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Entries open for the 10th BAFTA Young Game Designers competition

Event: Young Games Designer AwardsDate: Saturday 29 June 2019  Venue: BAFTA, 195 Piccadilly, LondonHosts: Aoife Wilson & Alysia Judge-Area: Reception
The 2020 BAFTA YGD competition is now open!

BAFTA has opened entries for the 10th BAFTA Young Game Designers (YGD) competition for 10 – 18 year olds. BAFTA YGD celebrates new games talent and inspires the UK’s future game makers by giving young people the chance to design or make their own game.

Entries are now open and will close at 9am on Monday 16 March 2020. Entries are shortlisted to 40 finalists from across the UK, which will be announced in May. The winners will be announced at a special BAFTA ceremony in June 2020.

Find out more about the competition here

BAFTA YGD, which launched in 2009, highlights the positive impacts of games to young people, their parents and teachers, offering information on the careers available within the games industry, and allowing an opportunity for the next generation of game-makers to showcase their creativity.

Alongside a BAFTA YGD Award, winners will receive further support in developing their game ideas, mentoring from industry professionals and visits to major games studios. The awards ceremony will also offer the opportunity for finalists to showcase their game concepts and prototypes to leading industry figures.

Chair of the BAFTA Games Committee, Jo Twist, said: “BAFTA’s YGD competition is a fantastic way for young people to explore the craft of game design and the creativity in the entries makes for an exciting future for British games. Games are one of the most interesting ways of telling modern stories, increasingly spanning a wide range of topics and often tackling difficult issues that young people encounter. By mentoring young talent from all backgrounds and championing the next generation of games makers, YGD is an investment in the future of this industry.”

There are five award categories in the competition: the YGD Game Concept Award (10-14 years) and (15-18 years), for those creating an original concept for a new game, and the YGD Game Making Award (10-14 years) and (15-18 years), for those making a game using freely available software. Both of these categories are open to 10-18 year olds and entrants can enter either as individuals or with a team of up to three people.

The YGD Mentor Award, nominated by the public, rewards an inspirational individual who is involved in the education of young game creators in the UK, particularly those that reach out to young people who might not typically try game design.

The competition engaged more the 2,600 young people in 2019 and now, in its 10th year, is one of the cornerstones of BAFTA’s charitable activity, providing young people and teachers unique access to the games industry and top professionals through competitions, online teaching tools, workshops and social networks.

Previous winners of the BAFTA YGD competition have gone on to receive accolades throughout the games industry. Dan Pearce (2010 winner) was named a BAFTA Breakthrough Brit in 2013, and his game, Castles in the Sky, earned him a BAFTA nomination for Debut Game in 2014.