Want to give your students a tough but engaging coding challenge? We invite them to showcase their coding and game-building skills in our new coding competition.

INTERFACE has teamed up with Gamefroot – an educational, coding and game-making platform. We provide the template and your students then add their code and creativity to finish their own unique game.

Aim of the game

With the theme of New Zealand history, the aim is to create a computer game by adding your own twists and turns to a basic, starting template. Add some surprises and challenges to the playing of your game, like instructions, new elements and actions, or different levels. For ideas and inspiration, check out games others have made with Gamefroot.

Choose your level

There are three categories, each with a similar game scenario but starting from templates of differing complexity:

• Beginner: Years 1-6
• Intermediate: Years 7-8
• Advanced: Years 9+

Judging criteria

Entries will be scored out of 100 points, as follows:

• Coding skill: The proficiency and complexity of the programming – 35 points
• Creativity: The design and look of the game, and the extras added – 30 points
• Playability: How well and efficiently the game plays – 25 points
• Wow factor: Judges’ discretion – 10 points

The judges are Dan Milward, founder of Gamefroot, and Greg Adams, Editor, INTERFACE.

Win a visit to Gamefroot’s Wellington studio or an Action Camera

And the challenge is not the only reward. There’s an awesome prize up for grabs for the winner of each age category. An overall winner will be chosen from the three, who will be invited to visit Gamefroot’s Wellington studio. The other two will receive a Kaiser Bass X2 Action Camera (featuring 8-megapixel photo resolution and 1080p video resolution, 170-degree wide angle, and time lapse) and Essentials Kit.

How to get going

You will need a Gamefroot account and know how to use the program. Find out more at make.gamefroot.com. If you’re new to Gamefroot, there’s plenty of help, advice and tutorials to get you up and running.

To create your game for the competition, go to make.gamefroot.com/tuia. Here you will find a selection of templates – pick the one for your age category.

Nga Tākaro art pack

Check out our guide to downloading and using the Nga Tākaro art pack, which could be ideal for using in your game. You’ll find it on pages 34 and 35 in the May issue of INTERFACE or download it: INTERFACE Issue 93, May 2019 – Lesson Idea How to download Gamefroot art pack.

How to enter

Once you have finished coding your game, save and publish it. Then make a note of the weblink for the game. Come back to this page and enter your details below.

Entries can be from individual students or small groups (up to four students maximum per group).

Entries close 5pm on Friday 5 July (end of Term 2).

ENTRIES ARE NOW CLOSED.

If you have any queries or questions about the competition, please contact INTERFACE Editor Greg Adams at greg.adams@interfacemagazine.co.nz

PLEASE NOTE: This competition is open only to students at schools in New Zealand and is subject to our terms and conditions (https://interfaceonline.co.nz/terms-and-conditions/).

DISCLAIMER: We treat all personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act.