For all award categories except the Upcoming Game of the Year categories, your video game (or content/activity for non-game categories) must have been released and made publicly available to consumers between 1st September 2025 and 14th August 2026.
The previous edition of the Awards included an in-person pitch session for the Upcoming Game of the Year categories. For 2026, this requirement has been removed: there is no live pitch. Nominees are evaluated on their submitted playable build and/or recorded gameplay footage, so no travel or live presentation is required.
No, upgrades, expansions, and mission packs are not eligible for nomination in any category. Only full game releases within the specified eligibility window can be submitted.
Yes. A game may be submitted for a maximum of three (3) award categories. For instance, a game can be entered for Mobile Game of the Year, Best Art Direction, and Best Game Direction but not a fourth category.
Yes. Each participant (individual or entity) can make a maximum of two (2) submissions in a specific category – For example, two different mobile games for Mobile Game of the Year – provided each game meets all other eligibility requirements.
No. A game or content may be nominated only once across its lifetime, in any category and any edition.
The one exception: a game previously entered in an Upcoming Game of the Year category may be submitted for the corresponding released Game of the Year category (or another relevant category) once it has been released within a later eligibility window.
All submissions must be made through our official online portal available at [Link to Submission Portal]. You will need to create an account and follow the step-by-step instructions to upload your materials and provide necessary information.
A playable build of your game must be submitted in any one of the following formats:
No, there is no application fee for the India Game Awards.
Yes – this is the one permitted exception to the once-per-lifetime rule. A game previously entered as an Upcoming Game of the Year may be submitted for a released category once it launches within the current eligibility window (1st September 2025 – 15th August 2026).
Generally, a previously released game is not eligible for the “Upcoming Game” categories. However, if you strongly believe your game has undergone a major redevelopment (beyond just refurbishing, porting, or content additions), you may still submit it. In such cases, the jury requires a short video note from the developer. This video should showcase both the old and new versions of the game, highlighting the significant differences and making a compelling case for why it should be considered an “Upcoming Game.” If the jury is convinced, your game will continue in the “Upcoming” category.
Yes. A game entering public, commercial Early Access or public open beta within the eligibility window is considered publicly available and can be submitted for the main awards. However, a game may be nominated only once across its lifetime – if it is submitted during Early Access, it will not be eligible again upon its full 1.0 release in a future edition.
For eligibility in most game award categories (excluding Best International Game), your game must:
An “Indian entity” generally refers to a company or individual legally registered and operating within India. This means the primary development studio, the individual developer responsible for the game’s creation, or the esports team/media organization is based in India and adheres to Indian legal frameworks.
Yes. As long as the primary development studio or IP owner is a legally registered Indian entity and the core development is driven out of India, the game remains fully eligible. Utilizing international contractors, remote freelancers, or global outsourcing partners does not disqualify the submission.
To be eligible for Indie Game of the Year, the game must:
“Self-funded” implies that the game’s development was primarily financed by the creators themselves, personal funds, or through crowdfunding, without significant financial backing or creative control from a large external publisher.
To be eligible for the The Rahul Sehgal Award for Student Game of the Year:
Along with your digital submission (e.g., rulebook PDF, print-and-play files, or a gameplay overview video) via the portal, tabletop developers have the option to ship physical, retail-ready or highly polished prototype copies of the board game to the GDAI/IGDC office for jury playtesting. Sending a physical copy is optional but highly recommended. Shipping details and deadlines will be provided upon portal registration. Please note that physical builds cannot be returned.
Submissions must include a stable, direct URL to the browser-based or HTML5 game. The game must be hosted and live on a credible, recognized web gaming portal or distribution platform (e.g., Itch.io, Poki, CrazyGames, Kongregate, etc.), and not solely hosted on a private or personal developer website. If the game is gated behind a premium subscription on these platforms, developers must provide at least five (5) active testing accounts/access keys for the jury. The link must remain active and unchanged throughout the entire judging period.
This category is open to games designed primarily for purposes other than pure entertainment – such as education, corporate training, healthcare, therapeutic use, cultural preservation, or social impact. These games can be consumer-facing or developed for institutional/B2B use, provided a working build or localised access method can be supplied to the jury.
Creators can either self-nominate or be nominated by the community via the online portal. Submissions must include:
The winner in this category is decided by audience/attendee voting. Further details will be provided.
Winners in most categories are determined through a rigorous evaluation by our esteemed jury of industry experts. The Popular Choice Award and Best Upcoming Gaming Streamer/Influencer are decided by audience/attendee voting. Further details regarding the judging and voting process will be provided closer to the event.
The India Game Awards ceremony will take place on October 28th, 2026 at the Chennai Trade Centre. Details on how to attend or watch the live stream will be announced closer to the event.
Yes. Given the close-knit nature of the game development community, jury members are permitted to enter their work. However, a strict conflict of interest protocol is enforced: any jury member associated with a submitted project will be strictly barred from judging or deliberating within that specific award category. They will have no access to scoring data or jury discussions for that specific category.
To maintain the high standards of the awards and ensure meaningful recognition, if there are fewer than 10 eligible entries in a competitive category, that category’s award will stand cancelled for the current year. This ensures every awarded category reflects significant competition and excellence.
The Special jury honours (Hall of Fame and Outstanding Woman in Games) are curated recognitions and are not subject to a minimum-entry threshold.
For any additional questions or assistance with your submission, please contact our awards support team at awards@indiagdc.com
