Games for Change (G4C), the nonprofit organization dedicated to harnessing games and immersive media for social impact, announced the finalists for the 2026 Games for Change Awards.
Selected from 42 countries, the winners will be revealed live at the G4C Awards Ceremony on July 21st, hosted by actors Anjali Bhimani (Overwatch, Apex Legends, Ms. Marvel) and Osric Chau (Supernatural, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency).
“Every year, the G4C Awards give us a clearer picture of where this space is going, and this year’s finalists are telling a new chapter of that story,” said G4C President Susanna Pollack. “Teams from 12 countries told us stories rooted in their own context and communities, more than any year prior. That’s the work Reimagining Play was meant to celebrate.”
Here are the 2026 Games for Change awards finalists:
BEST GAMEPLAY
- and Roger (Developed by TearyHand Studio, Published by Kodansha | Japan)
- Consume Me (Developed by Hexecutable LLC | United States)
- South of Midnight (Developed by Compulsion Games, Published by Xbox Games Studio | United States)
BEST IN COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT
- Powwow Bound: A Menominee Homecoming (Developed by Nebraska Public Media and PBS Wisconsin, Published by Nebraska Public Media | United States)
- Relooted (Developed by Nyamakop | South Africa)
- The Darkest Files (Developed by Paintbucket Games | Germany)
BEST IN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
- Imaginary Atlas, Amazônia (Developed by MIT Media Lab + Quanta | Brazil, United States)
- FACEMINER (Developed and Published by Wristwork | United Kingdom)
- Out and About (Developed by Yaldi Games | United Kingdom, Germany)
BEST IN HEALTH & WELLNESS
- ARWell PRO (Developed by Augment Therapy | United States)
- Camp Movewell (Developed by ReNUSHU Team — Carnegie Mellon University Entertainment Technology Center | United States)
- Year of the Cicadas (Developed by Year of the Cicadas Team | United States)
BEST IN IMPACT
- and Roger (Developed by TearyHand Studio, Published by Kodansha | Japan)
- Eddie and I (Developed by Moosh Studio, Reynard Films, Studio Geppetto, Published by Unframed Collection | Israel, France, Germany)
- South of Midnight (Developed by Compulsion Games, Published by Xbox Games Studio | United States)
BEST IN LEARNING
- Let’s Cook Up a Story! (Developed by Jackie Nam and Minami Matsumoto | United States)
- The Darkest Files (Developed by Paintbucket Games | Germany)
- The Fluffle Factory (Developed by Nurture Holdings Ltd | United States)
BEST IN XR & EMERGING MEDIA
- A long Goodbye (Developed by Timescapes & Polygoat | Belgium)
- Climate Station (Developed and Published by Sony Interactive Entertainment | United Kingdom, Malaysia)
- Eddie and I (Developed by Moosh Studio, Reynard Films, Studio Geppetto, Published by Unframed Collection | Israel, France, Germany)
BEST NARRATIVE
- and Roger (Developed by TearyHand Studio, Published by Kodansha | Japan)
- Consume Me (Developed by Hexecutable LLC | United States)
- The Alters (Developed and Published by 11 bit studios | Poland)
BEST PLATFORM-BASED PROJECT
- MUDEMverse – Platform: Roblox (Developed by MELAZETA, Published by MUDEM – Museo della moneta | Italy)
- Planet Planners on Roblox – Platform: Roblox (Developed by Playerthree and BBC Bitesize | United Kingdom)
- Sesame Street: Magical Beastie Quest – Platform: Roblox (Developed by MindTrust | United States)
Regular-priced tickets are available until July 5, 2026, with discounts offered for nonprofits, educators, and students. View the full Festival lineup and register at festival.gamesforchange.org.
