Following a trial last year, the expanded Big Potato Big Inventor Challenge will encourage student creativity and innovation in UK schools.

Big Potato Games has announced the launch of the Big Inventor Challenge, a brand-new initiative aimed at UK students aged 11 to 18. Its mission is simple: to encourage young minds to unleash their creativity and design-thinking skills by coming up with a new game idea that could become part of the Big Potato line-up.

The Big Inventor Challenge presents a unique opportunity for students to learn about the world of board games and how to create, design and present their new product to the inventor relations team at Big Potato. Along the way, they will discover how to invent a game, create a working demo, test it and refine it, then develop the finished game. It’s a great opportunity to discover more about an unusual but growing industry, to exercise creative muscles and, best of all, to create a game that is on sale throughout the land (and maybe even the world).

To support participants in the Big Inventor Challenge, Big Potato Games will provide a comprehensive deck of slides outlining recommended lesson structures and brainstorming activities, ensuring that teachers have all the necessary resources to guide their students effectively throughout the competition. In addition, easy-to-digest judging criteria will be provided to help refine core ideas, enabling participants to craft their best game concepts. The challenge will also include frequent check-ins with two dedicated specialists, offering guidance and support to the budding inventors.

James Vaughan, head of Game Development at Big Potato Games said: “We launched the Big Inventor Challenge for its first test run last year and had a great time doing it. We loved seeing the projects that students came up with — a lot of them were fresh and exciting ideas that we’d never seen in the industry before. It’s super exciting to launch it for real this time, and we can’t wait to see what type of games we get pitched this year.”

Big Potato’s Big Inventor Challenge officially starts in September 2023. To register interest, schools and students can get in touch here.

Big Potato is an independent board games company based in Shoreditch, London. The company makes super-simple party games that are easy to learn and quick to play. Best-sellers include Sounds Fishy, Herd Mentality and The Chameleon. Founded in 2014 by three friends, Big Potato now designs, manufactures and distributes over 40 games in 30 different countries.