Dream Build Play is an annual $75,000 Microsoftvideo game contest used to promote Microsoft XNA Game Studio and eventually Xbox LIVE Indie Games. It was announced in 2006, started in 2007, and ran until 2012. It was restarted in 2017 as the Dream.Build.Play 2017 Challenge. Notable winners include and.
Concept
Dream-Build-Play, as it was first called, is a game development contest designed to promote and encourage experienced game developers and enthusiasts to create innovative and fun-to-play indie games for Windows and Xbox 360 using Microsoft XNA Game Studio. In 2017, the contest was relaunched to challenge indie game developers to create UWP games across four categories.
Notable entries
Many winners have gone on to be published on Xbox LIVE Arcade:
Here is a breakdown of all Dream Build Play Challenges, including lesser known Warm-Up Challenges:
2007 Warm-Up Challenge
Microsoft offered a Relatives of Spacewar Warm-Up Challenge precursor to the first Dream Build Play, awarding US$500 to the top five entries. The entries had to create a game based on the Spacewar Starter Kit.
Winners
Top 5:
Earth vs. Mars
Udder Assault
G,
Viduce
Cracklin Crackles
2007 Challenge
Also known as Dream-Build-Play 1.0, this is the first Dream Build Play Challenge. In it, Microsoft offered an Xbox LIVE Arcade publishing contract to the top four entries out of 4,500 participants, with the top two "1st Place" winning $10,000 each and the next two "2nd Place" winning $5,000 each.
Blazing Birds,, Yo Ho Kablammo!, HurricaneX, and Shuggy all eventually were published on Xbox LIVE Arcade. HurricaneX was eventually released as Kung Fu Strike and Shuggy as The Adventures of Shuggy.
2008 Warm-Up Challenge
Also known as the Silicon Minds Warm-Up Challenge, it was a precursor to the main 2008 Dream Build Play Challenge, announced in late 2007 this one centered on artificial intelligence and promised an opportunity to interview for at an internship with Microsoft Research, Rare, or Lionhead Studios.
Winners
Top 5:
Conquerator
Hive
iSheep
Orblast
Specimen
2008 Challenge
The 2008 Dream Build Play Challenge marks the first time the contest offered $75,000 worth of prizes. First place won $40,000, second place won $20,000, third place won $10,000, and fourth place won $5,000.
HurricaneX2 and Zeit 2 were eventually released on Xbox LIVE Arcade. Weapon of Choice made it into the Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition. HurricaneX2 was eventually released as Kung Fu Strike.
Cloudberry Kingdom, and HurricaneX2 Evolution were eventually released on Xbox LIVE Arcade. Score Rush Extended a spiritual prequel to Duality ZF was eventually released on PS4. HurricaneX2 Evolution was eventually released as Kung Fu Strike.
2010 Challenge
This year, in addition to the $75,000 in prizes for the top 4 entries, there was an additional $60,000 Old Spice prize. This allowed a single team to potentially win $100,000 in prizes.
Standard Dream-Build-Play Challenge
The standard prize money split, labelled a bit differently: $40,000 grand prize, $20,000 first prize, $10,000 second prize, and $5,000 third prize.
Microsoft Old Spice Challenge
In 2010, Old Spice launched four scents inspired by Matterhorn, Fiji, Denali, and Cyprus. The contest asked indie game studios to use these same places as inspiration for a funny and entertaining Xbox 360 game, the winner to be used to produce the products.
and Capsized eventually were published on Xbox LIVE Arcade. Prismatic Solid will be published to PS4. Score Rush Extended a spiritual prequel to Duality ZF was eventually released on PS4.
