What people and types of teams are eligible?

What type of game should we build?

What are the technical requirements of the game?

What’s the overall process of this contest?

How will the game be judged?

How can this website help me?

How do I know what a middle school kid thinks is cool?

This seems like a ton of work – can I get college credit for it?

Can I see games that have done well in the past?

What people and types of teams are eligible?
Smart ones. Just kidding, although entrants must be full time undergraduate or graduate students of a two or four-year accredited college or university. Students may enter on their own or in teams of up to eight people. Heads up—our experience shows that teams of four to six people often create the kinds of games that win contests like this one. Cross-disciplinary teams (e.g. a team with a programmer, an artist, an architect and a writer) are also encouraged, since dividing up tasks by skill set is usually a good idea. Team members, with the exception of the team captain, may change after entry is submitted. For more information, see the Official Rules. [top]

What type of game should we build?
Any kind, just make it cool. We’ll welcome games of any theme, type or genre. Your game may contain one level or multiple levels, as long as on the whole it fulfills the requirements of one subject from the teaching list. If you would like to teach a middle school subject that is not on our list, feel free to apply to get it added.

You may build your game on any platform (e.g. PC or Mac), with the intention of the game being played on any platform or console. For example, if complex graphics are not a team strength, you might want to consider building a game that is meant for a portable console such as the Nintendo® Gameboy®.

Build your game entirely from scratch, or use an engine that already exists. Don’t be a show-off—your chances of success are likely to improve with the help of development kits and/or source code. Of course, the more code you start with, the less freedom you have to innovate – always a trade-off. Check out the list of permissible tools to see what's acceptable. If you would like to use a tool that is not on our list, hit the message board with your idea. [top]

What are the technical requirements of the game?
If you are building for a PC, you should build your game on a modern computer, for Windows 2000 or a subsequent operating system. If you are building with a specific console in mind, it must be a console that is currently available on store shelves.

If you use an existing tool or engine, it must be on the list. If you want to use something that isn’t on the list and have a strong argument for why, tell it to the message board.

All concepts, design, art and sound must be original. Your game should be built with an eye toward generally acceptable aesthetic and sound qualities. In other words, no "choppy play" or "poppy sound."

The Hidden Agenda team reserves the right to build your game for a platform other than the one for which it was designed. We also reserve the right to distribute or not to distribute and/or sell your game through whatever distribution channel or method we see fit. If you want to know more, read the Official Rules. [top]

What’s the overall process of this contest?
First, you submit your killer entry to the contest. The entry form requires a short description of your initial game concept. Your concept may change over time, but you are expected to submit a feasible concept that you plan to explore. You may submit your entry any time from September 18 through December 15, 2003.

Then you’ve got to actually create your winning entry. Once your game is built, submit it via mail any time between January 2 and May 1, 2004. The game must be postmarked by May 1 to be accepted.

On May 31, 2004, five finalists will be announced on the Hidden Agenda Web site. The finalist teams will be flown to Austin, TX in June 2004 to present their games to a panel consisting of one or more of the following: game developer icons, academic specialists, game-based learning experts and middle school teachers and students. The presentation will include a question-and-answer session with the panel of experts.

The winning team will be chosen soon after the Austin visit. The team will then work with the experts to make final changes to the game (if necessary). They will then receive their $25,000 prize.

For more information, see the Contest Calendar and Official Rules. [top]

How will the game be judged?
First, game experts and academics will review all the games to determine whether they fulfill the contest requirements (teaching and technical). Games will then be judged based on the following weighted criteria – 70% entertainment, 30% education. They’ll break it down like this:

Entertainment:
* How entertaining is the game concept?
* How entertaining is the actual game?
* How innovative and unique is the game?

Education:
* How well does the game teach the subject?
* How “stealth” is the learning?

For more information, see the Official Rules [top]

How can this website help me?
Visit www.hiddenagenda.com as often as possible to catch contest updates, interviews with game and education experts, thoughts about gaming from middle school students, chat opportunities with members of our impressive board of advisors, helpful reading materials, technical help from other contest entrants or just to talk smack. If your game artist suddenly flakes out, you can even use the site to recruit a new team member. [top]

How do I know what a middle school kid thinks is cool?
Plan to test your game on a middle schooler before you submit it. To win, middle school kids have to like your game. So if you don’t know what they like, do some research. Use the resources available on the Web site, and talk to any middle school kids or teachers you can find. If you post a question on the message board that should be answered by a middle schooler, we’ll make sure you get an appropriate answer. Building the coolest game in the world doesn’t matter if your target audience thinks it sucks. [top]

This seems like a ton of work – can I get college credit for it?
It’s worth a shot. If you’re planning to win, you’re probably going to spend as much time on this as you will on any of your classes. If your school offers independent studies or senior projects that are not classroom-based, you can work with us to earn credit for building your game. Email help@hiddenagenda.com for help. [top]

Can I see games that have done well in the past?
Sure you can! Check out www.hagames.com to see some of the past winners in action, and claim a spot for your own game once you take home the giant $25K check. Note that these games didn’t look quite so polished back when they were submitted to Hidden Agenda – check out what they looked like then here. [top]