Games for Change Festival Unveils 2022 Award Finalists

A group of 125 game developers, researchers, and experts in game design reviewed the games and selected the finalists. Game entries came from established AAA studios, indie developers, and university-level students.

“Since 2011, the Games for Change Awards have highlighted the best social impact games from around the world. We have seen such fantastic growth over the past decade, and this year we had a record number of submissions from indie and AAA studios, solo developers, and more,” said G4C President Susanna Pollack. “With 14 countries represented, we are thrilled to see the reach of these games and the global diversity of voices represented.”

The 2022 Games for Change Awards finalists include:

Most Innovative:

Before Your Eyes from GoodbyeWorld Games
The Vale: Shadow of the Crown from Falling Squirrel
Inua - A Story in Ice and Time from Iko - The Pixel Hunt ARTE France
Unpacking from Witch Beam

Best XR for Change:

The Choice from Joanne Popinska
DIAGNOSIA from Mengtai Zhang and Lemon Guo
Gravitational from Electric Monkeys
Steps of Privilege from REM5 Studio

Best Civics Game:Svoboda 1945:

Liberation from Charles Games
VOXPOP from Gigantic Mechanic
Dot's Home from Weathered Sweater & Rise Home Stories Project
MadeVR: Take me to the end of the Assembly Line from Singing Cicadas

Best Gameplay:

Road 96 from DigixArt
Before Your Eyes from GoodbyeWorld Games
Midnight Protocol from LuGus Studio & Sixty Four
Lost Recipes from Schell Games

Best Learning Game:

Lingo Legend from Hyperthought Games Inc.
Ava from Team Ava
Culture Overlord from Lucas Vially
Math Makers from Ululab

Most Significant Impact:

Svoboda 1945: Liberation from Charles Games
Blackhaven from Historiated Games
Dot's Home from Weathered Sweater and Rise Home Stories Project
MadeVR: Take me to the end of the Assembly Line from Singing Cicadas

Best Health Game:

Smileyscope MRI from Smilescope
REThink Game from Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj-Napoca
BeatNic Boulevard from skillsgapp

Best Narrative Game:

Before Your Eyes from GoodbyeWorld Games
Dot's Home from Weathered Sweater and Rise Home Stories Project
The Vale: Shadow of the Crown from Falling Squirrel
UNSIGHTED from Studie Pixel Punk

Best Student Game:

There You Are from Funky Dango
P.A.N.I.K.O. from Bluv Studio
The Social Engineer from Pascal Jansen & Fabian Fischbach (Zefwih)
Project Anomaly: Urban Supernatural Investigator from Dark Science

Additionally, games from the Best Gameplay, Most Innovative, Most Significant Impact, Best Health, Best Narrative, Best Civics, and Best Learning Game categories are eligible for the “G4C People’s Choice” Award, presented by Facebook Gaming. Voting for the People’s Choice Award will open later this week.

“Facebook Gaming is proud to sponsor Games for Change once again this year. Games are a powerful tool for innovation, creativity, and social impact which is why we are excited to see who will win the 2022 People's Choice Award," Sabs Meditz, Head of Gaming Partnerships – Americas, Facebook Gaming.

For more information, visit the Festival site.