Win an OLPC XO Laptop With a Game Design!

   
   
   
   
   

We want games!!

Win a OLPC XO laptop at the 2007 Game Developers Conference - all you have to do is provide a 100 word description of your OLPC game design idea in the One Laptop Per Child Game Design Challenge.

Yes, you read that right, you don't even need to actually code the game, just write a general idea of one for the Children's Machine XO. Here's the official judging criteria that Samuel Klein, OLPC Director of Content, will use to score submissions:

Each entrant must supply a 100 word description of their game design idea which may be accompanied by an optional sketch or screenshot.

The judges will be looking for game design ideas with particular attention given to games that make use of the laptop's special features -- its wireless mesh, human power, sunlight-readable display, and ebook or rotated-screen modes.

As you start to put pencil, pen, or stylus to work on how to bring new life for old games on the Children's Machine XO, do check the contest fine print: only registered conference attendees qualify to enter, and you must be present to win.

But don't let that stop your creative mind from exploring what could be. While I can't offer an OLPC as a prize, you can always add your new game ideas in the comments section below. Any submissions will be governed by the same CC-BY license as the contest. Your game ideas can be remixed and modified by others, with attribution to you.

I too want to help the contest goal of producing fun open source and free games for the OLPC XO, games more appropriate and educational for children than DOOM or Super Mario Brothers.

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5 Comments

Hi!

I don't know if you have already done that, but I use a good amount of games with my kids that you could/should include:

+ gcompris (E)(+)
+ childsplay (E)(+)
+ tuxpaint (E)(+)
+ tuxkart (-)
+ ppracer (Planet Penguin Racer) (-)
+ Slune (-)(e)
+ Emilia Pinball (-)
+ Antigravitaattori (+)(e)
+ Powermanga (+)
+ CannonSmash (-)(e)
+ TORCS (-)(e)
+ Kball (+)(e)

I'm not sure on which of these games can actually be run on this laptop, but they are fun, and many of them are educative on some way or another. I marked the games like this:

(E) = educative.
(e) = less educative, but still teach or trains something usefull.
(+) = the game should run.
(-) = the game could not run.

You should be able to find them really quickly with google, but if you don't, just let me know and I'll look for the game's website.

I hope this helps,

Ildefonso Camargo

i want to see oregon trail on the olpc or speak and spell
games that we know are educational

Hi

There is a word game that I have played
against other people, it's simple and can
be made into a computer game (have done it
once long time ago for a school project)

so here goes

"The Last Say"

Two players take turns and say letters
to make a word, so that the opponent has to
say the last letter of a valid word or the opponent gives up and there is a valid word to be made by adding letter(s).

For example:

Player 1: G (thinking gravel)
Player 2: R (thinking green )
Player 1: A (thinking gravel)
Player 2: S (thinking grass )
Player 1: S (has no more options - either
says S, P or surrenders)
Player 2: says GRASS and has won

The game needs a dictionary to validate
the words so that the players can't bluff
Bluffing will cause immediate lost game.

Could probably also be played with more people
in round robin mode :)
(I have not done this) In that case the goal would be
to force the next player from you to say the last letter of a valid word.
Rotating the player who starts should give
fair chances to all.

make your site more comfortable to reach

That's a cute notebook :)

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