Game Devs of Color Expo 2023 - Game Applications
NOTE: APPLICATIONS ARE CLOSED AS OF AUGUST 18th. 

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Thank you for your interest in Game Devs of Color Expo 2023. The main conference takes place September 27th - 30th, entirely online. 

GDoCExpo has multiple game showcases, and this application form is for any/all of them:
Game Dev Interviews (interviews with our host that are part of our conference)
GDoCExpo Steam Sale (our Steam event with games on sale, demos, and wishlist)
GDoCExpo Direct (our Direct with new and exclusive video updates from devs)
Webgames Showcase (we curate webgames in our online social space)
Game Dev Grants (we award no-strings development grants, up to $25K per team)

It's possible to be accepted to some of above and not others. We email all applicants with official acceptance or rejection letters, but we do not provide written feedback. 

We're looking for games that stand out and can benefit from the spotlight. They can be polished commercial titles, or they can be small and personal works that make a statement. Maybe they're from beloved genres, or maybe they're experimental and surprising. We are also interested in free web games and tabletop games. It's open to released and upcoming projects alike. We'll especially keep an eye out for projects that translate well visually and conceptually either through online video (or through the first few minutes of playing, for webgames). 

Check out our Frequently Asked Questions page, and send any further questions to games@gamedevsofcolor.org

TIMELINE: Dev Interviews
• APRIL 14: Applications due at 11:59pm Eastern Time (UTC-5)
 APRIL 28: Dev Interview participants confirmed
• MAY-JUNE: Interviews recorded
• SEPTEMBER 27-30: Broadcast date

TIMELINE: GDoCExpo Direct
• MAY 19: Applications due at 11:59pm Eastern Time (UTC-5)
• JUNE 2: Direct participants confirmed
• AUGUST 18: Final videos due for accepted games
• SEPTEMBER 27-30: Broadcast date

TIMELINE: GDoCExpo Steam Sale
• AUGUST 18: Applications due at 11:59pm Eastern Time (UTC-5)
• APRIL 28: Applications accepted on a rolling basis
• SEPTEMBER 20-30: Event dates

TIMELINE: Webgames Showcase
• AUGUST 18: Applications due at 11:59pm Eastern Time (UTC-5)
• APRIL 28: Applications accepted on a rolling basis
• SEPTEMBER 27-30: Showcase dates

The above timelines are guidelines and are subject to change.

Thanks for applying! When you complete this form, you’ll receive an email confirmation and a link to edit your submission. Feel free to edit your submission at any time to add any new information before the deadline. 
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Email *
Full name of primary contact *
Please enter your first and last name.
Is your team predominantly comprised of people of color and/or led by people of color? *
This includes but is not limited to: Black, Latinx, East Asian, Southeast Asian, Desi, Middle Eastern, Pacific Islander, indigenous, and multiracial people who do not mainly identify as white. If the answer is no, please end the form here.
We are working to uplift people of color in the games space across intersections. Please tell us about each of your team members' backgrounds. What is your team makeup? How many identify as POC? What are their roles? *
All answers are valid - examples include cis hetero black man, pansexual indigenous nonbinary person, Latinx trans woman, etc. We cannot accept games where we do not have a clear understanding of who built it. Please be specific and include responses for each of your team members. If your team is very large, then you may include the leadership team only, but otherwise let us know how many people are on the team in total.
EVENT APPLICATION INFO
Please let us know which additional special events you're applying for. All accepted applications are will also be on our website, will get an online booth on Swapcard (our conference platform), and are also entered into consideration for our Game Dev Grants.
Are you applying for the Developer Interviews? *
Application deadline: April 14
Developer Interviews are between 10-20 minutes long, and require a camera, mic, and stable internet. Developer interviews are pre-recorded in a single take and are broadcast during the conference, rebroadcast on the Steam event, and uploaded to YouTube. You can see example interviews here

If selected, each interviewee on your team will be paid an honorarium. You will also be asked to provide trailer and gameplay footage video files so that our producers can edit them into the interview. 
Are you applying for the GDoCExpo Direct? *
Application deadline: May 19
The GDoCExpo Direct requires new and exclusive gameplay video. If you are applying to this, we'll closely review any video material in your submission. The GDoCExpo Direct premieres on YouTube, is co-streamed by our media partners, and is rebroadcast on the Steam event. You can see a past example here
Are you applying for the GDoCExpo Steam Sale? *
Application deadline: August 18
The GDoCExpo Steam Sale requires a Steam page for your game. If you don't have one yet, Valve can waive the Steam Direct fee ($100) for you. The event usually gets very significant traffic for about 1 week, and we highly encourage running a discount to boost sales. You can see an example of last year's event here
Are you applying for the Webgames Showcase? *
Application deadline: August 18
We showcase games that can be played freely and instantly in Bramble, our social event space. Older games are very welcome too. Playable in-browser works best, but we can also accept games that require a download if it's free and doesn't require installation.
GAME SUBMISSION INFO
If selected, you'll have an opportunity to update your information before any public announcements are made. You can see examples of what this looks like here.
Developer Name *
If selected, this name is how your game would be credited.
Publisher Name
If you are self-publishing, or do not have a publisher yet, leave this blank.
Game Title *
Description *
Maximum 500 characters. A short description of the game. If selected, this is the description that would accompany your game title and image.
Short Description *
Maximum 240 characters. A very short description of the game that would fit in a tweet, or could be displayed below your Game Title.
Release Date *
If you have an exact date, provide it in MM/DD/YYYY format. Otherwise, please provide an estimate (like "Fall 2021" or "Q1 2022")
Website URL *
If selected, this URL is what we would link to. Please include the http://
Link to trailer or gameplay video *
A public-facing video works best. If you don't have one yet, you can send a private video for the curation team to review. If you're applying for the GDoCExpo Direct, we'll pay special mind to your response here.
Link to representative image / screenshot *
If selected, this would be used as the cover image for your game. We recommend PNG with at least 1280px width.
Twitter Handle
Please include the @
Other social media links
Include links to other social media. Please don't include anything that you aren't actively using and wouldn't want us to promote.
What location is your studio primarily based in?
Please list it as [City, Country] or just [Country]. If your team is remote, you can name the location where it was officially founded or headquartered. If you wouldn't want this information to be public, please leave this answer blank.
GAME APPLICATION INFO
The information in this section is application criteria and is reviewed internally by the curation team only.
Short Statement *
Please provide a very brief statement about your project or your team. Feel free to write about anything, or use any of these example questions: Why do you want to showcase at GDoCExpo? How might it be important to you? What makes your project or team special? If you're applying for the Dev Interviews, we'll pay special mind to your response here.
Link to playable demo *
A link to a playable demo, if available. If you need to provide additional links, keys, or access instructions, you can do so in the "Additional info" question below.
Additional info / other links
Feel free to provide anything additional that might help the curation team understand your application better. If you need to provide additional links, keys, or access instructions, you can do so here. Send any questions to games@gamesdevsofcolor.org
Steam link
If applicable, link your Steam page here.
GDoCExpo STEAM SALE
Additional questions for the GDoCExpo Steam Sale. If you are not applying for this event, please skip this section. 
Steam Event: additional games
Do you have another Steam game that's already released and has positive reviews? Please include them here and we'll consider them for inclusion. 
Steam Event: discount
Will you run a discount on your game during our Steam Event? If your game isn't released yet, or if you're not applying to the Steam Event, then leave this blank.
Clear selection
Steam Event: broadcasting
If you are interested in broadcasting during the event, please let us know your friend code. With your friend code, we can put you on the allowlist to appear on the event page. You can find your friend code on this page:  https://steamcommunity.com/my/friends/add

If you are not interested in broadcasting, or if you are not applying to the Steam Event, then leave this blank. 
Steam Direct Fee Waiver: account name
If you do not have a Steam page yet, we can have Valve waive the $100 Steam Direct fee (the fee cannot be waived retroactively if you already have a Steam page for your game). If you'd like to set up a new Steam page, let us know the Steam account name here.
Steam Direct Fee Waiver: Steam account email address
The email address associated with the above Steam account. Leave this blank if you do not need a fee waiver.
WEBGAMES SHOWCASE
Do you have any other games that people can play for free on the internet?
Additional game links
If you have any games that people can play for free online, then include those links here. We'll consider them for inclusion in our Webgames Showcase.
OTHER INFO
The information in this section is for informational purposes and is not application criteria.
Do you own the intellectual property for this game? *
If you do not, please explain the situation in the last question ("Any additional notes")
What genre is your game?
Any single term that helps us categorize your work. If needed, list multiple genres with a comma. We may use this to help group similar games together. 
What platforms do you plan to release your game on? *
Select only the options that are confirmed or would otherwise be OK to announce.
Required
What other online events have you showcased a game at?
If you've never shown a game through an online event before, leave this question blank.
Any additional notes or comments for the curation team?
A copy of your responses will be emailed to the address you provided.
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