Challenge Overview

What is the future of RECF? What will our future games look like? 

Imagine your team has been chosen to become the next members of our Game Design Committee. Use your creativity and ingenuity to create a future game for one of our programs. 

In this challenge your teams will document all steps of the engineering design process as they design a new and exciting game for a future season. Students will create the game and field element designs, create a field layout diagram, explain the overall game rules and create a scoring system for their game. Students will produce a brief video presentation of their game design idea.  

Project Requirements and Components

Documentation portfolio

Your portfolio should document your team’s use of the engineering design process. The portfolio must include: 

• Cover page with challenge name, program (e.g., RECF Achieve), grade level, team number and team name
• Complete engineering problem statement 
• Documentation of research (concept designs as well as manufacturing techniques) 
• Documentation of brainstorming process and evaluation of design ideas including three initial different design sketches for game pieces and documentation of the evaluation process used to select the final design
• CAD design files of the final design for the game pieces
• Technical drawing of the final design of one game piece including all necessary dimensions and annotations
• Field set up diagram 
• Explanation of the basic rules for the game
• Explanation of the scoring for the game
• Final analysis of the overall game design  

Video Presentation

Students will produce a video explaining their game. The video must be between 1 and 5 minutes long.

Final Prototype

Your team must create a 3D printed prototype of one element of your final design (either a field element or a game piece). Include photos or video of the completed prototype and testing in your portfolio so judges can see the physical result.

The prototype should demonstrate the design your team developed and provide evidence that your team moved from an idea to a physical product. A fully manufactured or production-ready product is not required.

Part 1: Define the Problem — Identify the Need

Every strong design begins with a problem, need, or opportunity. Identify the characteristics for a successful game. What criteria and constraints are evident? Using that information, develop an engineering problem statement for this challenge. 

Part 2: Research & Explore — Understand the Problem

Research the problem and explore possible solutions before beginning your final design. Your research may include:

• Existing products or solutions—what have past games looked like? 
• Similar designs
• Materials
• 3D printing or other advanced manufacturing techniques and methods 
• Size or space requirements
• Strength or durability considerations
• Portability
• Cost
• Safety
• Other factors that could influence your design

Use your research to help your team understand the problem and identify opportunities for improvement. Document the sources and information that influenced your design

Part 3: Brainstorm & Design — Explore Possibilities

Before selecting a final design, explore multiple possible solutions to the problem. Your team must explore at least three different initial design concepts. These may be represented through sketches or other appropriate design-development methods. The concepts should show meaningful differences in how the problem could be solved. 

For each design, consider factors such as: how well it addresses the problem, function, size, materials, ease of manufacturing, 3D printing considerations, durability, cost, appearance, ease of use, or other factors.

Evaluate Your Ideas

Develop criteria your team will use to compare the designs. Document how your team evaluated the different concepts and explain why you selected the design you will develop further. Your final design should be the result of a thoughtful design decision, not simply the first idea your team created.

Part 4: Develop the Solution

Use computer-aided design (CAD) software to develop your selected concept into a detailed final design. You should have a CAD file for each field or game element in your final game concept.

Your CAD designs should:

• Represent the final products accurately
• Include appropriate dimensions and features
• Consider how the product will be manufactured
• Reflect improvements made during the design process

Your team should document important design decisions made while developing the CAD models.

Create a Technical Drawing

Choose one field or game element and create a technical drawing using CAD software. The technical drawing should be a 3-view orthographic drawing using 3rd angle projection. The technical drawing should include the information needed to clearly communicate the design, including appropriate:

• Title block, including drawing name, date, team number, and scale
• Dimensions
• Annotations
• Views
• Labels or other technical information

The goal is to create a drawing that communicates the design clearly to someone who was not part of your team.

Part 5: Prototype, Test & Improve — Build the Solution

Create a 3D printed prototype of the design element you chose for your technical drawing. Test the prototype to determine whether it fits your overall game design concept and how well it works. Your testing may examine function, fit, strength, durability, ease of use, portability, production cost, appearance, and other criteria important to your design. Document what happened during testing. Include photographs of the prototype in your documentation portfolio and include the prototype in your video presentation. 

Improve Your Design

Engineering designs rarely work perfectly the first time. Identify what worked, what did not work, and what your team changed as a result. Your documentation should show how testing influenced your final design. Strong projects will demonstrate that testing led to meaningful improvements.

Part 6: Final Design – Show the Impact

• Create your presentation video. Now is the time to show off your final design concept. Create a 1-3 minute video worthy of a “Dome” game reveal which highlights your game and its features. You want to get students excited about your game and join next season. Be sure to include the piece (or pieces) you created a prototype of in your presentation. 
• Analyze your final design and explain how it addresses the original problem. Include this in your portfolio. 

Your final analysis should explain:

• What did your team create?
• How engaging is your final game concept?
• What design decisions were most important?
• What did your team learn through the engineering design process?
• What changes did you make after testing?
• What would you improve or change if you continued developing the product?

Your final design does not have to be perfect. The goal is to demonstrate how your team used engineering to move from a problem to a tested solution.

Final Submission Checklist

Before submitting, make sure your team has completed:

• The Portfolio
  • Including all of the sections listed in Project Requirement
• The Presentation Video
  • Published and ready to view by judges without permissions or sign in required 
• The Prototype
  • Include photographic and video evidence of the finished product 

Challenge Success

Your team will be successful if you can demonstrate, not just describe, how the engineering design process helped you turn your ideas into a designed, prototyped, and improved solution.

The strongest projects will show creativity, clear description of the brainstorming process, clear documentation of the final design and prototype, a complete final design analysis, and an engaging video that captures the audience’s attention.