North East student finalist in national young game designers competition
The winners ceremony will be held later this month
A North East student says she is delighted to have been selected as a finalist in a national young game designers competition.
BAFTA has unveiled 51 finalists aged between 10 and 18, who have been selected for this year’s BAFTA Young Game Designers Competition.
One of these finalists is 14-year-old Marcella Godoy from Tyne and Wear, who was also a finalist in 2025.
Now in its 16th year, BAFTA Young Game Designers say they support children and young people passionate about games by providing them with hands-on experience and creating accessible pathways into industry careers.
They tell us the programme engages young people directly through game-making workshops, Primary school roadshows with Place2Be, dedicated secondary school events during National Careers Week, and more.
They also say the programme culminates in the annual Young Game Designers Competition, which gives talented young creatives access to expert insights, advice, and the chance to showcase their game-creating ability.
This year’s finalists have entered into one of two categories: the Game Concept Award, which rewards the most original and best thought-out game idea, and the Game Making Award, which goes to the most impressive use of coding skills on a freely available software to create a prototype game.
Each category is split into two age groups: 10-14 years and 15-18 years.
Marcella Godoy, 14 and from Tyne and Wear, has been selected as a finalist in the Game Making 10-14 category for her game Chroma's Wish.
She describes it as “a vibrant fantasy pixel-art side-scroller where players choose from three heroes, each with distinct abilities and playstyles”.
Players “battle through perilous worlds to stop the powerful God of Shadow, who has stolen the legendary Quill of Creation—an artifact capable of rewriting reality itself.”
This year’s finalists were selected based on the creativity of their vision and the technicality of their execution.
Winning entries will be judged on their design and suitability for their chosen platform, with the aim of encouraging participants into games careers, and making the industry more accessible to young talent.