The Serious Games Showcase & Challenge is the premiere venue for recognition of excellence in the field of serious games development. The challenge prides itself on helping foster creativity and innovation in serious games since 2006 as part of NTSA's I/ITSEC Conference. It is designed to inspire and motivate people to take game design seriously, particularly in the fields of education and professional training. Every year they invite submissions of “serious games.”
SGS&C started in 2005 to raise awareness of the use of digital game technology and approaches for training and education. A partnership was formed with the organisers of Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC), the National Training Simulation and Association (NTSA), and the first SGS&C was held at I/ITSEC 2006.
In 2012, SGS&C initiated collaboration with game challenges around the world. SimTecT 2012 Serious Games Showcase was the inaugural international competition providing a business and student finalist to SGS&C 2012 at I/ITSEC. International winners of select Serious Games contests from international markets are invited to accept automatic finalist berths within the SGS&C.
In 2013, SGS&C worked Orange County (Florida) Public Schools to select the first Students’ Choice Award winner. Middle and high school students around the county collectively evaluated select games from a student perspective to determine the award.
The Serious Games Showcase & Challenge has announced the 2015 winners of its annual awards. In order to qualify as a “serious game,” the contestants had to:
- have clearly defined, measurable learning objectives
- provide players with a clearly identified challenge/problem
- make use of game play dynamics and/or gaming technology
- provide players with positive/negative feedback with respect to progress toward the Game’s challenge and achievement of learning objectives.
Here are the 2015 winners:
- Best Business Game: Project Desal, Monkeystack, SimTecT winner
- Best Government Game: MUM-T Strikeforce, U.S. Army PdM – Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems
- Best Student Game: Healthx, University of Utah
- Best Mobile Serious Game: Project Desal, Monkeystack
- Special Emphasis - Best Social Media Crowdsourcing Game: Unsavory, University of Miami
- Students’ Choice: Particle in a Box, The Quantum Mechanics Game, Georgia Institute of Technology
- People’s Choice: MUM-T Strikeforce, U.S. Army PdM – Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems.
