Running for several years, the 23rd Games for Change Festival Event took place on July 21st and 22nd. Taking place in the stunning Glasshouse location near the Huston River in NYC, Lord Cognito and I attended the festival. With so much to see and do, there’s a lot to discuss.
Join yours truly as I highlight the insightful panels, the major award winners, and so much more that took place at the Games for Change Festival!
What is the Games for Change Festival?
The Games for Change Festival is a celebration of game development, helping seasoned and upcoming developers get into the game industry. The mission statement for Games for Change is the following.
Since 2004, Games for Change (G4C) has empowered game creators and innovators to drive real-world change, using games and immersive media that help people learn, improve their communities, and contribute to making the world a better place. G4C partners with technology and gaming companies, nonprofits, foundations, and government agencies to run world-class events, public arcades, design challenges, and youth programs. G4C supports a global community of game developers using games to tackle real-world challenges, from humanitarian conflicts to climate change and education.
As someone who loves learning about the industry, having something like this to help people get into making and playing video games is powerful. And to learn more about the industry, several keynotes took place at this year’s Games for Change Festival.
Keynote Speakers and Highlights
So many keynotes and presentations took place, with major players in the industry offering attendees their insight into the gaming industry and the challenges ahead.
Speakers at Games for Change included the following:
- Alan Lewis (Head of Global Corporate Communications, Take-Two Interactive)
- Constance Steinkuehler (Professor of Informatics, University of California, Irvine)
- Dominic Law (CEO, Neopets)
- Jesse Schell (CEO, Schell Games)
- Lily Li (Producer, EA Games)
- Manon Dave (Head of Future World Design, BBC R&D)
- Mathias Gredal Nørvig (CEO, SYBO)
- Rachel Kowert (Researcher, University of Cambridge)
- Sara DeWitt (Senior Vice President and General Manager, PBS KIDS and
Education, PBS) - Stanley Pierre-Louis (President & CEO, Entertainment Software Association)
While I couldn’t see every keynote, standouts included focused on overcoming challenges that prison inmates faced using gaming for positive impact, and another from Alan Lewis of Take-Two diving into the unique challenge of ethical use of AI and other modern technologies in game development.
Lord Cognito Interview with Susanna Pollack
But who founded the entire event? That would be none other than Susanna Pollack, whom Lord Cognito and I had the pleasure of meeting at the Games for Change event.
The interview discusses the major programs to help children around the world, the importance of ‘reimagining play’, and looking at play through the lens of impact. Playing with purpose was another talking point in the interview, with experiences offering a deep connection with players.
It was an honor speaking to Susanna, and I look forward to seeing her and the Games for Change team for next year’s festival.
Giving Back to the Community
Alluded to during our interview with Susanna, Games for Change has two major initiatives that will help children in need around the world.
Game the Food System
Games for Change (G4C), the leading nonprofit advancing games and immersive media for social impact, and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the world’s largest humanitarian organization working to achieve zero hunger, today announced a global partnership to harness the power of games and play to advance food and nutrition security and strengthen the resilience of food systems around the world. The partnership has been announced against the backdrop of the G4C Festival in New York, a G4C flagship event bringing together changemakers from around the world and across industries to celebrate the power of games and immersive media for social impact. At the center of the partnership is “Game the Food System,” a campaign to engage gaming audiences at every level – from major publishers and developers to students, educators, and a global audience of players – to imagine, design, and take action towards a food system that works for the planet and its people.
Games for Change Student Challenge
Today, Games for Change (G4C), the largest nonprofit championing games and immersive media for social impact, and Sanford Harmony announced a partnership to expand the G4C Student Challenge to upper elementary schools for the first time.
The new junior division will be led by educators using the Games for Change Introduction to Game Design Curriculum for Grades 3 – 6. Students begin by exploring the basics of game design, the parts of a game, and how games can be understood as systems. They form teams, explore the theme, “Everyone Belongs Here,” and move through the iterative design process to design analog or digital games. Along the way, they practice and learn about essential skills such as developing a growth mindset, communication, and collaboration through connected Sanford Harmony lessons. Each classroom develops and submits a single game as a team, and one classroom is selected as the winner.
Games for Change 2026 Award Winners
Concluding the festival, several titles received awards for their strides in making a positive impact for players around the world. You can learn about each award winner here.
- GAME / EXPERIENCE OF THE YEAR – South of Midnight (Compulsion Games)
- BEST NARRATIVE, BEST GAMEPLAY, INDIE BREAKOUT AWARD – Consume Me (Hexecutable)
- BEST IN IMPACT – and Roger (TearyHand Studio)
- BEST IN LEARNING –The Darkest Files (Paintbucket Games)
- BEST IN COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT – Relooted (Nyamakop)
- BEST IN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT – FACEMINER (Wristwork)
- BEST IN HEALTH & WELLNESS – ARWell PRO (Augment Therapy)
- BEST IN XR & EMERGING MEDIA – A Long Goodbye (Timescapes & Polygoat)
- BEST PLATFORM-BASED PROJECT – Planet Planners on Roblox (Playerthree & BBC Bitesize)
- BEST BOARD OR TABLETOP GAME FOR IMPACT – Ciclo do Poder / Cycle of Power (Fiocruz)
The biggest surprise for us at Lords of Gaming was seeing South of Midnight receiving a Game of the Year award. With the studio now independent following recent events, it was amazing seeing Complusion Games be recognized for its amazing art direction, outstanding soundtrack, and powerful narrative.
Other awards were given out too, highlighting important studios, games, and people that made an important impact, as well.
2026 Games for Change Special Awards
- VANGUARD AWARD – Jenn Panattoni – A pioneer of social impact work inside the games industry, Panattoni founded the Xbox Social Impact team in 2018 and built campaigns that generated more than $250 million in value for nonprofits worldwide. She now leads Aizle Impact, an agency building cause partnerships across gaming and entertainment.
- INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP AWARD – thatgamecompany – For two decades, thatgamecompany has reimagined what games can be, with titles including Flower, Journey, and Sky: Children of the Light that put emotion and human connection at their core. Led by co-founder and game director Jenova Chen, the studio’s Sky: Children of the Light has passed 300 million downloads since its 2019 launch.
- GIVING AWARD – SpecialEffect – Since 2007, the UK charity SpecialEffect has helped people with physical disabilities play video games through individually tailored assistive technology, including eye-control and adapted controllers. Its occupational therapists and gaming specialists build bespoke setups for hundreds of players each year and share what they learn as free, open resources.
- ACCESSIBILITY AWARD – EA Sports FC 26 (EA Sports) – One of the first sports titles to include a High Contrast Mode usable in competitive play, alongside text-to-speech, colorblind filters, customizable subtitles, and gameplay assists that widen access for players with a range of disabilities.
Exploring the Festival – Closing Thoughts on Games for Change
Overall, by far the biggest highlight was the amazing vibes of the Festival. Casually exploring the Glasshouse venue, chill Persona music played as I explored the halls, fitting the vibes perfectly. In addition, I loved how organized and high-class the venue was.
It felt like going to a nice college campus, seeing friendly faces all eager to learn about the next exciting things to move their career forward. And doing all that alongside Cog and some familiar faces made the experience even better.
Even after Cog and I parted ways, and I dabbled in several games in the Arcade area, the ambition and variety on display from indie and student developers alike was awesome. From playing a VR game about loss, helping a girl struggle through an eating disorder, and seeing how ambitious some of the newest Roblox creations have become, it was a delight.
I had a wonderful time, and I’m excited to see Games for Change continue to expand.
