Games for Change Festival Promises Unique Experience

The 11th annual Games for Change Festival will be held at the NYU Skirball Center for the Performing Arts in New York on April 22-24, according to a press release posted on the organization’s website.

Games for Change is a non-profit organization that focuses on social impact through digital games. Their Games for Change Festival is the largest gaming event in New York City and will be held as part of the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival.

“The new relationship with the Tribeca Film Festival is an incredible opportunity to reach a new audience for the ‘games for good’ sector,” President of Games for Change, Asi Burak said in the press release. “Games are often discussed in the context of entertainment, but with this event, we’ll be able to share our message that this medium can be very powerful in creating positive change in the world.”

The fifth annual Games for Change Awards will take place on April 23. Among this year’s finalists are titles like “Gone Home,” “Papers, Please” and “Soundself.”

Additionally, the Games for Change Arcade will take place on Saturday, April 26, at the TTF Family Festival Street Fair and is open to the public.

“Tribeca recognizes the transformative power of gaming that goes far beyond traditional entertainment value of games. The impact and integration has been spreading rapidly across virtually all domains. Of particular interest is how gaming has scaled to social good, from education to healthcare, and from conflict resolution to religion,” Co-Founder of Tribeca Film Festival, Craig Hatkoff said in the press release, as well. “By partnering with Games for Change, we hope to bring together the most cutting-edge creators of games, educators, and the world’s greatest storytellers. Together, they will create the latest innovations in gaming for the social good to even wider audiences. We look forward to further expanding our relationship with Games for Change in the future.”