For more than 15 years, IndieCade has been committed to celebrating independent gamemakers and bringing your ingenuity to the world and one another. These uncertain times have certainly impacted us and as we have looked around and taken stock - it has only served to strengthen our commitment to supporting our global community of innovators and creators. Adapting to this challenging new environment we believe more than ever in our core mission -- to provide a space for independent creators and creations to shine and thrive.
We chose to apply the same ingenuity we used so long ago to launch IndieCade, to commit ourselves to not only go online, but to build a digital event from the ground up to best serve the community we love so well. With the absence of so many standard events, we know how important it is to showcase work, connect with colleagues, and to be inspired, as well as to make connections with media, industry, and the broader public.
For IndieCade 2020, our core programming will take place online from October 16-24, across borders and timezones. As we speak, our dedicated all-volunteer program committee is in the midst of applying the same innovation and creativity they’ve poured into their own games to bring you a fully distributed event, IndieCade style. We are working on inventive new ways to exhibit games, host play sessions, facilitate conversations, support matchmaking, enhance learning opportunities, convene social events, and promote your work to a broader public.
Our crack creative team of IndieCade alumni are hard at work translating everything you know and love about IndieCade into online formats, including exhibitions, programming, the IndieXchange, parties and awards. We know you love to be together in person, so our goal is to make it just as fun and rewarding to be together virtually. There are a number of amazing benefits opened up by our online format:
- One unified event! Rather than two separate festivals in the US and Europe, our nine days of programming will unify our two signature events into one.
- Now, with less travel! Attend IndieCade from your home, studio, school, or indie collective! We know that traveling to LA or Europe has been prohibitively expensive for many and we are pleased that this travel-free edition makes IndieCade more accessible to a broader, even more diverse audience.
- IndieCade Any Time and All the Time! Our programming will take place across multiple time zones, which means pretty much any time of the day or night, you can pop in and participate!
- New exhibition formats! We’re working on designing some new exhibition formats for games that are notoriously hard to show at festivals. This includes playthroughs of escape rooms, longplay formats, and others. In the coming weeks, we’ll be announcing more of these exciting approaches to showing your games.
- Expand your fanbase! IndieCade is known for bringing indie games to the general public, but hosting the festival online means exposing your work to an even larger international audience since indie game fans everywhere will be able to attend.
- Regionally hosted virtual events! We’re looking for regional communities around the world to host our round-the-clock events, such as play sessions, tea parties, and how-tos. If you’d like to host an online event as part of our global programming, let us know!
- IndieCade Annex live event hubs! We want to support in-person gatherings where it’s safe to do so! Depending on health guidelines in your area, we’d love to coordinate live events at your studio, collective, or school in conjunction with our online programming.
Frequently Asked Questions
A: A nine-day online festival and celebration of innovation, creators, and games -- filled with gameplay, exhibitions, discussions, connections and interactions, happenings, conference sessions, workshops, and more. Opening the doors to more games, more creators, and more participants with IndieCade's same great spirit.
A: IndieCade Anywhere and Everywhere is our 2020 festival, but it is not the same. This is a new digital native event, built from the ground up, to showcase amazing independent games and programming from around the world!
A: The submission process for IndieCade Anywhere and Everywhere is exactly the same as in years past. You may submit a game HERE.
A: No. You have to be selected. BUT there are possible opportunities for playtesting, etc, even if you are not selected as a nominee via the IXC.
A: Each nominated game will have a dedicated and individual feature across our channels, the festival, and promotionally. IndieCade will provide a far-reaching spotlight for your game, including a customized game promotion experience.
A: Yes!!!! All types and formats of games are encouraged and will be accepted and featured!! We welcome all game formats and all formats will receive equal promotion, press and awards eligibility.
A: To submit your tabletop game simply fill out the submission form. For the first round of review we rely on the documentation so fill out everything!! Once we are ready we will contact you and if it is relevant to your game, we will let you know specifically where to send your game. This will happen after the submission is completed. Should your game be selected you are eligible for the same awards and promotional opportunities as all the other game formats and we will work with you individually to determine the best way to showcase your game.
A: To submit your immersive, escape room, or other experiential type game - simply fill out the submission form. It is especially designed for non-digital games and we rely heavily on documentation. We also may seek out people who have experienced the piece if it showcased in the past.
A: Yes, works in progress are welcome and encouraged!!!
A: Absolutely - games can be finished and/or published! We also respect embargoes and work with the team for any announcements.
A: Yes!! This year, IndieCade will bestow a more than a dozen awards and there will be a dedicated awards experience, as well as concentrated media outreach. You can go HERE for more information on the awards categories/
A: The IndieXchange is our developer summit that is designed specifically for teams who submit to IndieCade. Complimentary (free) access is provided to all team members of every game submitted as part of your submission benefits. The IndieXchange includes sessions, networking, workshops, playtesting and more. As a bonus, this year’s digital format allows us to accommodate all of the team members from your team, as well as teams that could not have travelled to Los Angeles in the past.
Click below for a more in-depth event FAQ or More Info about submissions.
