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Competition portal
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  2. Winners

Meet the winners for 2022!

The theme from the 2022 Australian STEM Video Game Challenge was ‘Networks’. Each team had a creative approach to incorporating the theme in their game. Get inspired by how they approached the challenge.

*Team name/Game name

The Ums - Undefeated

School MidCoast Christian College
Category WINNER Year 5-8: Playable game - OPEN CATEGORY
Location Taree, NSW
Mentor name Melissa Tindall
Team name The Ums
Oliver S, Eli E, Daniel S
Game name Undefeated
Platform Gamestar Mechanic
Game as described in GDD Once upon a time there was a Flame Mage that went into a forgotten forest. There he found a entrance to a sewer-maze when he finds giants, dragons, monsters, and other things. He wants to run away but his curiosity wouldn’t let him...
Student comment We only had 10 weeks to make this game so it was pretty stressful since we could only do it for 50 mins a week.

Video

The Ums and their mentor at PAX
The Ums and their mentor at PAX.

HexMeltdown

School Saint Andrews Anglican College
Category WINNER Year 5-8: Playable game in GODOT
Location Sunshine Coast, Qld
Mentor name Emma Nixon
Team name HexMeltdown
Hamish N, Matias O
Game name HexMeltdown
Platform GODOT
Game as described in GDD A nuclear reactor (or more than one) is about to melt down, after a terrible natural disaster has occurred. The cooling water network that keeps the nuclear reactors stable has been damaged in the disaster, and you have to reconnect it. This game is about building a network to allow the water from the cooling water source to flow through it to the reactor. It is a game for people who like puzzle and placement games such as Sudoku.
Student comment When we first heard about the Australian Stem videogame, we spent about two months trying to come up with the most original idea. A lot of the ideas that we came up with had already been made that had never been done before and was like no other game we’ve heard of.

Video

The recording studio for the sound effects in HexMeltdown
The recording studio for the sound effects in HexMeltdown.

Technophile - Martian Multiplier: The Alien Infection

School West End State School
Category WINNER Year 5-8: Playable game in SCRATCH
Location Brisbane, Qld
Mentor name Julien Desjardins
Team name Technophile
Rian K
Game name Martian Multiplier: The Alien Infection
Platform Scratch
Game as described in GDD

Aliens have landed on the surface of the planet. While the aliens came in peace, they unfortunately carry a deadly, contagious virus. The country has no idea what to do and needs someone to step up and lead.

Australia to contain the virus from spreading. Hundreds of thousands of people have voted for you, the player, to be Prime Minister, and to step up and make decisions and lead Australia to a safe and happy future.

Student comment The inspiration of the game is from Covid-19. Once it has started spreading, it is very hard to trace and contain. Like every other country, my game is trying to contain the virus and reduce the amount of cases. The virus spread shows the greatest network effect that is happening in human history. I wanted to create better awareness of the effects of Covid through a way that young people can relate to which is video games.

Video

Martian Multiplier: The Alien Infection creator Rian at PAX.
‘Martian Multiplier: The Alien Infection’ creator Rian at PAX.

Computer Nerds Corporation (CNC) - Cyber Shock

School Southern River College
Category TIED WINNER Year 9-12: Playable game in OPEN CATEGORY
Location Perth, WA
Mentor name Rozmeri Cole
Team name Computer Nerds Corporation (CNC)
Isaac P, Lucy M, Soleil O
Game name Cyber Shock
Platform Scratch
Game as described in GDD

A mysterious Malicious A.I program has appeared from deep within the internet and taken over the system that runs the internet and is cutting off all connections across the world! It’s up to you to make repairs, restore the system and put this mysterious program to an end. This game is intended for a general audience so everybody is able to play it.

Student comment Cyber Shock's inspiration comes from popular 90's platform games specifically Sonic The Hedgehog. We took inspiration from Sonic such as the bright blue colouring and electricity when we first started planning Cyber Shock. As the game progressed through the editing and creating process it became a completely new and unique game.

Video

Key characters from Cyber Shock.
Key characters from Cyber Shock.

Stack

School Pembroke School TBC
Category TIED WINNER Year 9-12: Playable game - OPEN CATEGORY
Location Adelaide, SA
Mentor name Not for publication
Team name Stack
Stuart V
Game name Stack
Platform Game Maker
Game as described in GDD

You play as a tower (network) of blobs who collect coins. The more coins you collect, the taller your tower becomes, hence the name “stack”.

Student comment It was designed to focus on accessibility and ease of access. So, although gameplay is simplistic, it serves as a demonstration of small things that can be added to a game to enhance the game play.

Video

Stack creator Stuart at PAX.
‘Stack’ creator Stuart at PAX.

Conglomerate Squad - Satellite Jump

School Home School
Category WINNER Year 9-12: Playable game in GODOT
Location Mungallala
Mentor name Jillina Whittaker
Team name Conglomerate Squad
Mathieson W, Michael W, Otto P, Sonny W
Game name Satellite Jump
Platform GODOT
Game as described in GDD

Satellite Jump is a single player, level based, puzzle game about delivering messages in space by jumping to and from satellites. Each level will see players finding creative ways to traverse around planets and moons, as well as through space junk and portals to reach the target satellite using a limited number of moves.

Student comment We had almost no experience using Godot before entering the competition, so we took game development courses to improve our knowledge of the Godot engine, and game development in general. However, we had prior programming experience.

Video

Satellite Jump being played at PAX.
‘Satellite Jump’ being played at PAX.

Perspective Studios - Tenebris

School North Sydney Boys High School
Category Year 9-12: Playable game in UNITY & UNREAL
Location Sydney, NSW
Mentor name Vladamir Tosic
Team name Perspective Studios
Henry N, Kurt T, Matthias L, Naman D
Game name Tenebris
Platform Unity
Game as described in GDD

Tenebris is a Monument Valley-inspired, 3D puzzle game that revolves around optical illusions and the manipulation of perception. Players must navigate through nine intriguing, geometry-defying levels in an empty void with only a small aura to illuminate their surroundings.

From the perspective of Rei, a disillusioned Samurai trapped in Dante’s nine circles of hell, the player must venture through nine similarly ominous and progressively difficult levels in a bid to seek self-redemption. With levels being regularly added and the game being a highly fulfilling, low-requirement, cross-platform experience, it is sure to be a memorable experience for you!

Student comment The game’s narrative is a loose allusion to Dante’s Inferno and his imagined nine circles of hell, but since this theme is implicit & concealed within our in-game lore, younger audiences will not be disturbed. Though Dante’s vision of Inferno has 9 circles, we chose to only have 8 levels in our game to leave the 9th stage to the player’s imagination — perhaps what they imagine is far better than anything we can come up with!

Video

Tenebris at PAX.
‘Tenebris’ at PAX.
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