Brazilian Students Win US$ 10,000 Global Roblox Award With 'Island of Communion'

What a proud moment for the gaming community! Laís Migliori and Victor Gabriel Martins, two talented Brazilian students, have just secured second place in a global competition organized by Roblox and the organization Games for Change. Their project, a cooperative game called Island of Communion, not only stood out among more than 150 participants from around the world but also earned them an incredible prize of US$ 10,000.

This amazing achievement proves the immense potential that Latin America has in game development and creation. Furthermore, it confirms how community-driven platforms like Roblox are acting as a springboard for new creators to showcase their innovative ideas to the rest of the world.

What is Island of Communion all about?

The title immerses us in a fascinating but desolate world made up of four islands that have mysteriously lost all their color, lush vegetation, and wildlife. Each of these zones was designed to represent the thematic pillars required by the competition: communication, collaboration, resilience, and recognition. To progress and bring these environments back to life, players must restore the areas by beating three challenging minigames per world.

The true magic and main challenge of Island of Communion lie in its strict cooperative focus. Unlike the solo experiences we're used to in many titles, here you are required to work as a team. Each player takes on different tasks that must be executed simultaneously, forcing a constant and clear flow of communication. If the participants don't talk to each other to synchronize, the minigames simply don't work, and no progress is made. It’s a brilliant game design that fits perfectly within the educational segment of Roblox.

The journey to global success

Developing this game was quite a creative and technical feat. Laís, a literature student at USP with knowledge in music production, was in charge of writing the narrative script and composed the original soundtrack. Meanwhile, Victor, a systems development technician who has been programming since he was 10, handled coding the entire experience. The most surprising part of the story is that they met during the regional stage of the event in São Paulo, known as Jam 4 Change, and built the game concept in just 48 frantic hours. Unbelievably, they did all this with almost no prior experience using Roblox Studio.

After taking the crown in the local stage and securing their spot, the duo took the time to fine-tune technical details, calibrate the difficulty of the minigames, and polish the narrative to shine even brighter in the rigorous global phase. Their hard work paid off, as now, in addition to the well-deserved US$ 10,000 cash prize, they will receive direct mentorship from the Roblox design team and will have the opportunity to showcase their work at the prestigious G4C Festival in New York City.

The future of game development in Brazil

The resounding success of this young team highlights the fact that Brazil, and Latin America as a whole, are quickly establishing themselves as an unstoppable creative force within the gaming industry. Real success stories like this motivate us to explore the many free tools available, like Roblox Studio, to start creating and programming our own adventures from scratch.

If you have a good friend to team up with, I highly recommend searching for Island of Communion on the platform, creating a private room, and putting your communication skills to the test. It's a great way to support regional talent while enjoying a unique and challenging time.