Category Overview

The Interactive Category of the Collegiate Games Challenge honors excellence in student-led game development. This track invites top university game programs to submit original student video games that showcase creative design, technical innovation, and compelling interactive experiences.

This is a premiere opportunity for student teams to share their best-built games with industry veterans and demonstrate their potential as future game developers.

Eligibility

• Open to students enrolled in invited universities listed under the Collegiate Games Challenge program.
• Only original games developed by student leads are eligible. Games must be playable and may represent a capstone, thesis, or major team project from a recognized university course, or a personal project of similar scope.
• Submissions must be in development during the 2024–2025 academic year.
• Each university may submit up to two game projects in this category.
  • Internal school selection is required.
• Submissions may be from individuals or teams. Collaboration beyond individual programs is allowed and the submitting lead student will indicate which school the submission is from.
• The submitting lead student needs to be a U.S. resident for tax purposes and enrolled in their participating school during the 2024-25 school year.
• Submissions require a supporting school professor, established as the faculty point-of-contact (FPOC). Entries will be validated by the supporting school professor. See collegiategameschallenge.com/faculty for confirmed FPOC.

Submission Requirements

• Playable Game Build:
  • Supported platforms: PC, browser-based (HTML5/WebGL), or mobile.
  • Submissions will provide access to their builds rather than the direct files:
    • Digital game: Store link (Steam, Epic Store, itch.io, etc.), including token for access to playable build.
    • Mobile game: Link to test build (TestFlight, etc.).
    • Browser-based game: Link to website where the game is playable.
• Supporting Materials:
  • Submissions must be accompanied by instructions to play and any required credentials.
  • Link to one-page game overview (PDF): including team roles, genre, gameplay description, inspiration, and key features.
  • Screenshots (minimum three (3), JPEG or PNG format).*
  • Optional: Link to game trailer or b-roll. (thirty (30) seconds minimum to two (2) minutes maximum). *
  • Supporting materials will be provided through an accessible Google Drive link.

* These may be used for promotional use by the Collegiate Games Challenge.

• File Naming Convention: CGC_SchoolName_GameTitle2025
• Submission Portal (to open on June 1, 2025): collegiategameschallenge.com/submit

Entry Fees

• No entry fees are required for participation.

Rights & Promotion

• Students retain full ownership of their submitted games and materials.
• By entering the competition, students grant the organizers non-exclusive rights to publicly screen, promote, and share submitted trailers via:
  • Livestreamed awards ceremony
  • Collegiate Games Challenge website
  • GGP social media channels
  • Industry showcase reels and marketing materials

Awards & Recognition

Prizes and categories include:

• Grand Prize – Best Game Award
  • Gold: $25,000
  • Silver: $15,000
  • Bronze: $5,000
• Honorable Mentions may be awarded in the following areas:
  • Best Game Design
  • Best Visual Art
  • Best Audio Design
  • Best Innovation

Only the Grand Prize winners will receive cash awards. Honorable Mentions are recognition-based.

Winners will be announced during the Summer 2025 livestreamed awards ceremony.

Mentorship

Participants will be invited to attend exclusive Zoom sessions with industry professionals.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI tools may be used to support development (e.g., procedural generation, VFX, scripting aids), but human creativity and oversight must drive the work.

• AI-generated assets must be created ethically and integrated under human supervision.
• Entrants are encouraged to disclose AI usage.
• Submissions showing a lack of human authorship or ethical care may be disqualified.

Key Dates

• Rules Announced: May 1, 2025
• Submissions Open: June 1, 2025
• Submission Deadline: June 15, 2025 (11:59 PM PST)
• Finalists Announced: July 2025
• Winners Announced (Livestream): August 2025