What to Submit

Design and submit a comprehensive pre-production package in one of three genres.

1. Survival & Resource Management
   A mobile game where players must manage limited resources, survive challenges, and make strategic decisions to stay alive or progress.
2. Simulation & Management
   A mobile game centered on building, growing, and progression loops — farming, crafting, base building, or other simulation-driven mechanics.
3. Tower Defense & Strategy
   A mobile game where players place defenses, manage units, or execute strategy to defend against or defeat advancing threats.

What to Submit

• Game Design Document (5-7 pages, PDF) The backbone of the submission. Describes your design intent and demonstrates genuine game design thinking. Here is a template Game Design Document. This should include:
  • Concept — What is your game? One paragraph.
  • Target Player — Who would enjoy this? What kind of player are you designing for?
  • Core Loop — What does the player do repeatedly? Why is it satisfying?
  • Progression, Depth & Retention — How does the game evolve over time? What systems keep a player engaged across multiple sessions? What brings them back: daily hooks, unlocks, narrative beats, social elements? How does complexity layer in?
  • What Makes It Fun — Why play twice? What's the "one more round" pull?
  • If I Had More Time — What would you add in a second version?
• Player Journey Map (1-2 pages, PDF or image) A visual flowchart of the first 15 minutes of gameplay: session beats, decision points, difficulty curve, and emotional arc. The map should show: what the player sees first, when they make their first meaningful choice, how difficulty ramps, what the emotional rhythm feels like (tension, reward, discovery, challenge), and where the first session ends. This can be in the form of a flowchart, annotated timeline, storyboard, or any visual representation that communicates the player's experience over time. Here is guidance for Player Journey Map.
• Visual Concept Package (PDF, up to 10 pages) Shows creative direction and visual identity for the game. This is where creators demonstrate their artistic vision. Judged on coherence, originality, and how well the visual direction serves the gameplay. Here is guidance for Visual Concept Package. Should include some combination of:
  • Character and/or world concepts
  • Mood board and color palette
  • UI wireframes or key screen mockups
  • Environment or scene concepts
  • Any other visual material that communicates the game's look and feel
• Production Plan (1-3 pages, PDF) The bridge from design to build. Demonstrates that the creator can plan and execute, not just ideate. Here is a template Production Plan. Should cover:
  • Build Sequencing — What gets built first? What's the MVP and what layers on after?
  • MVP Scoping — What's the minimum version that delivers the core loop? What gets cut?
  • Technical Dependencies — What does the game need to work? What are the hard parts?
  • Testing Approach — How would you validate the core loop works before building everything?