This year’s QS ImpACT Skills Challenge brought together over 210 youth teams from 46 countries, united by a shared mission — to design games that make the world better. Through storytelling, systems thinking, and play, these young creators are turning global challenges into opportunities for action.
At the Grand Finale, we celebrated the creativity and collaboration that shaped this year’s competition, with projects inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) — from climate action and gender equality to responsible innovation and sustainable transport.
🏆 Winning Games That Redefine Learning Through Play
Beginner Track (No-code Games)
🥇 A Light in the Dark — Finland 🇫🇮
A story-driven exploration of gender equality and medical history, inspired by Florence Nightingale and the evolution of women’s roles in science and healthcare.
🥈 radio!ACTIVE — Germany 🇩🇪
A reality-based simulation raising awareness of radioactive waste and environmental safety through storytelling and community learning.
Advanced Track (Coding Games)
🥇 GreenRise — Colombia 🇨🇴
An immersive 3D game empowering youth to build sustainable cities through recycling, composting, and reforestation.
🥈 EcoTTD — France 🇫🇷
An open-source reimagining of the classic OpenTTD simulation, transforming transport and energy planning into a powerful sustainability challenge.
🌍 Global Reach, Shared Purpose
This year’s finalists represented 10 countries — including the USA, India, Ghana, France, the Philippines, Colombia, Nigeria, Israel, Ecuador, and Argentina — each bringing unique perspectives on sustainability and education.
The games tackled themes such as:
♻️ Waste Recycling
🌱 Sustainable Farming
💪 Women’s Empowerment
💡 Clean Energy
🚲 Sustainable Transport
⚖️ Fair Wages and Gender Equality
💡 Learning Through Design
Beyond competition, the Skills Challenge is a global classroom for impact-driven creativity. Students learn to design for systems, tell stories with empathy, and prototype solutions that connect learning to real-world change.
The skills developed here — collaboration, design thinking, and digital storytelling — will shape how these young innovators approach complex global issues long after the challenge ends.
🙏 Gratitude and Collaboration
A special thank you to Zoom, our Title Sponsor, and to Education Partners, including ASU Next Lab, University of Exeter, Unity, J.P. Morgan, Endless Games and Learning Lab, and Netcore Cloud, for their vision and support.
The event also featured mentors and judges from across education, technology, and design, including colleagues from Arizona State University, QS ImpACT, and global innovation partners who continue to expand what’s possible for learning at scale.
The QS ImpACT Skills Challenge is more than a competition — it’s a prototype for what future learning ecosystems can look like: global, collaborative, and driven by purpose.
“The skills learned here will last a lifetime. By exploring new technologies through creativity and play, these participants are unlocking the next level in their learning journeys.”
