The Games for Change organization has unveiled its 2022 video game and XR award winners, and among them are familiar names like Insomniac Games, Schell Games–as in, Jesse Schell, famed designer and author of The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses–and more.
For a crash course on the Games for Change organization, you can check out our interview with its president, Susanna Pollack, on GameDev Breakdown.
Each year, Games for Change holds a variety of virtual and in-person events promoting social impact and learning through games. Its main event, the Annual Games for Change Festival, offers interdisciplinary tracks featuring presentations on Games for Learning, Health & Wellness, Civic & Social Issues, and more. The festival features its own award ceremony and showcase highlighting stand-out games across more than a dozen award categories.
Here are the 2022 Award Winners:
- Game of the Year: Dot’s Home (Weathered Sweater & Rise-Home Stories Project)
- Best Narrative: Dot’s Home (Weathered Sweater & Rise-Home Stories Project)
- Most Innovative: The Vale: Shadow of the Crown (Falling Squirrel)
- Most Significant Impact: Svoboda 1945: Liberation (Charles Games)
- Best Student Game: There You Are (Funky Dango)
- Best Learning Game: Ava (Team Ava)
- Best XR4C Experience: The Choice (Joanne Popinska)
- G4C People’s Choice Award: BeatNic Boulevard (skillsgapp)
- Best Health Game: BeatNic Boulevard (skillsgapp)
- Best Civics Game: VOXPOP (Gigantic Mechanic)
- Best Gameplay: Before Your Eyes (GoodbyeWorld Games)
Additional Recognition:
- 2022 Vanguard Award recipient: Eve Crevoshay
- Industry Leadership Award: Schell Games
- G4C Giving Award: Child’s Play
- Inaugural Accessibility Award: Insomniac Games for Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart
More information about the Games for Change organization as well as its full event schedule can be found at GamesForChange.org.
Todd Mitchell is a US Midwest-based comedy writer and game developer with bylines at Weekly Humorist, Fanbyte, Slackjaw, End of the Bench Sports, and more. He’s the author of Inside Video Game Creation, the founder of CodeWritePlay, and host of the GameDev Breakdown podcast. Follow him on Twitter @Mechatodzilla.