June 8, 2022
The countdown is almost over. After receiving over 100 entries to the Purple Mash Games Design Competition, we’re down to the last 8 schools, who are all set to compete in the Grand Final at Amazon’s UK HQ on 15th June. Let’s look at their games and meet the judges who will decide who will be crowned the 2022 Games Design Champion.
Our in-house judges looked at the entries that made the shortlist and have chosen the following schools as regional winners. Each of them will now present their games to our panel of industry experts at the Grand Final on 15th June.
What our judges said:
"I loved the originality of this game, the school environment felt so realistic with the visual and sound environment. The task/aim of the game was well thought out and it was engaging to play."
"Lots of time, effort and thought has been put into this game. The whole concept works really well and the unique response to each of the questions will certainly help younger children learn about how to stay safe online."
What our judges said:
"This game reinforces key online safety tips and is very educational. Level 1 is an original use of 2DIY3D. There are clear instructions, original characters, and an original soundtrack. A fantastic game!"
"Great original music for each level. This game reinforces a number of online safety concepts and there’s a different concept for each level. The good guys and bad guys are unique and well suited to the purpose of each level."
What our judges said:
"I liked the use of 0 and 1 for the walls, keeping on theme. I also love how the sound has been recorded when you select the right behaviour, and the music is excellent."
"I loved the whole game, especially the positive and negative messages. The sound and audio all added to the game perfectly."
What our judges said:
"I really liked the creativity in this game. A lot of effort to make all the component parts."
"The instructions were easy to understand, and the voiceover was a terrific addition. The use of different artwork in each level made the game more engaging as you could explore different environments."
What our judges said:
"This game has a great storyline to it which makes it engaging. The characters and environment are very well planned out and I really like the original sound effects and theme music."
"This is a great game which meets most of the criteria. One of my favourite parts is the engaging instructions and the original sound effects which brought the game to life."
What our judges said:
"The instructions are detailed, and the environment design is well thought out. There’s also a wonderful choice of music."
"This is a great game with a clear narrative. I particularly like the use of tall walls and the choice of soundtrack."
What our judges said:
"They have thought about the variety in the levels and made effective use of sound effects."
"The clear instructions made the game easy to understand and the use of sound effects made the game fun to play. I also liked that original artwork was used on the walls."
What our judges said:
"I like that the game has a clear message and gives good and relevant internet safety advice. I also really like the original artwork on the characters."
"An interesting game to play which is also educational and explores different internet safety themes in each level. Most of the criteria have been met and the original characters added to the creativity of the game."
We’d love to know what you think about the games. Comment on our Facebook or Twitter profiles with the #PMDGC22 tag to let us know. Who do you think should win and why?
If you have a Purple Mash subscription, you can view all the approved entries here.
If you’re not a subscriber to Purple Mash, you can try our all-in-one solution for primary schools free for 14 days.
At the Grand Final, each regional winner will present their game to our judging panel, made up of industry experts from a variety of backgrounds. They will watch with interest, before deciding which team performed the best at both the game design and presentation stages and will therefore be crowned Purple Mash Games Design Competition 2022 Champions. So who are the judges? Let’s meet them.
Mel Phillips is Head of Studio at Silver Rain Games. She’s previously worked with BAFTA on the #BAFTACrew and Young Game Developer 2020 programme. She likes playing strategy simulation games, open-world RPGs and reckons she's undefeated at Mario Kart.
Sarah has been working in tech for over 15 years and currently works as the Commercial Leader for Game Tech at Amazon Web Services UK. Her favourite game when she was younger was Sonic the Hedgehog for the Game Gear, if anyone is old enough to remember those?
Charlie is an Education Officer at Childnet. In his job, he makes lots of fun lessons, activities and resources all about being safe online and celebrating technology and the internet. He also spends time visiting schools across the country so that he can work directly with young people, their parents and carers, and their teachers. He’s been a massive Pokémon fan since he was a kid, and he’s still trying to catch 'em all!
2Simple’s very own Lucy graduated from the University of Portsmouth with a degree in Interactive Media Management, which included various aspects of computer game design. She's worked for a variety of technology companies, including being part of a web design team at Young Masters Golf which supported the development of interactive golf video games. She ended up specialising in media for education, then doing a PGCE and teaching primary children before entering a career in Ed Tech – which she thoroughly enjoys.
"When I’m not working, you’ll find me – spending time with my family. Oh, and I have a mean swing when playing Wii Sports Tennis.”
We’re looking forward to seeing all the finalists present at the Grand Final on 15th June. Look out for live tweets with the #PMDGC22 hashtag on the day and be sure to check back after that when we’ll announce the winner and share images from the day.
See you then!