The Games4Health Challenge is an annual competition that invites college students to design a health-promoting digital game. Using game mechanics, participants create games that motivate healthy changes in behavior. Registration is now open for the 2017 Games4Health Challenge, and this year’s sponsored prize money totals $60,000. Added to this year’s list of challenge categories is virtual reality/augmented reality. No coding is necessary to complete a submission.
Digital games are powerful teaching and training tools, and the potential for digital games to advance wellbeing is largely untapped. Games4Health sponsors have teamed with the Sorenson Center for Discovery & Innovation at the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business to build cooperative relationships that bring together game developers, health experts, investors, donors, researchers and students. Nearly 300 registered participants from 70 universities in 12 countries competed in last year’s competition on 120 total teams. Past winners include MediGarden, a mobile app that helps users remember to take their medications on time; Carb Commander, a game that teaches carb knowledge to children with diabetes and their families; and Renaissance Astronaut, a game to help users set achievable goals and motivate them to reach their goals.
“Games4Health is a great opportunity for students to come up with innovative ideas and solutions to challenging health related problems,” said Games4Health student co-chair, Andrew Silotti. “Last year, I got to see students compete, win funding, and ultimately publish their game on the app store.” The competition, he adds, “gives students great experience in entrepreneurship, design, business strategy and other fields.”
This year’s participation is anticipated to double, making the Games4Health Challenge the largest event of its kind in the world. Students will compete in six different Challenge Categories: Happy Fitness, Corporate Wellness, Clinical Health, Chronic Disease, Adolescent Mental Wellbeing and Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality.
Registration is open until Feb. 10, 2017, and the submissions deadline is March 8, 2017. Register now at www.g4hutah.com.
