Judging Rubric

Use this rubric as the definitive scoring guide. Every judge rates each category from 1–5; scores are weighted by the percentages below.

Category	Weight	Judges look for
Learning Impact (AI Fundamentals)	25%	The game teaches or demonstrates a real AI concept with accuracy and clarity. Players leave smarter than they arrived.
Creative Use of AI	20%	AI-generated assets, mechanics, or interactions feel intentional and elevate the experience instead of distracting from it.
Gameplay & Fun	25%	The core loop is engaging, understandable within two minutes, and encourages players to try again.
Craft & Polish	15%	Visuals, audio, and UX choices feel cohesive. Bugs are minor and don’t block play.
Presentation & Team Storytelling	15%	The demo is confident, timeboxed, and clearly explains the learning goal, build approach, and team takeaways.

Tips for scoring well

• Spotlight the learning outcome early in your demo so judges can connect it to the gameplay moments they’re scoring.
• Call out how AI helped you build faster or smarter—judges love seeing intentional workflows.
• Practice with the Demo Script to keep the presentation crisp.
• Run the QA checklist so craft issues don’t cost you points.

Bonus awards (Crowd Favourite, Spectacular Fail, etc.) are announced on the day and don’t affect the main scoring.