The Erasmus + project “Empower: ME - I’m game!” aims to develop an educational digital game to enhance self-esteem in students aged 12–14 with Special Educational Needs, specifically with SLD, high functioning Autism, and ADHD, benefiting from digital technologies for improving socio-emotional development. The collaboration involves Italy, Germany, and Turkey, specifically University of Salento, educational institutions, and organizations in education, media, and game development. The University of Salento is a key reference due to Italy’s experience in school integration and inclusion. The Italian team researchers specialized in SEN has explored the concept of self-esteem in relation to pre-adolescent students and students with SEN and provided recommendations and guidelines for accessibility of the game like customizable interfaces with dyslexia-friendly fonts, dynamic and progressive feedback, adaptive difficulty levels, and progress tracking to support a tailored learning experience. The game prototypes, from which one will be selected for implementation in schools, were developed during an intensive 8-day workshop held in Turkey. The prototyping process involved education students, pedagogists, SEN teachers, and game developers. The design of the games followed a design thinking methodology, a structured process consisting of sequential phases: discovery, ideation, and prototyping. This approach enables designers to deeply understand human needs and to shape information into products and experiences that foster human connection through aesthetics, need recognition, or meaning-making. The selected game will be piloted in both Turkish and German schools, with pre- and post-test phases designed to assess its effectiveness in enhancing students’ self-esteem. This project highlights the potential of inclusive gaming and technology to enhance self-efficacy and motivation in SEN students.