The UH Centennial Games is an event that allows students to showcase their abilities in video game design, app creation, digital storytelling, and academic knowledge.
The first portion of the competition focuses on video game design by teams of up to 5 undergraduate and/or graduate students. Registration opens Wednesday, October 14, 2026.
Create a unique, original, and age-appropriate video game as part of the University of Houston Centennial Games celebration.
Teams of officially enrolled UH main campus students for Fall 2026. Each game must be built by a single registered team.
Games must not exceed an ESRB rating of Everyone 10+ and must avoid disallowed content, unauthorized copyrighted material, and excessive AI-generated work.
Games that reach the final round cannot be resubmitted in future years. Games that do not advance may be updated and resubmitted in later rounds or years.
Confirm that you and your team meet the eligibility requirements before registering.
All submissions must comply with content, originality, and rating rules to remain eligible.
The game must be designed to run on one of following platforms:
For details, refer to the ESRB Ratings Guide on the official ESRB website.
Game rating must be no higher than Everyone 10+ (E10+) according to the ESRB ratings guide.
For details, refer to the ESRB Ratings Guide on the official ESRB website.
A game will be disqualified if:
Follow each round from registration to final winners:
Duration: October 14, 2026 – November 13, 2026
Each team designates a team leader who registers the team on the Centennial Games website by submitting:
After registration, the leader receives a team code used by members to join the team. Teams that submit all required info by Friday, November 13, 2026 advance to Round 2.
Duration: November 14, 2026 – December 11, 2026
A team leader must submit ONE storyboard by the closing date of Round 2. Teams that submit the storyboard by Friday, December 11, 2026 advance to Round 3.
Duration: December 12, 2026 – February 26, 2027
A team leader must submit the following entry materials in ONE zipped file by the closing date of Round 3:
Among teams that submit the entry materials by Friday, February 26, 2027, top 25 teams will advance to Round 4.
* The maximum file size for the Round 3 submission is 1 GB
Duration: February 27, 2027 – March 26, 2027
A team leader from each must submit the following entry materials in ONE zipped file by the closing date of Round 4:
Among teams that submit the entry materials by Friday, March 26, 2027, top 10 teams will advance to Final Round.
* The maximum file size for the Round 4 submission is 1.5 GB.
Duration: March 27, 2027 – April 16, 2027
Final Demo & Playtesting Date: April 16, 2027
A team leader from each must submit the following entry materials in ONE zipped file by Thursday, April 15, 2027:
On April 16, 2027, the finalists (top 10 teams) will be invited to a live demo and playtesting round at the final in LOCATION TBD. Here is a sample of what the finalists can anticipate competing in the Final:
* The maximum file size for the Final Round submission is 1.5 GB.
Duration: Tuesday, April 20, 2027
Final Demo & Playtesting Date: April 16, 2027
The winners from the Final Round will be invited to the Award Ceremony at LOCATION TBD.
* The mentor will NOT be awarded any portion of the monetized prize winnings listed above.
Ensure your team meets all qualifications.
If you have any questions about the contest, please reach out to Chang Yun, Director of Video Games - Game Design Category at phys94@Central.UH.EDU.