Game Design Competitions FAQ
- How do I register for a competition?
- How do I submit milestones to a competition?
- I forgot my competition password, what should I do?
- Can I register for more than one competition?
- Are teams of one allowed to enter the competitions?
- I’m making a history game; does this qualify for the Civics and News Literacy competition?
- How can I make my game a top contender to win the competition I entered?
- Why is my Team Page being judged?
- Why do I have to submit all these milestones?
- Who judges the competitions?
- I need help with my Flash programming, who should I ask?
- Can I submit a game written in ActionScript 3.0?
- Can I integrate other languages into Flash (i.e. PHP, Java, Javascript)?
- Can we submit a Flash game for iOS?
Still have a question? Email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
How do I register for a competition?
Step 1: Set up a Game Page in the Game Gallery
- Have one team member go to Game Gallery on your school wiki and create a page for your team's game.
- Click the link "Add a Game".
- Complete these fields: Game Title, Description, Subject, Genre, and your Team.
- For Development State choose "Demo Game."
- Leave the SWF and FLA and thumbnails empty until you reach the Game Demo milestone.
- Click "Save" to complete the page.
- Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (include your full name, wiki username and school) so they can sync your game page to the competition entry.
Step 2: Register
- Go to https://www.progress.myglife.org/auth/login
- Sign in with your school wiki username, and your personal password, which was emailed to you.
- Fill in the required fields in the TEAM/GAME INFO section of the Registration page.
- Click "Save" to complete your registration.
- Only one person on your team has to fill out the form.
- All team members will have their own login, and can make updates.
How do I submit milestones to a competition?
- Once you have completed a milestone, embed the file or video on your team page.
- For game demo and final game milestones, add the .fla and.swf to your Game page on the Game Gallery.
- Go to: https://www.progress.myglife.org/auth/login to log into the competition site.
- Sign in with your school wiki username, and your personal Competition password, which was emailed to you.
- Scroll down to the "MILESTONE SUBMISSIONS" section.
- Paste your team page URL only in the box for the milestone that is due.
- Click "save" to timestamp your submission.
I forgot my competition password, what should I do?
Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and request that your password to be reset (include your full name, wiki username and school).
Can I register for more than one competition?
No. Your team can only register for one Globaloria competition per school year.
- Hillsborough County, Silicon Valley, and EACPA students should register for the Globey Awards in their community.
- West Virginia students should either register for the West Virginia STEM or West Virginia Civics & News Literacy Competition. Choose the one that best fits with your game topic. You cannot enter both.
Are teams of one allowed to enter the competitions?
Yes. Teams of one student are allowed to enter, but we encourage teams of two or more as teamwork is an important learning goal of the Globaloria experience.
- We realize that some students will end up working alone for one reason or another, and they are definitely still allowed to participate in the competitions.
- The teamwork aspect will be factored in during the judging process and it is looked upon favorably.
I’m making a history game; does this qualify for the Civics and News Literacy competition?
- A pure history game that simply teaches facts about an event in the past does not qualify.
- A history game that explores themes of civic participation, government ideals, or social issues of that period does qualify.
- Visit the Civics & News Literacy Recourse Bank and the Social Issue Resource Bank to learn more, and to get help choosing your topic.
How can I make my game a top contender to win the competition I entered?
- Make sure your game:
- is creative, tells a story, and features original artwork;
- has a focused learning goal and teaches through the game play (NOT a quiz);
- is playable and your Flash programming works well.
- Thoroughly fill out your team page to demonstrate the game design process and teamwork.
- Submit the milestones on time.
Why is my Team Page being judged?
Globaloria Game Design Competitions are designed to reward excellence in completing the work you are already doing in the Globaloria curriculum. It is about celebrating the entire learning process, not just the end product. That's why the judges evaluate the game design and development process each team goes through (as represented by the Team page, uploaded files and blogs), in addition to the final game product.
Why do I have to submit all these milestones?
When you submit your milestone, it shows the judges that you completed an important step in the curriculum and lets them knows that you completed it on time. Milestone submissions are factored into the judging process.
Each competition has a distinguished panel of judges comprised of important community members, experts from the gaming field, STEM and Civics & News Literacy fields, Globaloria Partners, and government officials.
I need help with my Flash programming, who should I ask?
- Help Yourself: Double-check your ActionScript code, use your Class Wiki, and check the Help Desk Knowledge Base.
- Get Community Help: Ask your classmates and teachers or post your question on the Help Desk.
- Contact the Live Help Desk: It is open Mon, Wed, Thurs from 8am-3pm EST.
Use this flyer to get detailed directions for the above steps.
Can I submit a game written in ActionScript 3.0?
No. All games submitted to the competitions must be written in ActionScript 2.0. The competitions are showcasing what students learned using the Globaloria curriculum and resources, which use ActionScript 2.0 exclusively.
Can I integrate other languages into Flash (i.e. PHP, Java, Javascript)?
Yes. If you use any languages other than ActionScript 2.0 in your game, it should be clearly documented, both on the Team page and using comments in your code.
- Create a section of your Team page called "Additional Programming Languages Used" and present those details -- what language, why it was used, etc.
- Upload the files you created and embed them on your team page.
- In addition to clarifying things for the judging process, your work will be a good contribution to the learning community.
While you can use other languages in your game, your game entry must be made primarily in Flash with ActionScript 2.0. It must be submitted on the wiki; we will not review competition entries made for iOS. If you convert your game for use on iOS, that’s cool! Please talk about this on your Team page.