Statewide Game Pitch Competition
Pitch your game. Pitch it as a business. Win funding to build it. Open to every enrolled college student in Ohio and beyond, presented at SGC 2026 in partnership with the NACCE Everyday Entrepreneur Program.
$5,000 Prize Pool
What It Is
The Statewide Game Pitch Competition invites college students from across Ohio and beyond, including students from all 16 of Ohio's college game programs, to pitch an original game as both a creative work and a viable venture.
Run as a co-branded NACCE Everyday Entrepreneur Program Pitch Competition, it bridges game design and entrepreneurship. The strongest pitches show a game worth playing and a plan worth backing.
Competitors pitch live to industry mentors in the afternoon preliminary round. The top six to eight advance to the evening finals on the SGC Main Stage, in front of a judging panel and a live audience.
At a Glance
- Prelims: 5-minute pitch, 5 minutes of mentor feedback
- Finals: 10-minute pitch, 10 minutes of judge feedback
- A 100-point rubric weighted equally between the game and the venture
- 10 mentors from ShawneeXP, industry, and gaming capstone faculty
- Win or lose, every team leaves with scored feedback
Who Can Enter
Enrollment
Open to currently enrolled college students at any accredited two-year or four-year institution. Capstone enrollment is not required. Any college student pitching a game may enter.
Teams or Solo
Teams may be up to five members, and every member must meet the student requirement. Cross-institution teams are welcome. One entry per team or individual.
Original Work
The game concept and all materials must be the entrants' own. Third-party assets must be properly licensed or attributed.
In the Room
At least one team representative must be present in person for the preliminary round, and the full team where possible for the finals.
Any Format
Slides, live demo, video, or spoken word are all fair game within the time limit. A screen and HDMI are provided. Bring your own device and a backup.
Not Sure?
If your game is a class project, a side project, or a studio you are trying to start, it belongs here. Email aschuler@shawnee.edu and ask.
How to Enter
Register & Submit
Team info, institutions, game title, genre and platform, target audience, a razor statement, a design summary of 300 words or less, and a use-of-funds plan. Optional: portfolio, concept art, or a playable build.
Get Confirmed
Entries are confirmed as they arrive, so applying early buys you prep time. On acceptance you get the rubric, pitch guidelines, and an invitation to an optional virtual pitching workshop.
Pitch the Prelims
Five minutes of pitching and five minutes of mentor feedback in the Vern mentor rooms. Mentors score on the official rubric and the top six to eight entries advance.
Take the Main Stage
Ten minutes of pitching and ten minutes of live judge feedback in front of the conference. Winners are announced and awarded on stage.
How You Are Scored
Both rounds use the same 100-point rubric, scored independently by each mentor or judge and averaged. It weighs the game and the venture equally. A great game with no plan, or a plan with no game, will not win.
| Criterion | What judges look for | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Game Concept & Originality | A clear, compelling core idea, a distinct hook, creative ambition, and a razor statement that lands in one sentence. | 25 |
| Design & Feasibility | Mechanics, scope, and platform choices that make sense, plus evidence the team can build it: a prototype, vertical slice, art, or a credible plan. | 20 |
| Market & Audience | Who the game is for, how big and reachable that audience is, comparable titles, and what sets this apart from them. | 15 |
| Venture Viability | A credible path to release and revenue: business and monetization model, cost awareness, timeline, and a use-of-funds plan tied to a specific development milestone rather than keeping the project alive. | 20 |
| Pitch Quality | Clarity, structure, energy, use of time, and the quality of your answers during feedback and Q&A. | 20 |
| Total | 100 |
Scoring Bands, Per Criterion
Exceptional. Ready for a real audience or an investor conversation.
Strong. Clear and convincing with minor gaps.
Developing. Promising, with significant questions unanswered.
Early. The idea is not yet supported by design or plan.
Mentors & Judges
Ten Prelim Mentors
A bench of ten mentors drawn from ShawneeXP staff, industry experts, and gaming capstone professors. They score on the official rubric and give every team five minutes of direct feedback.
Three to Five Finals Judges
A panel of industry and entrepreneurship judges for the Main Stage round, delivering live feedback after each pitch. Judging decisions are final.
No Conflicts
Mentors and judges do not score entries from institutions or teams where they have a direct affiliation or an advising relationship.
Interested in judging or mentoring? Get in touch with the pitch competition team.
Official Rules
Registration is required by 5:00 PM on Friday, October 30 through the SGC website. Entries are reviewed on a rolling basis, and late or incomplete entries may be declined.
Pitch timing is enforced. Prelims are five minutes of pitching, a hard stop, plus five minutes of mentor feedback. Finals are ten minutes of pitching plus ten minutes of judge feedback.
Any pitch format is allowed within the time limit: slides, live demo, video, or spoken word. A screen and HDMI are provided. Teams are responsible for their own devices and backups.
Content standard. Pitches and materials must comply with the SGC Code of Conduct. Games with mature themes must be presentable to a general conference audience.
IP stays with the team. Entrants retain all rights to their games and materials. Entering grants SGC, SSU, and NACCE a limited license to photograph, record, and promote pitches and results for event and program publicity.
Program participation. As an Everyday Entrepreneur Program event, entrants complete the NACCE student agreement and consent to their entry information being entered in the NACCE student database, accessible to NACCE and approved program partners.
Finalist tech check. Teams advancing to the finals complete a brief tech check and run-through with event staff before the 5:00 round. Presentation files are loaded at that time.
Judging is final. Combined rubric scores determine advancement and placement. Ties are broken by the higher Venture Viability score, then by judges' vote.
Conflicts of interest. Mentors and judges will not score entries from institutions or teams where they have a direct affiliation or advising relationship.
Prizes are awarded to the team's designated lead, or split as the team directs, following the event, subject to an approved use-of-funds plan, completion of NACCE reporting requirements, and standard university disbursement paperwork.
Disqualification. SGC may disqualify entries for plagiarism, misrepresentation of enrollment, code-of-conduct violations, or failure to appear.
Questions about any of the above go to the pitch competition team before the deadline. Contact us.
Use of Prize Money
Prize awards are development grants, not personal payments. Winning teams submit a final use-of-funds plan before disbursement, and funds go toward growth of the game project. Winners provide a brief progress report on how the money was used.
Allowable Uses
- Software licenses, engines, and development tools
- Asset creation: art, audio, music, voice, or contracted specialty work
- Development hardware essential to building the game
- Playtesting, QA services, and user research
- Marketing: store-page assets, trailers, web presence, festival and showcase entry fees
- Platform and developer program fees, plus essential legal and business formation costs
Prohibited Uses
- Personal expenses or payments to members unrelated to the project
- Paying off personal or team debt
- Speculative investments such as crypto or stocks
- Real estate or non-project capital purchases
- Anything illegal, or any expense unrelated to the pitched project
An Everyday Entrepreneur Program Pitch Competition
This competition is supported in part by a $5,000 NACCE Everyday Entrepreneur Program grant, with the balance of the prize pool underwritten by SGC partners. Entrants complete the NACCE student agreement, and results and student progress are reported through the NACCE database.
Questions
Do I have to be a Shawnee State student?
No. Any currently enrolled college student at an accredited two-year or four-year institution can enter, from any state.
Does my game have to be playable?
No, but the rubric rewards evidence you can build it. A prototype, vertical slice, art, or a credible plan all count.
Can I enter with my capstone team?
Yes. Teams of up to five are welcome, including cross-institution teams, and capstone enrollment is not required to enter.
Who owns the game afterward?
You do. Entering grants SGC, SSU, and NACCE only a limited license to photograph, record, and promote pitches and results.
What if I do not make the finals?
Every team gets five minutes of direct mentor feedback in the prelims and leaves with scores against the rubric.
How do I spend the prize money?
On the game. Winners submit a use-of-funds plan tied to a development milestone and report briefly on how the funds were used.
Ready to Pitch?
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis through 5:00 PM on Friday, October 30. Apply early for the most prep time and the pitching workshop.
Apply Now