Cork pupils in final of game design contest

Four third-class pupils from Scoil Eoin in Innishannon will travel to Dublin tomorrow (May 13) to represent their class at the final of Game Changers, Trócaire’s all-island game design competition focused on global justice themes.

The Cork children’s game, Justice Chess, was selected as one of 29 finalists from more than 200 entries submitted by over 900 young people across Ireland.

The Innishannon group, Pádraic Sweetnam, Annie McNamara McSweeney, and Niamh Clifford, all aged nine, and ten-year-old William Roe, are the youngest team travelling from the South, and the second-youngest overall in the competition.

Justice Chess reimagines the traditional rules of chess to tell the story of María, a young girl in Guatemala whose family are being pushed off their land by a fictional palm oil company called Bad Oil.

“I like the way you could have fun playing chess and learn stuff about global justice and María’s family in Guatemala,” Niamh explained.

“My favourite part is that we included María’s pet chickens!”, Annie added.

The board and pieces were made from recycled materials.

“We wanted to use recycled materials because it’s better for the environment,” Niamh said.

“And chess is something a lot of people already know how to play,” Williams added.

Pádraic explained one of the game’s special features: “I liked the star squares. These are squares where you can move to anywhere on the board that isn’t in check-mate or capturing the queen.”

Although only four students are travelling to the final at The Helix on Tuesday, Justice Chess was one of seven original games created by the third-class group at Scoil Eoin.

The full list of entries reads: Justice Chess, Global Wheel, Poor Rings, Fish In The Water, Save Our Seas, Peace And Safety, and Trees And Waterfalls, each tackling a different global issue, from marine pollution to peace and homelessness.

Teacher Eilís Ní Ríain, who guided the project, said it was designed to build on what the students had been learning throughout the year.

“We looked at climate change, the impact of plastic on marine life, land evictions, and inequality in other countries.

“Game Changers gave the children a way to take all that and turn it into something creative and practical,” she said.

Ní Ríain said she wasn’t surprised that the children connected with the topics.

“Children at that age really have a natural sense of empathy with people around the world and closer to home,” she said.

“You’re trying to build on that positive sense of empathy rather than overwhelm or scare them.

“They’re innocent, in the sense of being really positive to other people, but they also already have the ability to think critically and debate ideas.”

Ní Ríain said the class took total ownership of the design process. “They came up with the game concepts themselves, drafted rough versions, play-tested them with other classes, and worked out what needed to change,” she said.

“They play board games all the time, so they were quick to spot problems — like if the board was too short, or if one player had an unfair advantage.”

Once the games were finalised, they were tested by children from neighbouring classes. “They were great at giving feedback to each other,” Ní Ríain said.

The four children heading to the final are looking forward to the trip, though not to the early morning start!

“My mom said we have to get up at 5.30!” William said.

“I feel like I’ll be tired, annoyed, and excited all at once,” Annie added.

“I’ll be really tired on the way back,” Pádraic agreed.

The pupils are especially curious to see what other students have made.

“I’m excited to see other people’s games,” Niamh said.

“And to see what they think of ours,” William added.

Although Justice Chess was chosen for the final, Ní Ríain said it was a class effort.

“All of the children put in a huge amount of work. The four going to Dublin are really conscious of that. They know their classmates worked really hard too.

“They are also going up against older kids. I think they understand they’ve already won, just by getting this far.”

Mary Coogan, Trócaire’s Development Education Manager, says the Game Changers programme, now in its seventh year, is about making complex issues accessible to young people through creativity.

“Young people choose their own topic — it might be climate change, gender equality, conflict, homelessness — and design a game around it,” she said.

“It’s a way to make issues that might feel quite complicated feel accessible.”

Finalists will gather in The Helix tomorrow for a day of showcasing and game play, with the final winners selected by a mix of peer scoring and judges evaluation.

For Ní Ríain, the real value is in the process.

“They researched, collaborated, debated, tested ideas.

“They now better understand global issues and can explain them to others,” she said.

Would the students recommend it to other schools?

“Yes, because it is fun and they will learn that life isn’t always easy for other people,” said Pádraic.”