Shingu · 1.44MB · MapleStory Worlds · Game Off
Each has different age, release-date, or build-format conditions.
OFFICIAL RULES VERIFIED · UPDATED AUGUST 1, 2026
2026 Student Game Development Competitions:
Global, Korea & U.S.-Only
A K–12 guide that separates direct international entry from U.S. district, school chapter, or membership eligibility and other country-only programs. Current 2026 organizer rules—not dates printed on old posters—control.
Direct answer
What should a Grade 7 student in Korea prioritize?
Check the Shingu University contest first. Consider the 1.44MB contest only for a technically advanced student, and MapleStory Worlds only at age 14 or older. GitHub Game Off is scheduled for November. Prepare longer-term for the next Games for Change and GIGDC cycles. Treat the Congressional App Challenge, TSA, SkillsUSA, and FBLA as options only when the student has the required U.S. local eligibility.
Status date: August 1, 2026. Recheck the organizer’s rules immediately before entering.
Games for Change · GIGDC
The 2026 entry windows are over; future dates are not announced.
CAC · TSA · SkillsUSA · FBLA
Check district, school chapter, membership, and qualifying routes first.
KOREA + GLOBAL
Competitions to check from Korea
“International” in a title does not guarantee entry. Check location, age, new-work rules, and build format together.
| Competition / 2026 status | Eligibility from Korea | Schedule and conditions | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shingu University National Middle & High School Game Contest ↗ Open | Middle/high school students and same-age out-of-school youth; solo or teams up to six. | Closes August 12 at 17:00 KST. Preliminary review centers on a gameplay video; design document optional. | Most urgent Korea student contest. Check the Korean attachments now if a stable prototype exists. |
| 1.44MB GAME_DEV CONTEST ↗ Open | The organizer says anyone may enter; solo or team. | Closes September 4. New standalone game, made after announcement, at most 1,474,560 bytes decompressed; no browser game. | Advanced technical challenge. The page conflicts on exact closing time, so submit early. |
| MapleStory Worlds Global Creator Challenge ↗ Open | Korean participants must be at least 14. Minor finalists need guardian consent. | Closes October 7 at 11:00 KST. The World must be newly released during the entry period. | Age-conditional. Judging: IP expansion 40%, quality/stability 40%, sustainability 20%. |
| GitHub Game Off 2026 ↗ November | Global online jam; public GitHub repository and itch.io entry required. | November 1–December 1; peer voting. GitHub accounts generally require age 13+. | Portfolio jam, not student-only. Useful for a public build and visible development history. |
| Games for Change Student Challenge ↗ Next cycle TBD | Global ages 10–25; solo or teams of 2–4. Students outside the U.S. can qualify for Best International Game. | The 2025–2026 season is complete; no next entry date announced. | Best international student target. Express the social issue through mechanics, not just text. |
| GIGDC Middle & High School Division ↗ 2026 closed | Korean middle/high school students and out-of-school youth; solo or teams up to ten; planning and production tracks. | 2026 entries closed June 25; next annual notice not announced. | Strong Korea industry target. Production requires a build, video, short plan, and guardian documents. |
| Student Games Festival ↗ 2026 closed | Worldwide higher-education students/recent graduates and high school students; guardian consent for minors; teams up to six. | Entries closed June 30. At least ten minutes of gameplay; Warsaw final October 8–9. | Advanced high-school option, not a natural Grade 7 target. |
| Apple Swift Student Challenge ↗ 2026 closed | Minimum age 14 in Korea, plus student-status rules. | 2026 entries closed February 28; submit a short interactive app playground. | Not game-specific. A Swift interactive game can qualify under future-cycle rules. |
U.S. ELIGIBILITY PATHWAYS
U.S. district, school chapter, or membership required
Important: These are not open international entries merely because work can be submitted in English. The eligibility gateway is U.S. district participation or a school organization’s chapter, membership, and qualification route.
Congressional App Challenge
U.S. districtGames can be submitted as apps. A student must reside in or attend middle/high school in the participating congressional district, and that member of Congress must host the contest. The 2026 student registration and submission deadline is October 26.
Official 2026 student rules ↗TSA Video Game Design
Chapter/memberA Technology Student Association middle/high school event. Students need a school TSA chapter, membership, and their state’s qualification route. The high-school event includes an E-rated online game, documentation, a written test, and a semifinal interview.
Official TSA event page ↗SkillsUSA Interactive Application & Video Game Development
Chapter/state routeStudents advance through SkillsUSA chapters and state pathways. A Middle School division begins in 2026. AI-generated assets must be documented. This is not a direct global individual submission.
Official SkillsUSA updates ↗FBLA Computer Game & Simulation Programming
Member/state routeAn FBLA High School member event for individuals or teams, with state selection and national registration requirements. The 2025–2026 guidelines are current; the 2026–2027 topic and guidelines are scheduled for September 1, 2026.
Official FBLA events ↗COUNTRY-RESTRICTED
Other country-only programs
Australian STEM Video Game Challenge
OpenAustralian studentsFor Australian Years 3–12 students in teams of 1–4. Registration closes August 7 at 9 p.m. AEST and entries close September 9 at 9 p.m. AEST. It is not open to a Korea-enrolled student without Australian school eligibility.
Official Challenge page ↗BAFTA Young Game Designers
2026 closedUK residentsA respected program for ages 10–18, but with a UK residence requirement. Generic international lists often omit this restriction.
Official BAFTA page ↗VALIDATION NOTES
Do not present these as confirmed current contests
Rookie Game Contest
An organizer-hosted 2025 event exists, but no confirmed 2026 notice was located. Do not reuse 2025 dates.
Hanyang ERICA Python Game Coding
Previous editions existed, but no official 2026 notice was located. Recheck age, language, and deadline when a new notice appears.
Scholastic Video Game Design
Scholastic officially discontinued the category beginning in 2021. Current U.S. competition lists should not include it.
Official notice ↗GGJ NEXT is a youth game jam, not primarily an award contest
Global Game Jam NEXT generally serves ages 10–18 through schools, clubs, and registered sites. Its 2026 activity has ended. General Global Game Jam 2027 is announced for January 25–31, but separate GGJ NEXT 2027 registration details were not treated as confirmed here.
Official GGJ NEXT page ↗ONE-GAME STRATEGY
Do not build a different game for every contest
For a Grade 7 student, the strongest plan is one polished 5–10 minute 2D game, improved through repeated playtests. Always check whether a contest permits previously released or cross-submitted work.
1. Game
One core mechanic, clear win/loss state, three stages, stable web/Windows builds.
2. Evidence
Ten or more playtests, versions, Git commits, roles, and an AI-use record.
3. Package
60–90 second video, short design document, screenshots, and asset licenses.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can a student in Korea directly enter U.S. student game competitions online?+
Not the U.S.-local pathways listed here. CAC has a district residence/school test; TSA, SkillsUSA, and FBLA require chapters, membership, and qualification. Use a global route such as Games for Change or Game Off without that eligibility.
Which engine is best for a Grade 7 entrant?+
Unity is useful for conventional executable builds and C# experience, Godot for fast small 2D iterations, and Phaser for browser delivery. Scope, stability, and the student’s ability to explain the code matter more than the engine.
Can students use AI-generated art or code?+
Rules vary. Even when allowed, document the tool, prompts, revisions, licenses, and what the student independently designed and programmed. MapleStory Worlds allows AI assistance subject to originality and copyright; SkillsUSA requires AI-asset disclosure.
Can the same game be entered in several contests?+
Not automatically. The 1.44MB contest requires new work after its announcement; MapleStory Worlds requires a first public release during its entry period. Check prior-publication, cross-entry, and previous-award clauses before every submission.
Method and official sources
This guide prioritizes 2026 organizer notices and official rules over search snippets, aggregator pages, and old posters. Entries found only in older cycles are labeled unconfirmed; discontinued programs are separated. Recheck all eligibility and dates before submission.
Shingu UniversityOfficial 2026 noticeGIGDCOfficial 2026 scheduleGames for ChangeOfficial competition rulesCongressional App ChallengeOfficial 2026 student rules
Reviewed . CIT’s priorities reflect age fit, access, and learning value; they are not organizer rankings.