Games for Change 2023 awards nominees.
Games for Change 2023 awards nominees.
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Games for Change Festival unveils 2023 award finalists

Games for Change, the nonprofit focused on social impact games, unveiled today the finalists for its 2023 Games for Change Awards.

For the first time since 2019, the Games for Change Awards ceremony will be in-person at The Times Center.

“This is a landmark year for the Games for Change​ Festival​,​ and our awards are no different,​” said​ G4C president Susanna Pollack, in a statement. “With almost 340 submissions from over 37 countries and the increasing prominence of XR titles, we can really see the dynamic, diverse, and innovative ​growth of the ​games for good space​. We are excited to honor these creative and ground-breaking developers and projects that push the boundaries of gaming and immersive media and use them as a force for good in the world.”

The Games for Change Award finalists

Most Innovative Game — This award recognizes games released in the past year across platforms that embrace experimentation and novel creative expression to pave new ways for the medium.

Best Learning Game — Recognizes games released in the past year across platforms that offer meaningful engagement around learning objectives and successfully balance educational objectives with fun, engaging gameplay.

Best Student Game –– Recognizes games developed by college and university students over the past year that successfully address timely challenges affecting society and individuals.  

Best Civics Game — Recognizes games that inspire responsible citizenship and engagement by bridging gaps between communities and shedding light on the most pressing social issues of our time.

Best XR for Change Experience — Recognizes exemplary virtual, augmented, or mixed reality experiences designed to foster meaningful change within current social issues.

Best Narrative Game — Recognizes games that use character, narrative, and interactivity to tell thematic and powerful stories about social impact causes.

Best Health Game — Recognizes games that promote exceptionally positive health and wellness outcomes in the players/patients that use them.

Most Significant Impact — Recognizes games that raise awareness and/or foster meaningful change within prevailing and present social issues.

Best Gameplay — Recognizes games designed with highly compelling and polished mechanics that reinforce the intended impact of the game through engaging gameplay.

People’s Choice Award
Games nominated in 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, which is awarded based on online votes from fans. Voting for the People’s Choice Award will open to the public in the coming weeks. 

Written by

Dean Takahashi

Dean Takahashi is editorial director for GamesBeat at VentureBeat. He has been a tech journalist since 1988, and he has covered games as a beat since 1996. He was lead writer for GamesBeat at VentureBeat from 2008 to April 2025. Prior to that, he wrote for the San Jose Mercury News, the Red Herring, the Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times, and the Dallas Times-Herald. He is the author of two books, "Opening the Xbox" and "The Xbox 360 Uncloaked." He organizes the annual GamesBeat Next, GamesBeat Summit and GamesBeat Insider Series: Hollywood and Games conferences and is a frequent speaker at gaming and tech events. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.