Games for Change, in partnership with HP and Google Play, announced the winners of the second annual Diverse Voices, New Stories Challenge at the 2024 Games for Change Festival. The challenge is an initiative to improve representation and increase visibility for underrepresented game developers in the mobile gaming industry. Four mobile games from indie studios in the U.S., Europe and Africa received awards for ‘innovative stories, highly engaging gameplay, and real-world impact’.
This year, Games for Change received submissions from 24 different countries on five different continents, highlighting the program’s global reach. The winning game, chosen by a jury of industry experts, is Button City by Subliminal Gaming. The winning team received a $10,000 cash prize, computer hardware, mentorship and marketing support to launch their game on the Google Play store, and promotional support from Games for Change.
These are the winning games and teams this year.
Challenge Winner – Button City
Developed by: Subliminal Gaming (United States)
Button City is a cozy narrative adventure game about a fox and his friends banding together to save their local arcade. Explore a diorama world, play exciting arcade games, complete quirky quests, and meet cute animal friends. Download the game here.
Team Background: Subliminal Gaming was co-founded by an Indigenous woman artist and strives to highlight team members’ distinct worldviews as women and indigenous people. Additionally, the team actively works to highlight diverse voices and foster learning in their communities by teaching game development to Indigenous youth and translating their games into the Navajo language.
Best in Innovation – Don’t Forget
Developed by: Digital Arts And Entertainment (Belgium)
Recollect your memories by looking for clues and playing brain-stimulating minigames while battling the effects of dementia. Explore three different key events of your life to figure out what has happened. Android release date: Summer 2024
Team Background: The team consists of students from different nationalities, backgrounds, and genders. Through innovative mechanics, they provide a unique perspective on dementia.
Best in Impact – Songs of Travel
Developed by: Causa Creations (Austria)
An animated graphic novel exploring the unique stories of five migrants seeking new beginnings in Europe. Download the game here.
Team Background: Causa Creations consists of a diverse team of cultural backgrounds, skills, and genders, focusing on creating social impact games and highlighting underrepresented stories and voices.
Best in Gameplay – Puzzle Scout
Developed by: Leti Arts (Ghana)
A word search game based on great African history, revisiting the historic chain of African countries, civilizations, and tribes with young puzzle scouts. Download the game here.
Team Background: Leti Arts develops interactive content influenced by African history, folklore, and culture, leveraging African talent to immerse players in African heritage.
Open for Submissions
Games for Change also announced that the third annual Diverse Voices, New Stories Challenge is now open for submissions through September 6. The next edition of the program will support creators in bringing existing games from other platforms to Android. The Challenge will award up to three winners with a $15,000 cash prize, guidance on porting their existing games to Android, and marketing opportunities through Games for Change and their global network.
“There are so many voices and stories that remain underrepresented in the gaming industry and the content it creates,” says Susanna Pollack, President of Games for Change. “We’re excited to bring the Diverse Voices, New Stories Challenge back for a third time, as part of Games for Change’s commitment to increasing access to funding and resources for marginalized creators.”