
Intended Audience
Grades K–5
Grades 6-12
Share your game concept in the format that works best for you that includes the four required elements above:
• Drawing
• Photo
• Written Description
• Short Video (30-60 sec.)
Submit a written description of your game idea in 4–8 sentences that includes all four required elements listed above.
Optional: Include a short video to help bring your idea to life.
Grades K–5
Share your game concept in the format that works best for you that includes the four required elements above:
• Drawing
• Photo
• Written Description
• Short Video (30-60 sec.)
Grades 6-12
Submit a written description of your game idea in 4–8 sentences that includes all four required elements listed above.
Optional: Include a short video to help bring your idea to life.
Three Simple Steps
Step 1: Submit Your Idea
Share your game concept, including the game title, idea, learning goal, and who should play your game.
Step 2: Build Your Proposal
Selected students advance to Round 2 and expand on gameplay, design, story, and educational impact using a provided template.
Step 3: Bring It to Life
Finalists create a video demo or trailer of their game, with guidance and resources from K12.
NEED IDEAS?
Inspiration Starts Here
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.
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.
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.
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!
Previous Winners & Finalists
See What Students Created
What Kind of Games Can I Create?
Digital Games
• Educational video games
• Mobile games
• Scratch projects
• MakeCode games
• Adventure games
• Puzzle games
• RPGs
• Interactive stories
• AI-powered educational concepts
• VR/AR ideas
Physical Games
• Board games
• Card games
• Dice games
• Escape rooms
• Puzzle games
• Tabletop RPGs
• Outdoor learning games
• Trivia games
Level Up Your Skills
Build Future-Ready Skills Through Game Design
Creating a game develops valuable skills that extend far beyond gameplay.
Judging Criteria
What are judges looking for?
Educational Value (30 points)
How effectively does the game support learning?
Creativity & Originality (25 points)
How innovative is the concept?
Gameplay & Player Experience (20 points)
How engaging and enjoyable is the game?
Design & Presentation (15 points)
How clearly is the game idea communicated?
Feasibility & Execution (10 points)
How realistic and well-developed is the concept?
Who can participate?
Any K12-powered student in grades K–12. Students under the age of 13 require a parent to sign them up.
Does my game need to be fully built?
Submissions do not need to be a finished game. We want to see your creativity and learn about your game idea!
Can I submit a physical game?
Yes! Examples of accepted physical games include board games, card games, tabletop RPGs, and more!
Can parents help younger students?
Parents can help with submitting the idea, but the student(s) should be the sole creator of the idea.
What makes a game educational?
The game should focus on skills that support any kind of learning, whether that's an academic subject, a life skill, problem-solving skill, future-ready skill, or something else educational.
How does judging work?
There will be three rounds.
The first-round judges will focus on the strength of the concept.
In the second round, judges will examine presentations that fully capture the creativity and goals of the game idea.
In the final round, entrants will be required to submit either a game demo or game trailer, and the most compelling and interesting concepts will be chosen.
For the People’s Choice awards, judging will be solely focused on entries with the highest number of public votes.
What happens if I advance?
Advancing participants will be notified via email from the official competition email address (competitions@K12.com).
Ready to Game On?
Your idea could become the next K12 Game On winner!
Stay in the know.
