Nordic Game Discovery Contest

NGDC Season V format and rules

NGDC — Mon, 15 Feb 2021 04:00:23 +0000

General NGDC format & rules:
The contestants chosen through the wild card submission process will earn seats to go directly to the Grand Online NGDC Finals at NG21 in November.

The selected finalists will then submit video material to be used in the NGDC semi-finals as well as Grand Final.

While the semi-finals are based solely on one piece of the submitted material, the Grand Finals are created as a “normal” NGDC qualifier: Finalists meet online in a live contest, divided in to the following rounds:

Intro Round: Each contestant has to present themselves and their game.

Game Round: Each contestant has to answer questions from the judges about the presented game. These can be technical, about the gameplay, or even personal.

Examples:
• “What is most unique about your game”?
• “What are you inspired by”?
• “What part of yourself has been put into the game”?

Reality Round: Contestants answer questions about the realities surrounding the game. These can be about economics, but also personal about yourself and your team.

Examples:
• “What is your biggest strength as a team?” (objective),
• “What is your biggest strength as a team”? (slightly personal),
• “What are your biggest dreams for your studio?” (very personal)

Final Chance Round: Contestants show a final piece of material in a last effort to sway the judges. Any material (per-prepared) may be show on screen (images, videos, GIF, screen dumps etc.) after which the audience is asked to cheer.

After each round, the judges will give points to the contestant who made the best impression. After the final round, a winner is found and celebrated.

As part of entering the competition contestants have to submit the following material via the submission form:

Game logo – A postcard format logo. Used in presentation and on printed voting cards.

Game Trailer – A one minute trailer showing in-game footage from the game in development.

“Behind the scenes” video – A 30-second mobile phone camera “studio tour” (e.g. walk through studio and wave at people, filming interesting stuff while talking).

“Final Chance” Material – One (1) piece of material (gif, video, screenshots, art etc.) used for showcasing the game in the final round, and a last chance of swaying the judges. Maximum length 30 seconds.

Important notes
The judges will look at the material submitted by the contestants, so be sure that you cover the basics there, such as: What’s the concept or purpose of the game? Which features make your game unique? What’s your game’s business model, and why?

Also make sure to deliver all the basic, “hard facts” about your game, like format, present development state, control method, USP etc.

Online, the judges will access your screen presence and communication ability, how you present your game, and they will ask you questions based on the material submitted.

NGDC Wild Card submissions
To apply to the wild card competition, complete the application form and send it to us at Nordic Game. The form will be available here in November.

A) The application form must be used and submitted in English.
B) No parts of the form may be removed or reformatted.
C) The application must be submitted to Nordic Game before the given deadline.
D) The applicant must own or control the intellectual property rights to the game submitted.
E) You will receive a confirmation email one week prior to the event if you’ve made the cut.
F) Wild card selections will also receive two complimentary NG21 Online Premium passes.

Important notes
Games on any platform, developed by any company or single person can participate, but:

• Only one person can go online and participate in the contest.
• You must have a working demo of your game to show.
• No illegal or plagiarized content in your game (such as trademarked content, etc.).
• Your company is financially stable (no threat of liquidation or bankruptcy exists).

All submitted projects will be reviewed. The selected projects will be informed directly in the weeks following the application deadline, including further instructions regarding the event.

Good luck!

NGDC Background

Structure
NGDC partners with regional games industry events across Europe and abroad throughout the year to discover the most promising games with the best potential for becoming global hits. These “qualifying round” winners go on to compete for “Game of the Year” in the NGDC Finals at the Nordic Game conference.

Developers, why should you participate?
With thousands of new titles released each year, the competition to get noticed is fiercer than ever. Joining the NGDC gives you a shot at getting your game discovered. Just by submitting your game to the contest, a string of experts – publishers, investors, journalists, prominent game designers and other industry profiles – will see your work. Should your team be chosen to pitch live on-stage, you’ll be sure to attract the attention of industry professionals in the audience as well.

In both the NGDC qualifiers and finals, you’ll pitch your game to an expert jury on stage before a live audience. In an exciting, round-based format, you will compete live against three other contestants, presenting your game and answering questions from the jury. If you can beat your opponents and rack-up the biggest score, you’ll be declared winner of the qualifying round – and go on to the NGDC Finals. If you take the final “Game of the Year” award in Malmö, you’ll also win some nice prizes and extend your visibility globally.

Wild cards
For developers not able to join events on the NGDC tour, a number of wildcards will once again be chosen through an online submission process (details for NGDC Season V to be announced).

Venue
Qualifiers: At partner events across the world – full tour plan can be found at discovery-contest.nordicgame.com.

Grand Finals (NGDC Season V): NG21 Nov – November 2021 in Malmö, Sweden

Participation
Are you developing, or have you already developed a game that deserves more attention than it’s received so far? Are you attending one of the events on the NGDC Tour? If so, submit your game, and prepare to go online for a qualifying round – and maybe all the way to the NGDC Finals!

Benefits
• Get your game discovered
• As a contestant in the qualifier, great prizes from Xsolla and Games Branding
• As a finalist, even more great prizes sponsored by Xsolla, Matchmade, Games Branding, DDM, and many more
• Meet potential partners and investors among the companies following the contest
• 2 Premium conference passes for NG21 Nov
• Unlimited access to the NG21 Nov MeetToMatch system
• A part of the online NGDC Season V Finalists Expo online at NG21 Nov

The NGDC Season V is sponsored by Xsolla, Microsoft, WhisperGames and Nordic Game Ventures, in partnership with Games Branding, DDM and Matchmade.

Freja and the False Prophecy wins NGDC in South Africa

NGDC — Mon, 09 Dec 2019 04:00:22 +0000

Last year the Nordic Game Discovery Contest debuted with a qualifier at the Make Games Africa event in Cape Town. The South African game Drawkanoid won and went on to take the NGDC Season III Game of the Year at NG19.

So last week’s eighth round of the NGDC Season IV in South Africa was highly anticipated, not only by the NGDC organisers but also by the NGDC hosts Playtopia/Make Games Africa and this year’s three contestants.

With exciting new games on display and a string of great talks, Playtopia MGA really showcased the incredible growth of the local South African dev community, with the NGDC itself receiving very enthusiastic support.

The three contestants in Cape Town did a great job pitching their games on stage, but one exceptional team and title stole the hearts of the judges and audience – Unsigned Double Collective and their Nordic action adventure platformer Freja and the False Prophecy.

Check out the teaser trailer:

With Freja and the False Prophecy, South Africa delivers another strong contender to the NGDC finals in Malmö. A big congratulations to Unsigned Double Collective on their victory and a huge thank you to the organisers of Playtopia/Make Games Africa for another outstanding event.

See you at NG20 next May for the NGDC Season IV finalist expo and grand finals!

NGDC Season IV is sponsored by Xsolla, Versus Evil, Plan of Attack, Matchmade, Nordic Game Ventures, Karmafy, Microsoft, DDM and 80 Level.

About Xsolla
Xsolla ensures the best ideas get made, get seen and get played. Launch, monetize and scale with Xsolla tools and services. Learn more at xsolla.com.

About Versus Evil
Versus Evil is a video game publisher whose sole focus is to publish indie games. Learn more at versusevil.com/.

About Plan of Attack
Working with the right media at the right time, Plan of Attack helps organisations tell their stories and generate the most value from their projects. Learn more at planofattack.biz.

About Matchmade
Matchmade is the leading influencer marketing platform for games. Founded in Helsinki by games industry veterans Jiri Kupiainen and Leo Lännenmäki in 2014, the company also has offices in Berlin, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Learn more at matchmade.tv.

About Nordic Game Ventures
Nordic Game Ventures grows great companies and secures future jobs for the Nordic games industry. Learn more at nordicgameventures.com.

About Karmafy
Karmafy rewards and empowers your players with free charitable giving directed to charities and initiatives they feel passionate about. Learn more at karmafy.com.

About Microsoft
Microsoft is on a mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Learn more at www.microsoft.com.

About DDM
DDM delivers worldwide business expertise with a personal touch and a proven methodology. Learn more at www.ddmagency.com.

About 80 Level
80 Level is the best source of valuable information about the gaming industry and its recent trends. Learn more at 80.lv.

Interested in becoming an NGDC partner or sponsor? Contact Nordic Game BD director Teddy Florea here to learn about great opportunities still available for NGDC Season IV.

Plunder Pack wins NGDC in Linköping

NGDC — Mon, 02 Dec 2019 00:00:36 +0000

The seventh qualifier of the Nordic Game Discovery Contest Season IV took place in Linköping, Sweden on 27 November, as the NGDC debuted at the annual LiU Game Conference.

Supported by a lively audience, the three contestants delivered an intense pitch battle, with split decisions after each of the four rounds. But Swedish studio Friendly Fire did best with their game Plunder Pack – a stealth strategy game about a rag-tag group of animals on a mission to steal from the rich to give to the poor.

Check out the reveal trailer:

A big congratulations to Friendly Fire on their victory and a huge thank you to the organisers of LiU Game Conference for a great event. See you at NG20 next May for the NGDC Season IV finalist expo and grand finals!

NGDC Season IV is sponsored by Xsolla, Versus Evil, Plan of Attack, Matchmade, Nordic Game Ventures, Karmafy, Microsoft, DDM and 80 Level.

About Xsolla
Xsolla ensures the best ideas get made, get seen and get played. Launch, monetize and scale with Xsolla tools and services. Learn more at xsolla.com.

About Versus Evil
Versus Evil is a video game publisher whose sole focus is to publish indie games. Learn more at versusevil.com/.

About Nordic Game Ventures
Nordic Game Ventures grows great companies and secures future jobs for the Nordic games industry. Learn more at nordicgameventures.com.

About Karmafy
Karmafy rewards and empowers your players with free charitable giving directed to charities and initiatives they feel passionate about. Learn more at karmafy.com.

About Microsoft
Microsoft is on a mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Learn more at www.microsoft.com.

About DDM
DDM delivers worldwide business expertise with a personal touch and a proven methodology. Learn more at www.ddmagency.com.

About 80 Level
80 Level is the best source of valuable information about the gaming industry and its recent trends. Learn more at 80.lv.

Interested in becoming an NGDC partner or sponsor? Contact Nordic Game BD director Teddy Florea here to learn about great opportunities still available for NGDC Season IV.

Ad Infinitum NGDC victor in Vilnius

NGDC — Tue, 19 Nov 2019 06:00:38 +0000

The sixth qualifier of the Nordic Game Discovery Contest Season IV took place in Lithuania on 17 November, as the NGDC returned to GameOn in Vilnius for a third year.

Lithuanian studio Tag of Joy was the local favorite to earn a seat in the NGDC Season IV Grand Finals, with their game Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deceit up against entries from Germany and Finland.

Though the Vilnius-based developer did very well, in the end it was German Hekate that came out on top with Ad Infinitum, their first person horror game set during World War I.

Check out the game trailer:

A big congratulations to Hekate on their victory and a huge thank you to the organisers of GameOn for another great event. See you at NG20 next May for the NGDC Season IV finalist expo and grand finals!

NGDC Season IV is sponsored by Xsolla, Versus Evil, Plan of Attack, Matchmade, Nordic Game Ventures, Karmafy, Microsoft, DDM and 80 Level.

About Xsolla
Xsolla ensures the best ideas get made, get seen and get played. Launch, monetize and scale with Xsolla tools and services. Learn more at xsolla.com.

About Versus Evil
Versus Evil is a video game publisher whose sole focus is to publish indie games. Learn more at versusevil.com/.

About Nordic Game Ventures
Nordic Game Ventures grows great companies and secures future jobs for the Nordic games industry. Learn more at nordicgameventures.com.

About Karmafy
Karmafy rewards and empowers your players with free charitable giving directed to charities and initiatives they feel passionate about. Learn more at karmafy.com.

About Microsoft
Microsoft is on a mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Learn more at www.microsoft.com.

About DDM
DDM delivers worldwide business expertise with a personal touch and a proven methodology. Learn more at www.ddmagency.com.

About 80 Level
80 Level is the best source of valuable information about the gaming industry and its recent trends. Learn more at 80.lv.

Interested in becoming an NGDC partner or sponsor? Contact Nordic Game BD director Teddy Florea here to learn about great opportunities still available for NGDC Season IV.

Marble Garden wins NGDC at GameRome

NGDC — Mon, 18 Nov 2019 07:00:45 +0000

The Nordic Game Discovery Contest returned to GameRome in Rome, Italy on 14 November for the fifth qualifier in the NGDC’s fourth season.

Hosted by Nordic Game’s Teddy Florea, the contest in the Italian capital was a very tight battle between the three competing teams, with several split decisions and only a few points separating the competitors after the final round.

In the end, Italian Omnisir came out on top with Marble Garden, an action fantasy game with a unique story about confronting illness and the extraordinary power of imagination.

Check out the game trailer:

Big congratulations to Omnisir for winning Season IV’s fifth NGDC qualifier and a huge thank you to the organisers of GameRome for their fantastic support and a great show.

See you at NG20 next May for the NGDC Season IV finalist expo and grand finals!

NGDC Season IV is sponsored by Xsolla, Versus Evil, Nordic Game Ventures, Matchmade, 80 Level, Karmafy and Plan of Attack.

About Xsolla
Xsolla ensures the best ideas get made, get seen and get played. Launch, monetize and scale with Xsolla tools and services. Learn more at xsolla.com.

About Versus Evil
Versus Evil is a video game publisher whose sole focus is to publish indie games. Learn more at versusevil.com/.

About 80 Level
80 Level is the best source of valuable information about the gaming industry and its recent trends. Learn more at 80.lv.

About Karmafy
Karmafy rewards and empowers your players with free charitable giving directed to charities and initiatives they feel passionate about. Learn more at karmafy.com.

About Nordic Game Ventures
Nordic Game Ventures grows great companies and secures future jobs for the Nordic games industry. Learn more at nordicgameventures.com.

Interested in becoming an NGDC partner or sponsor? Contact Nordic Game BD director Teddy Florea here to learn about great opportunities still available for NGDC Season IV.

FearLand victorious in Bucharest

NGDC — Mon, 11 Nov 2019 07:26:34 +0000

The Nordic Game Discovery Contest returned to Dev.Play in Bucharest, Romania last week with the fourth qualifier in the NGDC’s fourth season.

The contest in the Romanian capital turned out to be a very close battle between the titles Gridpunk and FearLand, with a split decision and only one point separating the two after the final round.

In the end, Team FearLand from Romania came out on top with FearLand, a real-time stealth tactics game.

Check out the cinematic trailer:

Big congratulations to Team FearLand for winning Season IV’s fourth NGDC qualifier and a huge thank you to the organisers of Dev.Play for their fantastic support and a great show.

See you at NG20 next May for the NGDC Season IV finalist expo and grand finals!

About Versus Evil
Versus Evil is a video game publisher whose sole focus is to publish indie games. Learn more at versusevil.com/.

About 80 Level
80 Level is the best source of valuable information about the gaming industry and its recent trends. Learn more at 80.lv.

About Karmafy
Karmafy rewards and empowers your players with free charitable giving directed to charities and initiatives they feel passionate about. Learn more at karmafy.com.

About Nordic Game Ventures
Nordic Game Ventures grows great companies and secures future jobs for the Nordic games industry. Learn more at nordicgameventures.com.

Interested in becoming an NGDC partner or sponsor? Contact Nordic Game BD director Teddy Florea here to learn about great opportunities still available for NGDC Season IV.

Chronos wins NGDC in Lisbon

NGDC — Tue, 29 Oct 2019 06:35:36 +0000

The Nordic Game Discovery Contest returned to GameDev Camp in Lisbon, Portugal for a third time last week with the third qualifier in the NGDC’s fourth season.

Hosted by Nordic Game’s own Teddy Florea, this year’s contest at GameDev Camp was an especially hard-fought battle before a passionate and supportive audience. The judges had prepared some very tough questions, and the three competing studios went all out for victory.

In the end, Team Chronos from Portugal came out on top with their game Chronos, an atmoshpeheric 2D puzzler where players can slow down time and use it to solve a variety of puzzles.

Check out the game trailer:

Big congratulations to Team Chronos for winning Season IV’s third NGDC qualifier and a huge thank you to the organisers of GameDev Camp for their fantastic support and a great show.

See you at NG20 next May for the NGDC Season IV finalist expo and grand finals!

About Versus Evil
Versus Evil is a video game publisher whose sole focus is to publish indie games. Learn more at versusevil.com/.

About 80 Level
80 Level is the best source of valuable information about the gaming industry and its recent trends. Learn more at 80.lv.

About Karmafy
Karmafy rewards and empowers your players with free charitable giving directed to charities and initiatives they feel passionate about. Learn more at karmafy.com.

About Nordic Game Ventures
Nordic Game Ventures grows great companies and secures future jobs for the Nordic games industry. Learn more at nordicgameventures.com.

Interested in becoming an NGDC partner or sponsor? Contact Nordic Game BD director Teddy Florea here to learn about great opportunities still available for NGDC Season IV.

Warshmallows wins NGDC qualifier in Malta

NGDC — Mon, 07 Oct 2019 08:12:36 +0000

This past weekend Malta hosted the second Nordic Game Discovery Contest Season IV qualifier at Playcon, a new game-focused event at the annual tech industry DELTA Summit.

NGDC qualifier judges in Malta included Conrad Vassalo (MCAST director), Dave Hawkins (Exient CEO) and Dave Mariner (Karmafy), all contributing great questions and advice for the three contestants.

After a well-fought live pitch battle, Maltese studio Yourun won with Warshmallows, their 2D arena shooter for the Nintendo Switch.

Check out the gameplay video:

Big congratulations to Yourun for winning Season IV’s second NGDC qualifier and a huge thank you to the organisers of Playcon for their fantastic support and a great show.

See you at NG20 next May for the NGDC Season IV finalist expo and grand finals!

About Versus Evil
Versus Evil is a video game publisher whose sole focus is to publish indie games. Learn more at versusevil.com/.

About 80 Level
80 Level is the best source of valuable information about the gaming industry and its recent trends. Learn more at 80.lv.

About Karmafy
Karmafy rewards and empowers your players with free charitable giving directed to charities and initiatives they feel passionate about. Learn more at karmafy.com.

About Nordic Game Ventures
Nordic Game Ventures grows great companies and secures future jobs for the Nordic games industry. Learn more at nordicgameventures.com.

Interested in becoming an NGDC partner or sponsor? Contact Nordic Game BD director Teddy Florea here to learn about great opportunities still available for NGDC Season IV.

Pink Array wins NGDC kick-off in Brazil

NGDC — Thu, 15 Aug 2019 01:00:32 +0000

The Nordic Game Discovery Contest got an early start on its fourth season with a fantastic debut in São Paulo at last month’s BIG Festival.

A very enthusiastic audience in Brazil cheered for their local heroes on the festival’s main stage, with the “football match” vibe putting extra pressure members of the NGDC jury, including Flávia Gazi (IGN), Jason della Rocca (Execution Labs), Justin Berenbaum (Xsolla) and Shirley Lin (DOGIgames) to get their questions right.

After a nail-biting final tabulation of the live pitch results, it was Brazilian studio Pink Array that came out in top with their game Grashers, a colorful twin-stick shooter roguelike set in outer space.

Check out the game trailer:

BIG congratulations to Pink Array for winning Season IV’s first NGDC qualifier and a huge thank you to the organisers of the BIG Festival for their fantastic support and a great show.

See you at NG20 next May for the NGDC Season IV finalist expo and grand finals!

NGDC Season IV is sponsored by Xsolla, Versus Evil, Nordic Game Ventures, Matchmade, 80 Level and Plan of Attack.

About Xsolla
Xsolla ensures the best ideas get made, get seen and get played. Launch, monetize and scale with Xsolla tools and services. Learn more at xsolla.com.

About Versus Evil
Versus Evil is a video game publisher whose sole focus is to publish indie games. Learn more at versusevil.com/.

About 80 Level
80 Level is the best source of valuable information about the gaming industry and its recent trends. Learn more at 80.lv.

About Nordic Game Ventures
Nordic Game Ventures grows great companies and secures future jobs for the Nordic games industry. Learn more at nordicgameventures.com.

Interested in becoming an NGDC partner or sponsor? Contact Nordic Game BD director Teddy Florea here to learn about great opportunities still available for NGDC Season IV.

NGDC Season III Finals awards

NGDC — Thu, 30 May 2019 07:41:16 +0000

A major part of Nordic Game 2019 on 22-24 May, the 17 studios that won Nordic Game Discovery Contest qualifiers (and wild card selections) across Europe met in Malmö, Sweden for the NGDC Season III Grand Finals and Finalist Expo.

The NGDC finals at NG19 kicked-off with the NGDC Finalist Expo, where all conference attendees could test the finalist’s games, chat with the developers and vote for their “People’s Choice Award” favorite.

On Wednesday and Thursday, secret balloting in the Finalist Expo by the NGDC jury, consisting of Warren Spector (Otherside Ent.), Cassia Curran (Jagex) and Steve Escalante (Versus Evil), brought the season’s competition near to a close, as the NGDC Season III Final Four were announced: Metamorphosis by Ovid Works (Poland), Drawkanoid by QCF Design (South Africa), Helheim Hassle by Perfectly Paranormal (Norway) and Interrogation by Critique Gaming (Romania).

Friday, 24 May featured the long-awaited NGDC Season III Finals, the culmination of twelve months of live NGDC qualifiers at European partner events and two wild card selections. After a nerve-racking final pitch battle between the remaining four studios in the Unreal Theatre at NG19, the NGDC Grand Finals expert panel recessed to determine the winner – and following an intense jury debate, the NGDC Season III Game of the Year was announced – South Africa’s QCF Design with their action arcade game for PC Drawkanoid.

Check out the Drawkanoid trailer (featured by Humble Bundle):

As this season’s NGDC GotY winner, QCF Design will also receive prizes from Dolby, Xsolla, 80.lv, Plan of Attack and Matchmade.

The results of the popular vote from the NGDC Finalist Expo at NG19 were also revealed, with Finnish Red Stage winning the NGDC Season III People’s Choice Award for their game based on Sámi mythology, Skábma – Polar Night.

Check out the Skábma – Polar Night teaser:

Our warmest congratulations to the winners! It will be very exciting to follow QCF Design, Red Stage and the rest of the NGDC Season III finalists in the future.

Also a very big thank you to our NGDC Season III sponsors – Xsolla, Dolby, Steam, Plan of Attack, Matchmade, 80 Level and Nordic Game Ventures – and our partners across Europe – learn more about them right here. We’ll also be revealing tour plans for NGDC Season IV very soon, kicking off on 26 June at the BIG Festival in Sao Paolo, Brazil – so stay tuned!

About the Nordic Game Discovery Contest
In 2016, building on fourteen years of running major successful events in the games industry, including several live-pitching events, selection processes and support systems, Nordic Game created the Nordic Game Discovery Contest (NGDC) – an exciting, competitive challenge, where selected game projects are showcased at live-pitch events in several countries.

NGDC Season III sponsors
NGDC Season III is sponsored by Xsolla, Dolby, Steam, Plan of Attack, Matchmade, 80 Level and Nordic Game Ventures.

About Xsolla
Xsolla ensures the best ideas get made, get seen and get played. Launch, monetize and scale with Xsolla tools and services. Learn more at xsolla.com.

About Dolby
Dolby transforms the science of sight and sound into spectacular experiences. Learn more at www.dolby.com.

About Steam
The ultimate entertainment platform. Play, connect, create and more – install Steam today and start gaming! Learn more at store.steampowered.com.

About 80 Level
80 Level is the best source of valuable information about the gaming industry and its recent trends. Learn more at 80.lv.

About Nordic Game Ventures
Nordic Game Ventures grows great companies and secures future jobs for the Nordic games industry. Learn more at nordicgameventures.com.

Interested in becoming an NGDC partner or sponsor? Contact Nordic Game BD director Teddy Florea here to learn about great opportunities available for NGDC Season IV.

NGDC Season III wild cards selected

NGDC — Mon, 13 May 2019 06:53:31 +0000

The two remaining seats for this season’s Nordic Game Discovery Contest Finals have been chosen from this month’s online wild card submissions.

Poland’s Atomic Wolf grabbed the NGDC wild card selection jury’s attention with Liberated. Set in a dark world in the near future where technology turned against people, Liberated is an interactive dystopian graphic novel that unfolds on the pages of a comic book.

Danish Octato picked-up the last remaining seat with Airhead, a unique platform adventure featuring a headless body carrying a dying organism on its shoulders, determined to rescue it. With its life rapidly seeping out, time is of the essence, but the world is complex and nothing is obvious.

The two wild card finalists now join fifteen other contestants to battle their way through secret final four voting by the NGDC jury from Wednesday-Thursday, 22-23 May, and then on-stage competition by the final four in the NGDC Season III finals on Friday, 24 May.

NG19 attendees will also cast ballots for their favorites during the NGDC Finalist Expo, with the NGDC Season III “People’s Choice Award” to be announced during the final wrap-up session of NG19.

The NGDC Season III winner and runner-ups will receive prizes from Dolby, Xsolla, 80.lv, Plan of Attack and Matchmade.

NGDC Season III Tour Plan 2018-2019
30-31 Aug: Game Dev Days – Graz, Austria
28-29 Sep: Game Dev Camp – Lisbon, Portugal
4-5 Oct: DevPlay – Bucharest, Romania
4-5 Oct: Northern Game Summit – Kajaani, Finland
11-14 Oct: Game Industry Conference – Poznan, Poland
17-19 Oct: Sweden Game Conference – Skövde, Sweden
20-21 Oct: Athens Games Festival – Athens, Greece
2-3 Nov: GameOn – Vilnius, Lithuania
20-21 Nov: Gamerome – Rome, Italy
28-29 Nov: Make Games Africa – Cape Town, South Africa
7-10 Dec: F&S Play – Bilbao, Spain
5 Jan: NM in Gameplay – Oslo, Norway
31 Jan-2 Feb: Ludicious – Zürich, Switzerland
11-13 Apr: Reboot Develop Blue – Dubrovnik, Croatia
25-28 Apr: Nordic Game Jam – Copenhagen, Denmark
1-9 May: Wild card selection (online)

NGDC Season III Grand Finals
22-24 May: Nordic Game 2019 – Malmö, Sweden

NGDC Season III wild cards
Two wild card selections for the NGDC Season III finals have been chosen.

NGDC Season III sponsors
NGDC Season III is sponsored by Xsolla, Dolby, Steam, Plan of Attack, Matchmade, 80 Level and Nordic Game Ventures.

About Xsolla
Xsolla ensures the best ideas get made, get seen and get played. Launch, monetize and scale with Xsolla tools and services. Learn more at xsolla.com.

About Dolby
Dolby transforms the science of sight and sound into spectacular experiences. Learn more at www.dolby.com.

About Steam
The ultimate entertainment platform. Play, connect, create and more – install Steam today and start gaming! Learn more at store.steampowered.com.

About 80 Level
80 Level is the best source of valuable information about the gaming industry and its recent trends. Learn more at 80.lv.

About Nordic Game Ventures
Nordic Game Ventures grows great companies and secures future jobs for the Nordic games industry. Learn more at nordicgameventures.com.

Interested in becoming an NGDC partner or sponsor? Contact Nordic Game BD director Teddy Florea here to learn about great opportunities still available for NGDC Season III.

NGDC Season III Wild Card submissions

NGDC — Tue, 30 Apr 2019 06:10:59 +0000

Following the last qualifier of NGDC each season, we open the contest up for a limited time to wild card submissions. You can read the announcement for NGDC Season III wild card submissions here.

Please make sure that submitted videos, trailers, etc. are kept within the time limits specified below and in the NGDC rule-set (also below).

Important! Only submit if you know you’re attending Nordic Game 2019 – this form is for NG19 participants only.

General NGDC format & rules:

A) The contestants chosen through the submission process will meet on-stage in a live contest, divided in to the following rounds (wild card selections will also receive two complimentary NG19 passes):

Intro Round: Each contestant has to present themselves and their game.

Game Round: Each contestant has to answer questions from the judges about the presented game. These can be technical, about the gameplay, or even personal.

Examples:
• “What is most unique about your game”?
• “What are you inspired by”?
• “What part of yourself has been put into the game”?

Reality Round: Contestants answer questions about the realities surrounding the game. These can be about economics, but also personal about yourself and your team.

B) After each round, the judges will give points to the contestant who made the best impression. After the final round, a winner is found and celebrated.

C) As part of entering the competition contestants have to submit the following material via the submission form:

Game logo – A postcard format logo. Used in presentation and on printed voting cards.

“Behind the scenes” video – A 30-second mobile phone camera “studio tour” (e.g. walk through studio and wave at people, filming interesting stuff while talking).

Game Trailer – A 1 minute trailer showing in-game footage from the game in development.

Important notes

The judges will look at the material submitted by the contestants, so be sure that you cover the basics there, such as: What’s the concept or purpose of the game? Which features make your game unique? What’s your game’s business model, and why?

Also make sure to deliver all the basic, “hard facts” about your game, like format, present development state, control method, USP etc.

On-stage, the judges will look at your stage performance, how you present your game, and they will ask you questions based on the material submitted.

NGDC Wild Card submissions

To apply to the wild card competition, complete the application form here and send it to us at Nordic Game. Deadline is 9 May.

Important notes

Games on any platform, developed by any company or single person can participate, but:

• Only one person can go on stage and participate in the contest.
• You must have a working demo of your game to show.
• No illegal or plagiarized content in your game (such as trademarked content, etc.).
• Your company is financially stable (no threat of liquidation or bankruptcy exists).

All submitted projects will be reviewed. The selected projects will be informed directly in the weeks following the application deadline, including further instructions regarding the event.

Good luck!

Vokabulantis wins last NGDC qualifier

NGDC — Mon, 29 Apr 2019 08:15:06 +0000

On 26 April, three contestants took the stage at Nordic Game Jam in the Danish capital for the final qualifier of this season’s Nordic Game Discovery Contest – and a coveted spot in the NGDC finals at NG19 next month.

The fifteenth NGDC qualifier in Copenhagen saw Danish Kong Orange come out on top, closing out the competition with their game Vokabulantis, a puppet animation game about language and love.

A big congrats to Kong Orange and see you in Malmö at Nordic Game 2019! And a warm thank you to the organisers of Nordic Game Jam for hosting this season’s final NGDC qualifier.

NGDC Season III Grand Finals
22-24 May: Nordic Game 2019 – Malmö, Sweden

NGDC Season III wild cards
Not attending our partner events? Fear not. The online submission process for a wild card seat at the NGDC Finals will be announced in April 2019. Stay tuned!

NGDC Season III sponsors
NGDC Season III is sponsored by Xsolla, Dolby, Steam, Plan of Attack, Matchmade, 80 Level and Nordic Game Ventures.

About Xsolla
Xsolla ensures the best ideas get made, get seen and get played. Launch, monetize and scale with Xsolla tools and services. Learn more at xsolla.com.

About Dolby
Dolby transforms the science of sight and sound into spectacular experiences. Learn more at www.dolby.com.

About Steam
The ultimate entertainment platform. Play, connect, create and more – install Steam today and start gaming! Learn more at store.steampowered.com.

About 80 Level
80 Level is the best source of valuable information about the gaming industry and its recent trends. Learn more at 80.lv.

About Nordic Game Ventures
Nordic Game Ventures grows great companies and secures future jobs for the Nordic games industry. Learn more at nordicgameventures.com.

Interested in becoming an NGDC partner or sponsor? Contact Nordic Game BD director Teddy Florea here to learn about great opportunities still available for NGDC Season III.

Interrogation wins NGDC in Dubrovnik

NGDC — Wed, 17 Apr 2019 05:46:14 +0000

The fourteenth qualifier of the Nordic Game Discovery Contest Season III took place on 11 April at Reboot Develop Blue in Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Returning to the Dalmatian coast for a third NGDC season, hopes were high for another great contest with really strong games. And the expectations were certainly fulfilled, with the judges having a very difficult time picking a winner from among this year’s outstanding competitors.

In the end, it was the narrative-driven conversational puzzle game Interrogation from Critique Gaming that came out on top.

Check out the teaser trailer:

Congratulations to Critique Gaming and see you for the NGDC Grand Finals at NG19 next month!

Also a big thanks to the organisers of Reboot Develop Blue, who also once again did a great job organising their event, gathering many of the most talented developers from Croatia and across Europe to Dubrovnik.