Game Submission Form

Use this form to submit your game for IndieCade Festival consideration.

Submissions are reviewed throughout the year by the IndieCade Jury. The jury decides which games to nominate for the IndieCade Awards and showcase at the next IndieCade Festival (January, 2027).

Submitting a game does not guarantee that it will be selected by the jury for Festival inclusion.

The information and materials provided in this form are strictly for submission review purposes. If selected as a nominee for the Festival, you will have the opportunity to update your information and provide promotional materials.

Learn more about our submission, review, and Festival nomination process HERE.

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Submission Deadlines

• Regular Submissions: Monday, April 27th at 12 Noon PDT (UTC -7)
• Late Submissions: Monday, June 1st, at 12 Noon PDT (UTC -7)

Convert deadlines to your local time zone.

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What You Need To Submit

You need the provide following information and materials to complete this form:

1. Contact Information
2. Written Documentation
3. Video Documentation
4. Game Access Information
5. Gameplay Requirements

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Questions and Technical Issues

If you have questions about submissions, the selection process, etc. please visit the Submissions FAQ page.

If you run into any technical or payment issues please message us: submissions@indiecade.com

If you send us a question near a submission deadline, please wait until you receive a response from IndieCade before taking further steps. We will honor the submission price during which you made your request or inquiry.

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How to Navigate this Form

You can navigate between form pages with the tabs at the top of the each page or the "Back" and "Next" buttons at the bottom of each page. Your browser's "Back" button will not work.

If you would like to save your progress and complete your submission later on, you may hit the "Save" button at the bottom of any page, provide an email, and receive a link from JotForm.

Required questions and entry fields are marked with an asterisk (*). You must complete all required entry fields on all pages before completing your submission.

 

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Lastly, if you would like to help support IndieCade, please consider donating. As a volunteer-based entity every contribution makes a huge difference for our being able to support and highlight game creators. Contributions accepted here.

Please review the Terms and Conditions below and check the box to indicate you accept them.

Primary Contact

Who is the Primary Contact for this submission? Who will IndieCade reach out to with updates and notifications?

Technical Contact

Who is the Technical Contact for this submission? Who will IndieCade reach out to if we need to request new codes, get help with technical errors, or clarify the content of the documentation?

Form Submitter

In some cases IndieCade may need to contact the specific person who actually completed and submitted the Submissions Form. If the Form Submitter is different from the Primary Contact and Technical Contact, please let us know below.

Additional Contact Information

If you would like to include backup emails or other means of contact, or if there is anything else we should know about communicating about this submission, please let us know here.

Review Platform / Category

What platform and/or category does your submission fall under?

For digital games that are available on multiple platforms, we ask that you select one platform for review purposes. Such as: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, Browser-based, iOS, Android, Mac, etc.

For non-digital games and digital games that are more specialized, we ask that you provide a category to help organize and assign your submission. Such as: VR, XR, AR, Board Game, Card Game, TTRPG, Alt+Ctrl, Immersive Theatre, Installation, etc.

Tags

Describe your game's genre, platform, tone, and more with up to 6 of the most relevant tags, separated by commas.

Examples of tags include but are not limited to:
FPS, Racing, Horror, TTRPG, Strategy, Educational, Puzzle, Couch Co-op, Installation, Action-Adventure, Deckbuilder, LGBTQ+, Historical, Rhythm Game, Exploration, Deckbuilder, Platformer, Fantasy, Custom Controller, Narrative, Simulation, Live Performance, Emotional, Battle Royale, Funny, Handheld, VR, Roguelike, etc.

Video Documentation

Provide a link to video documentation of your submission in action.

The best videos include a silent playthrough or playthrough with the creator talking through the design process while the entry is played.

This video will be viewed by the IndieCade Jury to give a top level review of your submission and should highlight the core experience or mechanic, innovative design approaches, and the best of what your submission is. Do not be afraid to explain what is being shown.

• If at all possible, this video should show your game being played.
• Do not use a game promo trailer.
• For custom hardware, interactive performances, or other games with unique physical elements, please include "real world" footage if possible.
• For most submissions, the video should be under 10 minutes.
• Make sure the URL is viewable by anyone with the link. Do not require individual reviewers to request access directly.

If you don't have a video ready, you can save your progress in this form (at the bottom of the page) and come back once you have recorded one. Do not submit your game without video documentation!

Screenshots or Photos

You may provide a link to a folder or album with screenshots or photos of your game. This is especially useful for non-digital games or games with non-traditional hardware.

Make sure the URL is viewable by anyone with the link. Do not require individual reviewers to request access directly.

Artistic Statement

In approximately 100-300 words, describe your intentions creating this piece.

Explain why you created it and why it matters to you and people in general. Tell us the goal for your piece, how you want it to work, or how you want people to feel. We are looking for themes, motivations, and points of view.

Express some of the important creative ideas behind your game that we are not able to see from simply looking at it. You can also talk about your practice as a gamemaker and how this connects to your submission.

Statement of Innovation

In approximately 100-300 words, describe how you feel that your submission is unique and pushing beyond the edge of how we currently think about play and games.

Use this space to highlight content, technical, theoretical, and other innovations in your piece. Describe how these elements support the themes, motivations, etc. provided in your artistic statement.

On this page we ask you to describe the general requirements for running a play session of your game. Use simple and clear language but be as specific and thorough as needed.

Many submissions only need to provide a short response. We ask for more specific details later on in the form.

Consider:

• What do players need to have in order to play and experience your work?
• What, if any, preparation is needed before a play session?
• Hardware, Software
• Number of players
• Online/offline
• Digital/physical
• Scheduling, Facilitation
• Time, Location
• etc. 

Recommended Requirements

Describe the RECOMMENDED requirements for playing your game. Ideally, how can players best experience your work?

If your game is available on multiple platforms, please select one for review purposes.

If your game has different modes of play, please clarify which version of play is preferred for review purposes.

Minimum / Alternative Requirements

If your game has viable minimum requirements that are different than the recommended ones listed above, describe them here.

OR

If you can provide a reduced version of your game or an alternative mode of play that is more easily accesible for our reviewers than the recommended ones listed above, describe it here.

If your game is available on multiple platforms, please select one for review purposes.

If your game fits more than one of the responses to a particular question, please select the most applicable option, the preferred option, OR clarify with the "Other" option.

Many of the questions below will not apply to most submissions.

Time and Location

Please consider any requirements for when or where your game can be played.   

• Is it an entirely online experience?
• Does it need a particular kind of space? (public park, tennis court, dark room, etc.)
• Can it only be played at a specific location? (installation at a museum, the developer's home, etc.)
• Will reviewers need to schedule a play session? If so, how?
• Is it only available to play on particular dates?
• How long is an average play session?

Other Review Notes

Is there anything else reviewers should know before looking at your submission? Known bugs, planned updates, level of polish, and anything similar would be appropriate to note here.

Concerns and Conflicts

If you have any concerns regarding the reviewing of your game, such as jurors who may have conflicts of interest, please feel free to include that information here as well.

IndieCade Memberships

Memberships provide the crucial support to make IndieCade possible, while providing complimentary and discounted submissions, tickets, showcase opportunities, written game feedback, participation in special activities like developer days, show-and-tells, IndieCade Horizons, and more.

Payment Details

This form accepts payments via Stripe. If you need to use an alternate form of payment please contact us: submissions@indiecade.com

 Individual IndieCade Submission 

• IndieCade Festival Game Submission:
  = $80 (+ service fees)

 IndieCade Submission + Membership Bundle 

Purchase a new IndieCade Membership with your submission and apply your submission discount automatically!

• Submission Bundle: Developer
  $80 $64 (after 20% member discount) Submission Fee + $69 Developer level membership
  = $133 (+ service fees)
  
  
• Submission Bundle: Developer Plus
  $80 $0 Submission Fee + $249 Developer Plus level membership
  = $249 (+ service fees)
  
  
• Submission Bundle: Student
  $80 $64 (after 20% member discount) Submission Fee + $39 Student level membership
  = $103 (+ service fees)

If you have any other submission or payment issues please message us: submissions@indiecade.com

If you require an invoice before completing your submission, contact us at submissions@indiecade.com and provide any information you need included in the invoice (usually your business and address).

If we are nearing a submission deadline, we will honor deadline and pricing from the time/date at which you emailed us.