Finalists: join the live Zoom on Sunday, April 19 at 9:30 AM PT. Check-in opens at 9:30 AM, judging runs 10:00 AM–12:00 PM.
The largest game-specific K-12 contest in the United States, running since 2018. Hundreds of young developers showcase their creativity and coding skills every year.
Enter individually or with a team of up to 3. Build something amazing and compete for awards across four age divisions.
From 80 participants in California to thousands of student developers worldwide.
8 Years of ExcellenceAll times Pacific. Join via the Zoom button below — the same link is used throughout the day.
Join Zoom, confirm your name matches your registration, and get assigned to a breakout room.
Present your project in your breakout room. Share your screen, demo the game, and answer judges' questions.
Judges deliberate. Winners will be announced on Monday, April 20, 2026 on the website and by email.
Check-in opens at 9:30 AM PT. Log in with the name used on your registration so staff can place you in the correct breakout room.
Share your screen, run your game live, and walk judges through your code. Plan for roughly 5–7 minutes of demo plus Q&A.
All teammates should join the same Zoom. Decide in advance who shares the screen and who speaks to each part of the project.
Students under 18 must have a parent, teacher, or authorized adult nearby during the session.
Run through this checklist before Sunday so nothing goes wrong during your live demo.
Install & test Zoom. Update to the latest version, sign in, and try Screen Share once so the permission prompt is out of the way. On a Mac, enable Screen Recording in System Settings for Zoom.
Check your mic, camera, and internet. Use a quiet room, wired or strong Wi-Fi, and headphones if possible. A short audio/video test in Zoom > Settings takes 60 seconds.
Launch your game the night before. Make sure it builds and runs from a clean start. Close other tabs and apps to keep the demo smooth.
Open your code editor with the project loaded. Judges may ask you to walk through the code — have key files bookmarked or pinned.
Prepare a 2–3 minute walkthrough. What is the game, how do you play it, what was the hardest part to build, and what are you most proud of? Practice out loud once.
Join your Zoom display name as “First Last Name — Grade — Project Entry”. Make sure you know your Project Entry ID before joining — it's in your registration confirmation email. This helps staff route you to the correct breakout room quickly.
Log in 5–10 minutes early. Check-in opens at 9:30 AM PT on Sunday, April 19. A parent, teacher, or authorized adult should be nearby.
Top 1% — Exceptional execution and creativity
Top 3% — Outstanding innovation
Top 5% — Superior design
Top 10% — Notable achievement
Outstanding creativity and game mechanics
Exceptional collaboration
Unique and impactful concepts
Awards presented within each age division
Boost your college applications with recognized achievements.
Present to professionals and get real feedback.
Sharpen problem-solving, creativity, and coding.
Apply CS concepts to a real-world project.
Learn from judges who evaluate creativity, tech, and design.
Past participants landed internships, scholarships, and tech careers.
Educational astronomy game with interactive puzzles.
1st Place 2025Strategy game about environmental challenges.
1st Place 2025Puzzle game based on quantum physics.
1st Place 2025"GameGala gave me confidence to pursue game development. The judge feedback was incredibly valuable."
— Emma L., 8th Grade Winner
"GameGala opened doors to internships and connected me with industry mentors. Life-changing."
— Jason T., 11th Grade Winner
Launched with 80 participants in California
Expanded to 15 countries, 350+ submissions
Went fully virtual during the pandemic
Largest K-12 game competition in the US
Surpassed 2,500 total submissions
New categories and bigger prizes