'INDIE GAMES MÁLAGA' CLOSES THE REGISTRATION PERIOD WITH 135 VIDEO GAMES AND MORE THAN 23% INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPATION
'Indie Games Málaga' 2023 has closed this week the registration period for the fifth edition of its video game competition with the participation of 135 projects from independent developers and emerging studios. The event, promoted by the Malaga City Council through the National Digital Content Pole, located in Tabacalera, has registered an increase in international participation, close to 24% this year compared to 13% in the previous edition.
In this sense, the organization has included in the call the category 'Best Indie Video Game from Guest Country: Colombia', which has received 17 nominations, to which we must add projects from other Latin American countries such as Brazil, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Chile, Mexico or Argentina, as well as European territories such as the United Kingdom and France.
In its national dimension, Andalusia leads the candidates for this edition with video games coming mainly from Malaga and Seville, but also from Almería, Granada, Córdoba and Huelva. Along these same lines, Indie Games 2023 has reached reference provinces in the 'gamer' sector such as Madrid, Barcelona, Alicante, A Coruña or Bilbao, in addition to other emerging territories such as Murcia, Valencia, Ciudad Real, Zaragoza, Tarragona, Castellón , Valladolid, Santander or León.
By categories, up to 89 projects have been submitted for PC/console and 41 for best narrative video game, which was another of this year's novelties. They are followed by 36 entries in the 'Best mobile video game' section, 17 in 'Best accessible video game' and 6 in the 'XR/Tech' section, which added to the 17 registered in 'Guest Country' make a total of 206 candidates.
In addition, the 'Best Indie Games Málaga 2023 Video Game' will be chosen from among all these projects.
PRIZES AND PHASES
In the 2023 edition, the 'Indie Games Málaga' has a financial prize of 4.000 euros for the winner of each category with the exception of the 'Best video game from a guest country: Colombia' category, which awards a prize of 2.000 euros. In addition, an additional 2.000 euros will be awarded to the 'Best indie video game', which will be selected from among the six winners.
Once the deadline for submitting candidatures has closed, the Polo Academy now begins the selection of 30 finalists - five per category - for this fifth edition, who will compete for the awards that will be announced at the final gala on November 10. at FYCMA.
PROFESSIONAL EVENTS
New this year, the fifth edition of the awards has a calendar of three events that include two professional days prior to the awards gala that will take place on November 10 at FYCMA (Palacio de Ferias y Congresos de Málaga).
In this way, last Friday, July 28, the Polo hosted the celebration of the 'Indie Games Network Entrepreneurship Zone' conference, which had more than 100 attendees around presentations and round tables by prominent figures in the industry. Similarly, next September 29, the “Indie Games Network Investment Zone” will also take place at the National Digital Content Pole, which will feature leading actors in the video game sector. At this event, the finalist video games of this fifth edition will also be announced.
Indie Games Málaga is organized by the Málaga City Council through the National Digital Content Pole and FYCMA (Palacio de Ferias y Congresos de Málaga). The event is funded by the European Union-Next Generation EU and the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan; and supported by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism and EOI, within the Spain Up Nation strategy.
Planeta Fabrik Ventures is an Adamantium partner, while Fundación Once is a Platinum partner. Gold partners are Odderslab, Viva Games, Escuela Superior Videojuegos y Arte Digital (EVAD), Cooking & Publishing, Ubikuum and Ministry of Culture. The University of Málaga (UMA), Giants Gaming, Brantor, the Spanish Video Game Association (AEVI), the Spanish Association of Video Game and Entertainment Software Producers and Developers (DEV), Málaga Jam, Gaymer, Gamers On and New Gaming They act as Silver partners. Vertical-i collaborates. For their part, Málaga Hoy and Vandal are media partners and Cervezas Victoria is Party partners.
