After both internal discussion and input from the community, we’ve decided to move forward with opening up the Third IndiePub Game Development Competition to iPhone and Android games. An official announcement about when and how these new application formats are to be rolled into the competition will be made soon, but here’s some initial answers to the most common questions.


We’ve heard your concerns about iPhone and Android games being too dissimilar from more robust web-based or PC games. While they can be just as compelling and fun, mobile games are generally smaller in scale and have shorter linier or end-to-end play time than most computer games. It wouldn’t make sense for an ultra-deep MMO to go up against a one-touch iPhone game that may be just as good, but for different reasons.

Also, since not everyone who visits the indiePub website will have an iPhone/Pod/Pad or Droid, the potential audience for these games is a bit more limited than Flash, Unity and downloadable applications. We do have some options for showcasing mobile apps on the main indiePub website, but as @Maph points out, “having the ability to play the game on the actual device will of course work a whole lot better,” and we agree.

Expect mobile apps to be in a new community recognition category of the competition.


The Grand Prize is chosen by a committee of game industry experts. Judging is not only based on the overall creativity of the game, but also its marketability across multiple console platforms. Our experience from the last two competitions has shown that sometimes great submissions can be basic ideas or prototypes that have enormous potential for development and mass-market appeal. We believe that a mobile app could be the basis for a hit console game.

Part of what we strive to do at indiePub is find great talent and publish great games by developers like you – whether you’re just starting out on iPhone or you’re a pro with Unity. If your creativity comes to life on a mobile device, our selection committee is tasked with objectively considering it with the same “big picture” criteria as any other submission to the competition.

However, based on your feedback, and since we’ve already set the expectation that the current $100,000 completion is for indie computer games, we don’t feel that this is the right time make a big change and broaden the field of entrants so drastically. Nevertheless, we do want to give indie developers who have great mobile apps a chance to showcase their work, give them a shot at taking their games to the “bigs” in addition to handing out some cash to support their creative endeavors.

So, what we're saying is: we are creating a new “Mobile Grand Prize” that will be specific to iPhone and Android games. Like the existing competition, the winner will be chosen by committee, awarded a cash prize and given the option for a publishing deal to take their title to other platforms and consoles that will support it. We’re initially thinking that this prize will be in the neighborhood of $25,000.


As long as your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad submission complies with the overall competition rules, you may enter them. Similarly, if you’re already selling your Android game on your own or through a third party, it could be eligible for the competition as long as you conform to the terms specified in the rules.

Please continue to send us feedback (here or in the forums) as we work through the mechanics of rolling out this expansion to the community. You can expect an official announcement by E3, followed by our new mobile addition to the contest.