• International Serious Play Awards 2026

Entries Deadline

01-Jun-2026 10:00 AM (GMT-08:00)

SUBMIT AN ENTRY
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International Serious Play Awards

The International Serious Play Awards recognize exceptional gameful products that harness the power of play and games to advance education, training, and meaningful real-world impact. Submissions are welcome from professional studios, in-house training teams, independent designers, university teams, nonprofits, and student creators. Eligible entries include stand-alone games, modules within larger learning ecosystems, embodied and experiential learning, XR and simulation-based experiences, and projects built on widely used platforms such as Minecraft, Fortnite, and others.

Our global awards program has two moments of celebration each year. We will announce Sector Award winners in Serious Play Europe (June), and Student & Special Award winners in Serious Play North America (August), including Game of the Year. Three finalists and one winner will be recognized per category.

Award Categories

Sector Awards (presented in June at Serious Play Conference Europe)

  • Government and Enterprise

  • Healthcare

  • Higher Education

  • Pre-K & K–12

  • Humanitarian and NGO

  • Museums, Libraries, and Heritage

Student Awards (presented in August at Serious Play Conference North America)

  • Student Digital Excellence, K–12

  • Student Digital Excellence, Higher Education

  • Student Tabletop Excellence, K–12 (Analog/Hybrid)

  • Student Tabletop Excellence, Higher Education (Analog/Hybrid)

Special Awards (presented in August at Serious Play Conference North America)

  • Excellence in Analog (Tabletop/Hybrid/Experiential)

  • Excellence in Narrative 

  • Excellence in Gameplay

  • Serious Play Entry of the Year, presented in honor of Sue Bohle


Student Entries

A student entry is conceived and produced by students, with light guidance from faculty, teachers or advisors. University affiliated studio products intended for commercial sale should be entered as professional.

Submission, Judging, and Criteria

All submissions are evaluated by an international panel of experienced professionals. Judges have a minimum of ten years of experience in game development, either within a professional studio environment or through leadership roles in college or university game design programs. Special Awards are selected through a second round process by a smaller jury panel.

We accept multiple entries, and the submission form includes Entrant Information and Submission Information. When completing the submission, you can opt in to be considered for Excellence in Narrative or Excellence in Gameplay.


Core Evaluation Criteria

All entries are assessed using a shared set of core criteria to ensure consistency and fairness across categories, platforms, and sectors. Judges evaluate each submission with attention to:

  • Orientation and clarity of purpose

  • Player engagement and motivation

  • Interactivity and quality of feedback

  • Alignment with stated learning objectives

  • Assessment and evidence of learning or impact

  • Aesthetic coherence and production quality

  • Gameplay design and systems

These criteria are applied holistically, with appropriate consideration given to the intended audience, context of use, and stated goals of each submission.


Digital Entry Access Requirements

Digital submissions must be fully accessible and playable by judges during the evaluation period. Entries cannot be assessed based solely on a video or promotional materials.

Entrants are responsible for providing all necessary access details, including download links, access codes, passwords, or temporary accounts. If login via email address is required, designated judge email addresses may be requested. The Serious Play Awards prioritize anonymous judging wherever possible.


Technology and Time Constraints

To ensure equitable evaluation, submissions must be reviewable using commonly available hardware and software. At this time, we are unable to evaluate entries that require specialized or high-end technology platforms, experiences that require more than four hours to assess adequately, or streaming-only experiences.

Tabletop and  Analog

Entries must be able to include up to four complete physical copies of the submitted game. Shipping information will be sent via email AFTER submission deadline.


Important Dates

The full submission and judging calendar will be posted on this page once finalized. As a general guide:

  • Sector Award finalists will be notified by May 15, with winners announced at Serious Play Europe in June.

  • Digital Student Entry finalists and Special Award finalists will be notified by July 1, with winners announced at Serious Play North America in August.

  • Student and Professional analog and tabletop finalists and winners will be announced at the Serious Play Conference North America in August.

Entry Fees

Large studio (25+), corporation, medical institution or publisher - $400

Mid-sized studio (10–25 employees) - $350

Museum, library, university studio, nonprofit, NGO, government or military organization - $300

Independent studio (9 or fewer employees) - $250

Individual educator or freelancer - $200

College student entry - $125

K12 student entry - $100

*Late entries can be submitted up to one week after the deadline, but must add a $100 late charge in addition to the entry fee.

Recognition

Finalists and winners receive recognition through conference programming and Serious Play Conference channels. Winners receive complimentary conference registration. If a winner has already purchased registration before notification, we will issue a credit for a future year in accordance with our registration policies.

If you have questions, please contact: awards@seriousplayconf.com