Contributed By Danella Bianca Bona

Young creative minds from different colleges and universities in Tacloban City gathered during the 8th Creative Congress (CREACON) last October 25, 2023 at the People’s Center & Library, Tacloban City for the Game Pitch Competition: Unleash Your Creativity! 2023 which was organized by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Office of the Undersecretary for ICT Industry Development (OUIID) headed by Undersecretary Atty. Jocelle Batapa-Sigue in cooperation with the ICT Industry Development Bureau, the National ICT Confederation of the Philippines, and the VST-ECS Philippines, Inc.

In the Game Pitch Competition, students formed teams of three to five members, with a mix of male and female players, to develop and present an original game concept with the theme: Promoting and Encouraging Child Rights and Child Online Protection. The 12 teams who competed had 90 minutes to create a one-page graphic design that features the game’s cover art and primary characters. During the elimination round, three minutes was allotted to each team for the presentation of their graphic poster. Criteria for judging of the graphic art poster is based on: Creativity and Originality, Artistic Quality, Relevance to the Game Concept, Clarity of Main Characters, and Overall Presentation.

“Kung ganito kagagaling ang mga kabataan natin from Tacloban City, then this is a wake up call for all of us that opportunities like this is needed. I am urging and challenging our public officials who are here with us today to replicate this competition in your own localities. It is through this kind of opportunities that we inspire our youth to choose even more the ICT sector for their chosen career track, Undersecretary Batapa-Sigue shared during her message at the CreaCon.

Here are the creative graphic posters of the 12 teams who competed:

The top 5 teams who were chosen for the final game pitch were given another 10 minutes to brainstorm and improve how they can better pitch their games. Students were reminded to provide more emphasis on the Gameplay Mechanics and Innovation and Feasibility and Marketability of their games.

The top 5 games which qualified for the final round (in no particular order) are:

1. Ctrl + Protect

Game Description:

You are Agent Santiago of the Child Protection Defense force, tasked with uncovering a huge child trafficking scheme company in the Philippines. You are equipped with an earpiece to communicate with a trusted informant who will guide you throughout your missions. Infiltrate the facility and report all evidence you discover to eventually help shut down its operations and save child victims— but do it quickly and with no mistakes.

For the children. Best of luck, Agent!

Concept by:

Shaw Jie A. Yao, Charles Ray R. Phillips Jr., Joenne Mied G. Amancio, Nathaniel Enrique C. Eulin, and Honneluv T. Labanan (University of the Philippines Tacloban)

2. Spirit Orphanage

Game Description:

In this pixel styled mystery RPG game you play as a caretaker who works at the old abandoned “Tirip’s orphanage” and soon come to discover that You are not alone. After discovering the existence of 5 young souls the player finds themselves investigating the dark past of the orphanage, going down a rabbit hole of mystery as they try to uncover the tragic tale of each soul before deciding whether or not to help them move onto the after-life or remain trapped in the living world. The choice is completely yours.

Concept by:

Lyle Sofia Angelika D. Daya, Joshua Pirante, Bumsoo Capambe Jo, Jairi Mark C. Meñdoza, and Hans Eigen C. Bandal (ACLC College of Tacloban)

3. Nakain Ka?

Game Description:

Nakain Ka? is a first person three dimensional game that is filled with mysteries, interactions, and thrill. You play as a 29 year old man that just dreamt of a funeral. This dream intrigues you; you suddenly remember your missing childhood friend, Luna. You walk around your house and slip in an oil spill. Next thing you know, you wake up, and you find your young self. Curious to figure out what happened, all your decisions will affect the outcome of the future.

Concept by:

Carl Simon M. Ripalda, Jane Pelpinosas, Danielle Louiegi C. Doculan, Justin T. Cinco, and Nico Angelo Dela Cruz (Leyte Normal University)

4. Eden

Game Description:

Eden’s journey through life had become a series of levels, each more daunting than the last. Her first level was the traumatic experience within her own home, where she lost her mother and faced the horrors of living with her abusive father. It was her guardian’s guidance that led her to escape this perilous environment. To move on to the next stage, Eden had to complete a series of intricate puzzles, symbolizing the complex nature of her troubled past.

Concept by:

Lorenz Gabriel Sabalza, Jude Daniel A. Chu, Bill Yuri Garcia, Zion James Gacoscosim, and Ritze Llanza (Eastern Visayas State University)

5. Tara: Play Safe, Stay Safe

Game Description:

Tara is derived from the Filipino word, tara , which means “let’s go”. Tara is an invitation commonly faced by children and adults on a daily basis. More often than not, it is a very enticing invitation. “Tara, kain tayo.” “Tara, sama ka, punta tayo doon.” and many more. Tara is a decision-making game aimed at children ages 8-12. With the tagline, “Play Safe, Stay Safe,” the game aims to teach, remind, and instill safety lessons learned at home. Similar to Sims, Tara will have customizable characters and will have to face different choices as their character goes through their day in-game. A special feature of this game is the email notification feature which sends out a summary of their children’s in-game progress. This summary will show the choices that their children made in-game and check safety concerns that may need to be discussed with their children outside of their screens.

Concept by:

Anissa Elaine Baricante (ACLC College of Tacloban), Arvin Lesigues (ACLC College of Tacloban), Freddie Yepes Jr. (ACLC College of Tacloban), Wolvie Drake Miralles (ACLC College of Tacloban), and Christine Claire Fernandez (Leyte Normal University)

With the students’ creative and innovative ideas, the panel of judges surely had difficulty selecting the champion. But the group that truly impressed the judges with its feasibility as a game, the ‘Tara: Play Safe, Stay Safe’ game was held as the top game and champion of the Game Pitch Competition: Unleash Your Creativity! 2023. The other 4 groups who participated in the final round received consolation prizes while the grand champion received a cash prize and gift packs.

As the event ends with a success, it has influenced and stimulated key government officials present during the competition the possibility of replicating and conducting the competition in their respective localities as a great opportunity to show off the youth’s capabilities to use digital innovation to positively influence the community.