Abstract
This study aims to identify general design principles for educational game development contests through the
practice of a nationwide programming contest for elementary and junior high school students in Japan. Conventional game
development contests often emphasize technical skill and product completeness, which can discourage participation by
beginners and younger learners. To address this issue, the present contest was designed based on the premise that “anyone
can create a game on their first attempt.” Multiple entry points were provided, including Minecraft-based building categories
and constrained game development categories, in order to accommodate diverse skill levels. In addition, pre-event
instructional videos, submission schemes that allowed modification of sample games, and an award system featuring multiple
winners and participation-based recognition were implemented. As a result, a total of 1,187 works were submitted nationwide.
An analysis of post-contest surveys revealed that public forms of recognition—such as award ceremonies and project
exhibitions—generated higher levels of satisfaction than monetary rewards. These findings suggest that educational game
development contests should be designed not primarily as competitive events to determine winners, but as learning
environments that encourage participation and publicly acknowledge learners’ efforts and challenges.
