Mind Research Institute Game a ThonMayday Games is running a game design contest at Geekway to the West, a game convention taking place May 19-22 in St. Louis. The company is looking for “dexterity and family-friendly light strategy games.” Entries must be submitted in advance (rule books and videos required by March 15th) but the judging between four finalists will take place live. Submitted games are expected to have been thoroughly playtested. Prizes for the winner will be $200, prototyping supplies, and the “possibility of being published by Mayday Games.”

MIND Research Institute’s 2016 K-12 Game-a-thon for students is intended to cultivate a “life-long love of math.” Games should “feature creative and unusual solutions to mathematical problems” and can be board games, card games, apps, or outdoor games. Submissions must include a video demo and are due by July 1st.

Cardboard EdisonCardboard Edison, which does a fantastic job of collecting game design and publishing advice, has in this case collected 35 judges (publishers, reviewers, and designers) to evaluate “engagement and originality” and bestow The Cardboard Edison Award on one unpublished board game. Though prototypes will only be required of those designs that make it to the second stage of evaluations, anyone wishing to participate must pay a $5 fee. There is no prize for winning. Submissions are due January 31st and remain the property of their designers.

Sponsored by The Pericles Group and hosted by The Game Crafter, the Learning Game Challenge seeks games “where a playful environment creates an opportunity for understanding real world problems and issues.” The audience doesn’t matter but the learning objectives must be clear. Entries must also be games newly uploaded to The Game Crafter specifically for the contest, and they have to be complete, publish-ready, with all components and packaging priced under $30. The winner retains all rights and will receive a $100 cash prize, $50 of shop credit, 100k crafter points, and showcase status. Entries are due February 29th.

Administered by Games for Change and sponsored by Transformance, the Pocket Change Game Design Challenge seeks submissions that “introduce the basic concepts of savings and outline what players need to start overcoming debt and building their wealth.” There’s a $10,000 prize. And while the Challenge is technically open, there is a stated preference for web-based games targeting young adults. The deadline for entries is January 22nd.

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