THEME

Game for Biodiversity:
Guardians of Malaysia’s Natural Treasures

Malaysia has amazing forests, plants, and animals that need YOUR help! 

🎯 Your Mission? Create a game that teaches people how to protect our wildlife, forests, rivers, and seas.

🌴 Themes to Explore: 

    • Protecting wildlife – How can we save endangered animals like Malayan tigers, orangutans, or hornbills
    • Caring for forests and plants – Why are rainforests, mangroves, and other plants important
    • Restoring habitats – What to help damaged forests, rivers, or coastal ecosystems recover
    • Balancing nature – How animals, plants, humans, and water ecosystems depend on each other
    • Being a responsible guardian – What actions help protect nature for the future

🚩 Design an adventure, puzzle, simulation, or strategy game that inspires players to become guardians of Malaysia’s natural treasures!

🎮 Your game must use: 

    • open-source software (e.g Scratch, Python, Octostudio), and/or 
    • open-source microcontroller (e.g Arduino, Raspberry Pi, Micro:Bit)

Are you ready to make a game that helps build a better world? The challenge is on!

SUBMISSION METHOD

  • Online video submission
  • Qualified teams will advance to showcase their project at State Maker Fair

PARTICIPANT CRITERIA

  • Open to primary schools registered in Malaysia
  • Two students per team
  • Team members can be from different schools (from the same state)
  • 9 years old and above

Check out these video to get some inspiration on where to start!

Youtube
REGISTER NOW FOR 2026

RULES & REGULATIONS

Parental & teachers involvement

We love that parents and teachers take the initiative to help out with the projects; however, we would also like to remind parents and teachers to remember and allow the kids to own and manage their projects.

 We understand that as adults, we tend to think that kids are not capable of many things, but we can be wrong most times. Allow them to try and fail and try again. Come alongside to encourage, cheer them on and guide them with their projects. Constantly remind them (and yourself) that they own the project.

Disqualifications

  • Team will be disqualified if the project is not according to the Competition Theme.
  • Team will be disqualified if the project is not showcased at a Maker Fair.
  • Team will be disqualified if members do not meet the Participants Criteria.

CITATIONS

Not everything you have built came from your own idea and it doesn’t have to! We understand that innovation comes in the form of building and improving upon existing ideas. If you have referenced your project from a website or Youtube video, please make sure to mention them in your work.

Let’s show our respect to the hardwork done by the original authors by acknowledging and crediting them. To show your thanks, please include them through citation in your project presentation. Detailed Terms & Conditions can be found here. 

IMPORTANT DATES & EVENTS

JUDGING CRITERIA

The judging criteria for the competition puts a greater emphasis on how well your team express their creativity instead of how well-versed you are technically. You will also need to ensure the games you create are addictive, visually pleasing, and easily understood.

Theme & Concept (20%)

Your game idea is at the heart of this dimension. Judges want to see that your game is genuinely connected to the competition theme not just in name, but in the way it is played. Think about why you chose your idea. Does your game reflect real thinking about the theme? Is the concept your own?

Communication (30%)

Being able to share your idea clearly is just as important as having a great idea. Present with confidence and passion. Explain how your game is played and why you made the choices you did. When someone plays your game, they should come away with a sense of the theme, even without you explaining it. Do not worry about grammar. Judges are not assessing your language skills.

Game Design (25%)

Use the Game Design Document (GDD) to plan your game’s story, characters, levels, sound, and user interface (UI). This helps you build with purpose. A great game gives players clear goals and increases the challenge as they progress, keeping them hooked. A game that feels complete and polished shows that you cared about every part of the experience.

mechanics image
Technical image

Technical (25%)

Ensure your game works reliably on the day of judging. Judges will ask you to explain your code and/or hardware so they can understand how it works and why you built it that way. Be ready to walk them through it in your own words. If your project includes hardware, keep your wiring tidy and secure so it does not fail during the session. You will not be penalised for how much element of hardware or software is used in your project. 

NATIONAL PRIZES

🏆 CHAMPION

🏃 1st Runner-Up

🏃 2nd Runner-Up 🏃

🏃🏃 3rd Runner-Up 🏃

🏅 Consolation Prize x 2

🎵 Notes: Items are subject to change

For Students

Through Junior Innovate, students are able to gain co-curricular points for the program and competition. Teams participating in their State’s Maker Fair will be able to receive State Level Awards & State Level Certificates. While teams eligible to compete at the National Final will receive National Awards & National Level Certificate.

For Teachers

Teachers participating in the Junior Innovate program and competition will receive: 

  • hands-on training*,
  • SPL-KPM recognition through training, and
  • a State and National Level Certificate.