2024 Boston Festival of Indie Games
Submission Guidelines
Regulations
These guidelines are for submitting a game to the public indie games Showcase on Sunday, December 15th in Boston at Cyclorama.
A registration fee is required to submit. Reduced pricing can be requested and will be considered on a case-by-case basis based on needs. BostonFIG is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and all funding goes towards creating programming for the indie games community.
Eligibility Region and Criteria
The Showcase at the 2024 Boston Festival of Indie Games is open to anyone capable of showcasing a game in-person in Boston. Since there is no perfect criteria for what an “indie” game is, we will take submissions on a case-by-case basis and work with studios to determine what games make sense from a community standpoint.
Submitting your game confirms you have read and agree to the Showcase Submission Guidelines in full.
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- Only unpublished games, or games that have been released after February 2024 can be submitted.
- Games should be independently produced, though publisher funding/distribution is acceptable.
- Games are not produced by a major publisher-owned studio.
- Game content and other materials are owned solely by the developer/designers or legal permission is obtained to use any other copyrighted material.
- Games that were submitted to a previous BostonFIG Fest Showcase must demonstrate that they have undergone significant changes with a brief gameplay video or screenshot(s) of the previous version.
- (Games submitted to the 2024 BostonFIG Online Expo are exempt from this rule.)
- Your game must be playable on the date of the Festival!
- Digital games should have at least one finished, playable level (or have its core system in place so that curators and attendees can understand your game’s ambitions, mechanics, and gameplay).
- Tabletop games must have at least a physical prototype for attendees to engage with.
- Tabletop games of all types (card games, board games, tabletop RPGs) can be submitted.
- Other games that may not fit directly into the Tabletop or Digital distinction are welcome to apply. Developers must be certain that they could exhibit or demo their game and all submission guidelines still apply. For questions about exhibiting virtually, contact [email protected].
- Come ready to demo your game at Cyclorama in Boston, MA on December 15, 2024!
If you have any questions about the eligibility of your game, please contact [email protected].
Content Restrictions
- AI art / materials are prohibited.
- The BostonFIG Fest is a family friendly event, so some games may be rejected because of content.
Timeline
Phase 1
- Submissions open on October 3rd, 2024.
Developers must submit an overview video of their project (details on the video below) and complete registration via Givebutter.
- Submissions close on October 20th, 2024.
Curation begins. Games will only be judged based on the overview video. Factors such as mechanics, creativity, innovation, playability, and alignment with the BostonFIG mission of inclusivity, accessibility, and community in gaming will determine if the game moves forward.
Phase 2
- Finalists for the Showcase are identified and informed that they have been accepted via email.
- Developers of accepted games will have one week to confirm acceptance via the included form, and will be asked to provide all final information necessary.
Festival
- The Festival will be held from 10am-5pm ET (-5 UTC) on Sunday, December 15th, 2024 in Boston, MA.
- During public showcase hours, your booth MUST be staffed and not left empty. For solo developers without a second person to support your booth in the Showcase, BostonFIG staff and volunteers will do our best to assist with brief breaks, but may not be able to accommodate all requests. If you have any questions or concerns about the staffing of your booth for the public showcase hours, please email [email protected].
Award Categories
Games will be judged along the following categories:
Digital
Excellence in Visual Art
Presented to the game with the most impressive appearance and visual effects.
Excellence in Audio
Presented to the game with the most impressive music, voice acting, and/or sound effects.
Excellence in Design
Presented to the game with the best design, including game mechanics, level design, and difficulty balance.
Excellence in Narrative
Presented to the game with the most compelling storytelling, including–but not limited to–scenario, plot construction, story, and dialogue.
Best Student Game
Presented to the most impressive game developed by a student or team of students.
Audience Choice
Presented to the game with the most audience votes during the Festival.
Best in Show
Presented to the game deemed the best digital game of the entire Digital Showcase.
Tabletop
Most Dynamic
This award will go to game that best incorporates theme, art, mechanics, and player interactions.
Most Innovative
This award will go to the game that uses the best implementation of the most original mechanic, component, or other element
Best Hobby Game
This award will go to the best game that is intended for the hobby game market (euro-style games, 4-X, etc.)
Best Family Game
For the game that plays best with all age groups
Best Game in Progress
This award will be given to the best early-stage game/prototype
Best in Show
Presented to the game that judges consider the best overall in the Tabletop Showcase.
Game Submission Rules
Requirements
To be eligible, all submissions must include:
- The submission form and corresponding submission fee through GiveButter
- A 5-10 minute video showcasing your game
- Digital submissions must include a link to a playable build of your game
Video Entry
5-10 minutes MAXIMUM, uploaded to YouTube/Vimeo with link to watch. Please make sure it is accessible to anyone with the link, even if you would like it not to be public. We will need to share it within the BostonFIG organization.
- Include at least 30 seconds of gameplay that is unedited, so that we can see your game in action. (Added VO or text is fine, if you need to explain something, but please, NO added music/FX/dialogue not in the game.)
- Tell us about your game, and WHY YOU BELIEVE YOUR GAME IS COMPELLING
- Use this as an opportunity to introduce us to your game for the first time.
Some guiding ideas that might help:
- Give us a quick pitch of your game
- Describe why your game is interesting and/or the design philosophy behind it
- What does your player do and/or what is the player’s goal?
- Is there anything special about your game that other games don’t do?
- What is the future for your game?
This video will NOT be judged on production quality.
If your game cannot fit this format, please contact [email protected].
Game Quality and Production
Your game doesn’t need to be completed. Instead, it’s fully acceptable for your submission to clearly show a vertical slice of your intended end product.
Acceptance to the Showcase
Finalists for the Showcase are identified and informed that they have been accepted via email.
Developers of accepted games will have one week to confirm acceptance via the included form, and will be asked to provide all final information necessary for the Festival.
Accepted games will be able to reserve (1) one booth in the 2024 Showcase.
Further details will be included with the Exhibitor Kit.
Materials Requested Upon Acceptance
Upon notification of their acceptance to the Showcase, developers of accepted games will be asked to provide all final information necessary for the festival. This information includes:
- Name of your game.
- Name of the team.
- Studio logo. If you have a studio logo, please provide one. It must be a PNG with the dimensions 372 x 178 px (If you do not have a studio logo, we will provide a BostonFIG placeholder logo with your studio/team name).
- Game logo. If you have a game logo, please provide one. It must be a PNG with the dimensions 372 x 178 px (If you don’t have a game logo, please inform us at this time).
- Game video for the digital program. A 60-90 second trailer video of your game to feature in our digital program for the Festival and for promotion prior to the event.
- Name of team lead who will be handling communication and check-in during the event, and their contact information.
Additional Information
The submission form will also ask for basic information, and include an area where further game information can be described. Accepted games will be notified via email and must confirm acceptance by completing the included form. Decisions are final. Questions can be directed to [email protected].
Developers of games that do not progress to the Showcase are eligible for a discounted sponsorship package if they choose to pursue a booth outside the Showcase.
The intellectual property rights from the games will belong to the designers, independently of their places in the competition, and will be respected. If a designer feels harmed by the Jury deliberation, we remind that the game’s quality remains subjective, and that the main goal of the Showcase is to create buzz around the indie game scene. If there are not enough submissions for the Game Design Showcase, the staff reserves the right to cancel the 2024 Fest Showcase. The participation in the Showcase requires the full acceptance of this Regulation.
Terms & Conditions
By submitting to a BostonFIG Showcase, you agree to the above stated process and that failure to comply with it can lead to your game being rejected from submission without refund. You also understand that if your game is not accepted into the BostonFIG Showcase, your entry fee will not be refunded.
You agree that BostonFIG will not be held responsible for any damages incurred through participation in the showcase and submission process including, but not limited to: audience, media, and judges’ reactions to your game; rejection from the showcase; and feedback given by other constituents.
You agree that all game content and other materials are owned solely by you and fellow developers and designers. You agree that you have appropriate permissions from all developers and designers to enter your game into the showcase. You also agree that BostonFIG will not be held liable for any legal disputes that arise from your participation in the showcase and submission process.