The 2025 game, Reefscape, was water themed. In this game, teams needed to remove algae (large kickballs) from the reef before being able to score coral (PVC pipe) on one of the four levels on the reef. During the endgame, the robot could gain points by hanging on a cage, as long as they did not touch the chain. Teams could also score points by simply parking in the end zone. "JuneBug" was a solid, consistent competitor!

There are two game pieces in Charged Up: Cones and Cubes. The six Grids are located in front of their respective alliance station wall. Each set of grids consists of two outer grids and a co-op grid, each of which are divided into three rows. Within each grid, game pieces can be placed on nine Nodes, with two Nodes reserved for Cubes and four Nodes reserved for Cones. The remaining three Nodes, known as hybrid nodes, can accept either game piece. Alliances earn points for placing game pieces on the Nodes, with more points awarded for pieces scored on Nodes in the top and middle rows of each grid. Alliances can also earn points by placing game pieces on three adjacent Nodes in the same row, which is known as a Link. Their are two Charging Stations that can be driven onto and balanced by robots in order to earn points in both the autonomous and teleoperated periods. While the stations are large enough to fit all three of an alliance's robots, only one robot can score points on their alliance's station during the autonomous period. Additionally, alliances can earn the Activation Bonus Points by scoring at least 26 Charging Station points during the match.

Watch This Robot In Action

In 2021, teams competed with other teams from around the globe, regardless of region, in five mini challenges inspired by  the 2020 game, Infinite Recharge. The first of these challenges was the AutoNav Challenge, which was an obstacle course that had to be navigated autonomously. The second was the Hyperdrive Challenge, which was another obstacle course which was navigated by the driver. Third was the Galactic Search Challenge, where robots had to autonomously find a hidden game piece. Fourth was the Interstellar Accuracy Challenge, which required teams to score points by shooting foam balls, or Power Cells, as accurately as possible into the goal. Finally, there was the Power Port Challenge, where teams had one minute to score as many points as possible by shooting as many Power Cells as possible into the goal.

Watch This Robot In Action

In 2019, alliances competed to place polycarbonate hatch panels and orange rubber balls or Cargo on rockets and cargo ships before returning to their H.A.B. platform to climb at the end of the match. 

Watch This Robot In Action

In FIRST Steamworks teams were required to shoot wiffle balls which represented fuel into a simulated boiler which transfers the generated steam into an airship in the middle of the field. Each alliance had one airship, which they pressurize with steam from the boiler and load with plastic gears from the field. At the end of the match, robots could climb and hang on team-supplied ropes attached to the airship for additional points.

Watch This Robot In Action

In Recycle Rush Robots picked up totes and stacked them on scoring platforms. They put pool noodles or Litter inside recycling containers, and put the containers on top of scoring stacks of totes. There was also a co-operation aspect of the game where both alliances could pool their totes and stack them on a step dividing the field to each gain twenty points. Along with these robot actions, students could attempt to throw the pool noodles across the field to gain four points for each noodle left in the opposing alliance's work zone. 

Watch This Robot In Action

In this game, titled Ultimate Ascent, Teams started with up to 2 or 3 discs on their robot at the beginning of a match. Only the 6 discs of an alliance's color count when scored on top of a pyramid. White or opposing colored discs will not count if scored in the pyramid. Since the human players may not put any colored discs in play until teleoperated, scoring in the pyramid is not possible in autonomous. Teams can score points as follows by scoring discs into goals. The match ended with robots attempting to climb pyramid shaped game elements located on the field. Robots earned points by climbing the pyramid based on how high they climbed.

View This Robot In Action

The 2011 game was called Logo Motion. In this game the robot tries to score Ubertubes onto pegs on the scoring grid. 105 seconds after the Autonomous Period, Students drive their robots around the field, trying to score points using any game piece except for Ubertubes. At fifteen seconds to the end, the tower bases flash their alliance color. Minibots could be deployed onto the towers in the final 10 seconds to score extra points. They were only to be deployed during this period.

View This Robot In Action

The 2009 game was called Lunacy. The goal of this game was to score as many of the game pieces in the opposing side's trailers as possible. Robots started out in front of the opposite alliance's students. Empty cells had to be handed to a robot by the Payload Specialist at the mid-field position known as the Outpost. The robot then must deliver the Empty Cell to their human player on one of the corners in order to get a Super Cell that is worth 15 points. A robot can only carry one Empty Cell at a time. Super Cells can only be put into play during the last 20 seconds of play, and only if the human player has been delivered an Empty Cell. 

View This Robot In Action