Global Game Jam Partners with Games for Change for the First G4C University Student Challenge
17 March 2025 (San Luis Obispo, California) - Global Game Jam (GGJ) has partnered with Games for Change (G4C) to launch the G4C University Student Challenge, a game jam and competition where young developers (ages 18-25) create digital games addressing global challenges while competing for a $10,000 scholarship.
About the G4C Student Challenge The G4C Student Challenge invites participants worldwide to design games inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with this year's themes including:
Outplay Hunger – Addressing food security and sustainability
Nurture Yourself With Nature – Exploring the connection between well-being and the environment
Peaceformers Challenge – Encouraging conflict resolution and peacebuilding
Participants do not need to be enrolled in a university program to join. The competition runs until April 18, 2025.
From now through April, GGJ and G4C will provide participants with:
Webinars covering key topics in game development and social impact
Expert mentorship from professionals in serious games and related fields
Office hours with experienced mentors to help refine game submissions
Opportunities to connect with university jammers worldwide
Participants can further develop their games through:
Endless Studios Playtesting – A platform for receiving feedback from developers and industry professionals via The Studio by Endless (Access Code: G4C2025University)
Mentor Match-Up – Pairing participants with experienced game developers for insights and feedback
Development Workshops (March 10-14, 2025) – A weeklong series of events and resources available through the itch.io jam page
???? Awards and Recognition
Winners will be selected across six competition categories, including Game of the Year, with the grand prize team sharing a $10,000 scholarship.
Get Involved!
Join the G4C-GGJ University Student Challenge Jam and turn a game idea into a meaningful contribution to social impact.
About Global Game Jam The Global Game Jam® (GGJ) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a mission to empower all individuals worldwide to learn, experiment, and create together through the medium of games in a safe and welcoming environment. GGJ organizes the world's largest game creation event – the Global Game Jam – bringing together tens of thousands of participants (jammers) at hundreds of physical and virtual sites in over 100 countries around the world. The organization also runs partner jams and other events around the year. More than just a 48-hour game jam, GGJ has been a starting point for hundreds of thousands of game developers around the world who have built successful, sustainable careers in game development, launched studios and created award-winning games.
About Games for Change
Since 2004, Games for Change (G4C) has empowered game creators and innovators to drive real-world change, using games and immersive media that help people learn, improve their communities, and contribute to making the world a better place. G4C partners with technology and gaming companies, nonprofits, foundations, and government agencies to run world-class events, public arcades, design challenges, and youth programs. G4C supports a global community of game developers using games to tackle real-world challenges, from humanitarian conflicts to climate change and education.
About The G4C Student Challenge The G4C Student Challenge is a game design competition that invites youth to create digital games inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The program uses youth interest in video games to develop coding and digital design skills, as well as problem solving, collaboration, creativity, and other critical STEAM skills. The Challenge is also a platform for amplifying student voices, empowering young people to imagine creative solutions to social problems, and to see themselves as engaged citizens and changemakers.
