Hello! Welcome to the entry page for issue #41 Indiepocalypse Zine!
What is this thing anyway?
Simply, it's a monthly collection of games from 10 developers all wrapped up in one package. That the developers get paid for! Up front and on the back end! There will also be a short digital zine with a page for each game. Creators are free to design their page to their own liking or submit text and pictures to be laid out for them.
The games are then sold through itch in a single zipped file with a launcher.
You will be paid:
UP FRONT: $20 USD
BACK END: 5% of sales (before anthology breaks even) | 8% (after)
Also, I claim no exclusivity or ownership of your games!
Game Requirements
This simply a submission page for the zine. I do not consider it a jam and would encourage others to do the same. If you want to make a new game for the zine (and I'm not commissioning you) more power to you I guess.
-Games can (and should) already be complete and can have been made at any point in time.
-Games can be of any theme
-Games can be of any length
-Games can be digital or physical (that can be distributed digitally) but must be in some way downloadable. This includes mobile games.
-Games can play very loosely with the term 'game'
-Any number of games can be submitted but each person can only occupy one slot.
-I have no way to play VR-only games, everything else should be fine.
-Make your game playable without me having to find a way load up the project file in whatever engine you made it in
That's pretty much it. Everyone keeps ownership of all their stuff, this is mostly a way to give a platform (and money) to smaller and/or more unknown projects.
How are games selected?
Games are selected by a single curator (me) based on no strict criteria at all. The main goal each month is to make an interesting and diverse zine. Below are some things that I think about when choosing games. Indiepocalypse was created with the intent of being a collection of alternative and outsider works so bear that in mind when submitting. Also, while TTRPGs are accepted (and sometimes even commission) my focus is on the vaguely defined medium of "video games". As such I tend to include 2~3 TTRPGs at most per issue.
This is by no means a list of objectives to meet and there is no objective math way of breaking down and judging a game and anyone who claims otherwise is lying.
-Subjective taste is ultimately unavoidable
-I prefer things that are messy and interesting to ones that are polished and familiar
-Complete is preferable to demos/betas
-Each issue will try to a have a diverse selection of games, even if the 10 best fighting games ever made were submitted only like, 2, would be included
-Length is irrelevant
-I am typically detached from (if not exhausted by) trends in design
-You gotta really try for something if you're making a overhead/twin-stick shooter
-Execution on intent (or something to the effect) is what I look to when I find a game feels more personally uninteresting than broadly uninteresting (however possible it is to determine such a thing)
Incomplete list of things I try to avoid judging unfairly but generally do not like and hey, I'm just a person so that's how things are
-Tiny (relative) hit boxes on melee attacks
-Built in physics, especially where meaningful control matters
What if my game is selected?
After submission entries are curated, if your game is selected, you'll be contacted and given a form to fill out to collect the materials for the magazine and anything else that may be needed. If you submitted multiple games, you will either: Be sent a message telling you which game was selected OR Receive no additional message and have your choice of bundling the games one entry/choose which game you'd like to be included.
Selections are not made public until the issue is released. Everyone will receive an email through itch once the games are chosen. If that is the only email you received, your game was not selected.
Games chosen are in no way way exclusive to Indiepocalypse and can remain on your itch page or anywhere else for any price you want. The games chosen are made public when the issue is released.
The zine favors new contributors and will likely not repeat contributors for at least TBD months.
WHEN WILL IT COME OUT?:
June 2nd
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Questions? Feel free to read all the above text again before contacting me at indiepocalypse@gmail.com.