About Code Games

Creating a better world starts with imagining one. Young innovators ages 10-18 across the globe are invited to create new fun games that envision and ultimately help build a better future for everyone.

By incorporating inspiration and creativity from the next generation, these new games will allow young creators to hone critical skills in coding and game design to shape the technology in their world, rather than be shaped by it. Join the challenge to create fun and immersive video games that entertain and dare to imagine creative solutions to some of the biggest global challenges.

Entrants can win a prize package featuring one of multiple $1,000 USD cash prizes when taking on the challenge to design and develop an original video game about any topic made with a variety of freely avaliable creation tools as well as written game designs.

Grand prizes of $2,000 USD will be awarded to the best games in the following topic areas: Equity, Exploration, and Environment.

The Code Games Challenge ran from May 14 - October 14, 2020. Over 3,000 young people registered for the Challenge from over 70 countries around the globe. 800+ entries were submitted, showcasing a broad range of game genres, styles and creation tools.

Judging took place during November, December and January. At our virtual Winners Celebration Event held on February 23, 2021, we announced the 16 youth winners of the 2020 Challenge, representing 7 different countries.

We believe that designing and developing a video game carries with it significant benefits for the creator including

• Introducing Computer Science and giving them a chance to engage with computational thinking and coding;
• Encouraging design and systems-based thinking;
• Creating an opportunity to make something with an audience and purpose in mind;
• Encouraging innovation and creative problem solving;
• Exposing young designers to the design process, as well as the development and game creation processes more broadly.

In addition to these benefits, making a game about a topic requires the creator to learn about and develop deep, systemic understanding of that topic. By challenging game makers to envision bold new futures around key themes, we hope they gain a deeper undrstanding of those themes that helps bring about those futures.

This XPRIZE challenge is supported by Endless and developed in collaboration with E-Line Media.

XPRIZE designs and operates multi-million-dollar, global competitions to accelerate the development of technological breakthroughs that benefit humanity. Active competitions include the $10 Million ANA Avatar XPRIZE and the $5 Million IBM Watson AI XPRIZE, the $20 Million NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE, and the $10 Million Rainforest XPRIZE.

Endless is a collection of independent companies and initiatives focused on supporting technology that cultivates digital agency among youth. Endless believes in the power of technology to transform lives for the better, and that the people who use that technology should be part of building it.

E-Line Media is a video game developer and publisher passionate about harnessing the power of games to help players understand and shape the world. For over ten years, E-Line has worked to empower game players to become game creators.