Hear that? That’s the sound of hundreds of indie developers crying out in glee before suddenly going silent as they try to frantically finish their game for the IGF. Yes, the submissions gates for 2013’s Independent Games Festival have opened and this year is likely to be even more popular than the last.
Developers can submit their games till October 17th, and then the long process of playing, judging, and whittling will begin.
Besides the plaudits the winners receive there is also the very attractive prize money. $60,000 is up for grabs this year, though half of that goes to the winner of the Seamus McNally Grand Prize. Previous winners have included Minecraft, Monaco, and Darwinia. The keen-eyed reader amongst you will have noticed that Monaco hasn’t been released yet, the IGF is rare in that the winner can be in any state of development when it is submitted. So, often, the money can be a useful in getting the thing finished and out the door.
The finalists won’t be announced to January, and even then the winners aren’t decided until March, where they’re announced during GDC. But if you are an independent developer you should send you games this way if you want to be in with a shot.