Overview
This competition focuses on a digital application or serious game tailored for young adults experiencing substance use challenges, with a specific focus on alcohol management. The goal is to create an engaging and empathetic tool that supports self-monitoring, behavior change, and easy navigation to appropriate support resources.
App Requirements
Your application must include the following four core components.
Self-monitoring
Help users record alcohol consumption, recognize patterns, and understand progress over time without a punitive or stigmatizing experience.
Behavior & Habit Support
Use meaningful goals, check-ins, reflection, game mechanics, or other behavior-change approaches that encourage healthier routines.
AI Personality System
Pair the application with an AI personality or interaction model designed to improve continued engagement and adherence.
Support Resources
Make it simple for users to find appropriate educational, campus, community, or professional support resources when needed.
Participants
- Eligible University of Houston undergraduate students enrolled during FY27.
- Participants must remain in good academic standing.
- Team participation and final team-size rules should follow the published Track 08 registration requirements.
Scoring Criteria
Submissions will be scored by the judging panel against four criteria:
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User Experience & Interface Design
Empathetic design, accessibility, and user engagement.
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Functional Utility & Resource Integration
Effectiveness in habit tracking and connecting users with help resources.
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Originality & Social Impact
Creative approach to addressing young adult substance management and responsible data handling.
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Technical Quality & Prototype Execution
Quality, reliability, and completeness of the working application or game prototype.
Citation Requirement
Teams must cite peer-reviewed research (e.g., ACM CHI, CSCW, HRI, IEEE RO-MAN) to support their app and poster design choices, including:
- Target users & behavior-shaping strategies
- AI design & interactions
- Accessibility & privacy decisions
Contest Organizer
Dr. Chorong Park
Associate Professor
Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design
Presidential Frontier Faculty member in health and AI in robotics
About
Dr. Chorong Park is an Assistant Professor in the Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture and Design at the University of Houston and a Presidential Frontier Faculty member in health and AI in robotics. She leads ELARA Lab (Empathetic Lifespan AI & Robotics for Aging), where her work brings together design, behavioral research, and emerging technologies to support health, independence, and well-being. She earned her Ph.D. from Purdue University in 2025 and works with older adults, caregivers, and interdisciplinary collaborators to connect technological development with people’s everyday needs.
Research Interests
Competition Schedule
Follow each round from registration to final winners:
Round 1 – Team Registration
Duration: October 08, 2026 - November 6, 2026
Each team designates a team leader who registers the team on the Centennial Games website by submitting:
- Team leader's name
- UH Cougarnet email address
- Official team name
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.
Round 2 – Storyboard Submission
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.
Round 3 – Preliminary
Duration: December 12, 2026 – January 08, 2027
A research poster detailing the problem, literature background, system design, and evaluation.
Among teams that submit the entry materials by Friday, January 08, 2027, top 25 teams will advance to Round 4.
* The maximum file size for the Round 3 submission is 1 GB
Round 4 – Semi-Final
Duration: January 09, 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:
- One (1) Updated Game Summary Document
- One (1) Updated Game Play Instructions
- One (1) Updated Playable Game
- Three (3) Game Screenshots
- One (1) Game Demo Video
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.
Final Round
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:
- One (1) FINAL Game Summary Document
- One (1) FINAL Game Play Instructions
- One (1) FINAL Playable Game
- Three (3) FINAL Game Screenshots
- One (1) FINAL Game Demo Video
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:
- Ten finalists’ game demo videos will be viewed by the judges in series
- Each finalist has up to 5-minute live presentation to judges presenting its game design submission
- Ten 15-minute hands-on game play sessions for judges to play finalists’ games
- At the end of the game play sessions, the judges will select 3 best teams as winners of UH Centennial Game in Game Design Category. The ranking for these 3 winners (1st, 2nd and 3rd places) will be revealed at the Award Ceremony.
* The maximum file size for the Final Round submission is 1.5 GB.
Award Ceremony
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.
- 1st Place: $6,000, to be divided equally among each officially registered member of the team
- 2nd Place: $3,000, to be divided equally among each officially registered member of the team
- 3rd Place: $1,000, to be divided equally among each officially registered member of the team
* The mentor will NOT be awarded any portion of the monetized prize winnings listed above.
Ready to Register Your Team?
Ensure your team meets all qualifications.
- All team members are eligible UH main campus students for Fall 2026.
- Designated team leader with UH Cougarnet ID and email address.
- Unique team name confirmed.
- Understanding of E10+ rating, AI, copyright, and content rules.
Team Registration
Contact Us
If you have any questions about the contest, please reach out to Dr. Chorong Park, Assistant Professor at cpark14@uh.edu.