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.
The Ums - Undefeated
School | MidCoast Christian College |
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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. |
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HexMeltdown
School | Saint Andrews Anglican College |
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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. |
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Technophile - Martian Multiplier: The Alien Infection
School | West End State School |
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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. |
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Computer Nerds Corporation (CNC) - Cyber Shock
School | Southern River College |
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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. |
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Stack
School | Pembroke School TBC |
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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. |
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Conglomerate Squad - Satellite Jump
School | Home School |
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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. |
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Perspective Studios - Tenebris
School | North Sydney Boys High School |
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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! |
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