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  • ๐Ÿ† Dive into May with G4C: Festival Award Finalists, Student Challenge Updates, and Beyond! ๐Ÿš€

๐Ÿ† Dive into May with G4C: Festival Award Finalists, Student Challenge Updates, and Beyond! ๐Ÿš€

Delve into the latest updates from G4C! Explore the finalists for the G4C Awards, discover must-attend festival sessions, and celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander and Mental Health Awareness Month.

Welcome to the May Newsletter! We have many exciting updates to share with you, so get ready to jump in. Check out the G4C Award Finalists. Explore insightful Festival sessions you donโ€™t want to miss. Play the winning and finalist games from the G4C Student Challenge. Immerse yourself in exciting games highlighting Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AANHPI) and Mental Health Awareness Month. Take a small break from Endless Ocean Luminous and prepare for a captivating read! ๐Ÿš€

-Team G4C

We're thrilled to announce this year's nominees for the 2024 Games for Change Awards! ๐Ÿ†

This year, we received an unprecedented number of submissions from across the globe, showcasing the growing recognition of games as powerful tools for positive change. With a remarkable 44% increase in entries and 63.4% of submissions coming from international developers, the 2024 G4C Awards truly embody the global spirit of the Games for Change community. We're also excited to introduce our BRAND NEW category, "Best Environmental Impact," highlighting games that are making a difference for our planet.

Get ready for an unforgettable Awards Ceremony hosted by the amazing Anjali Bhimani, known for her roles in Overwatch, Apex, and Critical Role's Candela Obscura. It's time to celebrate the games that are pushing boundaries, promoting learning, and paving the way for a better future through the power of gaming.

๐Ÿ† The 2024 Games for Change Award Nominees Include:

Best in Civics
We. The Refugees: Ticket to Europe - Act Zero
Sibel's Journey - Food for Thought Media
Headlines and High Water - Field Day Lab

Best Gameplay
A Highland Song - inkle
Chants of Sennaar - Rundisc
Jusant - DON'T NOD

Best Student Project
It's Ukraine - Not a Game - Various Students
Stop and Breathe - One Must Imagine GamesPacaPomo - Saturday Boys 


Best in Learning
Outbreak READY 2!: Thisland in Crisis - &ranj
Give As We Grow - FableVision
Headlines and High Water - Field Day Lab


Best in XR
MLK: Now Is The Time - Flight School Studio, TIME Studios, Meta VR For Good
Origen - Presencias
Maya: The Birth of a Superhero - Just Another Production Company

Best in Impact
Headlines and High Water - Field Day Lab
Stay Alive, My Son Chapter 1 & 2 - UME Studios
American Arcadia - Out of the Blue Games

Best Narrative
Torn Away - perelesoq
Stay Alive, My Son Chapter 1 & 2 - UME Studios
American Arcadia - Out of the Blue Games

Best in Innovation
A Highland Song - inkle
Stay Alive, My Son Chapter 1 & 2 - UME Studios
Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical - Summerfall Studios

Best in Health & Wellness
Teach Your Monster Adventurous Eating -Teach Your Monster
So Exhausting - Open Concept
Soul Paint - Improvive

Best in Environmental Impact
Loddlenaut - Moon Lagoon
Wake: Tales from the Aqualab - Field Day Learning Games
The Plastic Pipeline - FableVision

#G4C2024 is just around the corner! This year's Festival will feature a diverse array of sessions exploring the power of games to drive social impact, from their use in the classroom to their potential to advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Be inspired by innovative leaders from Roblox, Unity, Minecraft, Yale University, UNICEF, GLAAD, Geena Davis Institute, and more. Regular-priced tickets are only available for two more weeks, and All Access and Premium tickets won't be available after June 10th. Discounts are available for students, educators, developers, and groups of 5+. Get your tickets now and join us for a thrilling lineup of sessions that you won't want to miss! ๐ŸŽŸ๏ธ

Last week, we celebrated the conclusion of the G4C Student Challenge with a live awards ceremony, recognizing the incredible work of educators and students worldwide who integrated social impact themes into their games, stories, and writing. This year, we expanded the competition to students all over the world and introduced a new Board or Tabletop Game category. We received almost 1,000 submissions, including 119 tabletop games that showcased remarkable creativity and innovation. Check out all of the finalist games of the 2023-2024 Student Challenge below. ๐ŸŽฎ

Celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with G4C! This yearโ€™s official theme from FPAC is โ€œAdvancing Leaders Through Innovation,โ€ which pays homage to the innovators shaping history and the future for a better tomorrow. Check out our latest blog featuring some AANHPI staff members and impactful narratives in games. ๐ŸŒŽ ๐ŸŽฎ

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, join us as we explore how games can bridge the gap between mental health and awareness! In this blog, we'll delve into games that shed light on mental health issues, incredible resources available for mental health needs, past and upcoming festival sessions that explore insights on mental health, and more. ๐Ÿ•น๏ธ ๐Ÿ’ซ 

  • Explore the therapeutic potential of video games in enhancing mental well-being and discover strategies to optimize your gaming experience in this insightful Well Being article.

  • Discover how the representation of Asian women in the gaming industry has evolved over time, from negative stereotypes to empowering portrayals, driving a push for greater inclusivity in this insightful Sun Devil Times article. 

  • Learn how video games are being investigated as tools to help with anxiety and depression in this article from EL PAรS.

  • Apply for the 2024 Girls Make Games Scholarships by May 31st to kickstart your game development career. Learn more.

  • Uncover Evan ยญNarcisseโ€™s journey in diversifying the games industry including games like, Spider-Man and G4Cโ€™s GOTY Dotโ€™s Home in this insightful Mother Jones article.

  • Gain insights on how new age therapists are using the Nintendo Switch as a positive tool in therapy in this Nintendo Life article.

Psychonauts 2: Explore a mind-bending trip through the strange worlds hiding inside our brains. Play as acrobat extraordinaire Razputin โ€œRazโ€ Aquato as he returns to unpack emotional baggage and expand mental horizons.

Rakuen: Dive into a heartfelt journey with a little boy who lives in a hospital. Join him as he asks his mom to escort him to the fantasy world from his favorite storybook. There, he seeks the Guardian of the Forest to grant him one wish. To earn this wish, the boy must overcome challenges that involve helping his hospital neighbors by interacting with their alter-egos in the fantasy world.