Recognizing Achievement

Opportunity & Recognition Await!

Explore the array of awards for the SGS&C. Categories range from General and Government Audience Games to student and technological innovation achievements. Winners will be announced during the conference at the SGS&C Award Ceremony, acknowledged at the I/ITSEC Awards Banquet, and featured on our website.

How it works

Awards

All finalist games entered are eligible for multiple awards, as described below.

All games qualify for one of the categories below.

Best General Audience Game

Available 2022-present

Games built specifically for a general audience, such as corporate training, general education, general health/healthcare and wellness, public interest, etc.  Funders and developers of the game can be private or government entities.

Best Government Audience Game

Available 2022-present

Games built specifically for national or local government or defense purposes, such as military tactics, equipment, or procedures, law enforcement, cybersecurity, tactical combat care and triage, veterans’ health and affairs, public works, and space.

All Games also qualify for these categories.

Innovation Award

Available 2016-present

The Innovation Award aims to recognize innovation in serious games; that is, those games that exhibit a unique characteristic or technique. For purposes of the Challenge, innovation is defined as a characteristic or technique that enhances the serious game in a new or different way.  The technique can be in terms of hardware integration, instructional design, game design, content topic or a combination thereof. The Innovation Award will be judged by and is awarded at the sole discretion of the Innovation Committee.

People’s Choice Award

Available 2016-present

I/ITSEC attendees vote using ballots that are given out at registration. Each attendee votes and drops off their ballot at the Serious Games Showcase & Challenge booth on the tradeshow floor. Ballots are collected until the tradeshow floor closes on Wednesday night (the eve of awards day), after which they are tallied by the SGS&C Committee.

In addition, games may qualify for these awards.

Best Student Developed Game

Available 2008-present

You don’t have to be an athlete to compete intercollegiately. Go up against other top colleges and universities, and network with top-paying employers at I/ITSEC. This award is judged by our esteemed panel of international evaluators and comes with a high-value Grand Prize.

Best XR (VR/AR/MR)

Available 2019-present

“XR” is the new hip term that all of the cool kids are using to summarize the category of Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR). This award is judged by our esteemed panel of international evaluators and comes with a high-value Grand Prize.

Students’ Choice Award

Available 2013-present

Games that are geared toward middle and high school students and their curricula and standards have the opportunity to be evaluated by selected school systems from around the United States.  See if your game could be best new game as rated by these students.

All games will qualify for one of the two awards below.

Games built specifically for a general audience, such as corporate training, general education, general health/healthcare and wellness, public interest, etc.  Funders and developers of the game can be private or government entities.

Games built specifically for national or local government or defense purposes, such as military tactics, equipment, or procedures, law enforcement, cybersecurity, tactical combat care and triage, veterans’ health and affairs, public works, and space.

All games also qualify for these two awards.

The Innovation Award aims to recognize innovation in serious games; that is, those games that exhibits a unique characteristic or technique. For purposes of the Challenge, innovation is defined as a characteristic or technique that enhances the serious game in a new or different way.  The technique can be in terms of hardware integration, instructional design, game design, content topic or a combination thereof. The Innovation Award will be judged by and is awarded at the sole discretion of the Innovation Committee.

I/ITSEC attendees vote using ballots that are given out at registration. Each attendee votes and drops off their ballot at the Serious Games Showcase & Challenge booth on the tradeshow floor. Ballots are collected until the tradeshow floor closes on Wednesday night (the eve of awards day), after which they are tallied by the SGS&C IPT.

In addition, games may also qualify for these awards.

You don’t have to be an athlete to compete intercollegiately. Go up against other top colleges and universities, and network with top-paying employers at I/ITSEC. This award is judged by our esteemed panel of international evaluators and comes with a high-value Grand Prize.

“XR” is the new hip term that all of the cool kids are using to summarize the category of Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR). This award is judged by our esteemed panel of international evaluators and comes with a high-value Grand Prize.

Games that are geared towards middle and high school students and their curricula and standards have the opportunity to be evaluated by selected school systems from around the United States.  See if your game could be best new game as rated by these students.

Ready to enter the Challenge?

Go to the How To Enter page to access the Intent to Submit and Submission Forms.

Also check out the FAQs for more information.

Go to FAQs Page