Fantastic Arcade Open Call 2024

Opportunity Info

Name	Fantastic Arcade: Fun Size Edition! - Call for Submissions
Application Opens	Aug 13, 2024
Deadline	Sep 8, 2024
Type	Residency · Open Call · Educational
Compensation	Other (Other)
Link	Application Form

Submit your application here!

Intro

Bring us your game submissions and pitches for talks! Our much-awaited return with Fantastic Arcade: Fun Size Edition! on October 26th, 2024 could include you as part of the line up. Show us what you’ve got! We’re also thrilled to pair with CATS+ (Collaborative Art + Technology Situation) to offer stipends and mentor support to 3 artists, solo devs, or small teams. Send in your submissions by Sept 8th.

Fantastic Arcade is a celebration of international indie and cult video games. Fantastic Arcade: Fun Size Edition! is a one-day event that showcases a selection of groundbreaking talks and independent games, curated by Games Y’all and produced by The Museum of Human Achievement (MoHA). CATS+ is a program at MoHA that encourages thoughtful, critical, and creative engagement with technology.

Timeline

Sept 8 - Submission deadline - application closes at 11:59pm central time
Sept 17 - Applicants notified of acceptance status
Sept 24 - Deadline for accepted presenters to confirm attendance
Oct 26 - Event date, developers arrive for set up 1 hour before event starts

Submit a Game

About

We expect to feature playable versions of at least 6 games. Priority will be given to games based on their adherence to our mission statement (unique and underrepresented) and release state (unannounced games will be given the highest priority, released games the lowest).

Those seeking mentorship, peer support, and a stipend, should check the “Fantastic Arcade x CATS+ Residency” box on their application. Especially early stage games or unique projects that won’t have a traditional release from devs or teams that are BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, Disabled, women, and/or gender nonbinary.

Eligibility

• Games must be in a playable state by submission and a demo must be in a presentable state by the event.
• You or someone representing your game must be able to present in person in Austin, TX on October 26th.
• Developers will set up and tear down their own spaces, and will provide their own equipment unless otherwise stated at submission. Needing to borrow equipment does not affect a project's consideration status.

Apply to Show a Game

Select “Showing a Game” on the submission form. We ask for a bio, links to your site/socials, a description of your game, why this is the right time/event to show it, content warnings, technical requirements, and a link to a playable file (or playthrough documentation for projects that require special hardware or extra context).

Submit a Talk

About

We expect to feature a variety of short talks and panel discussions for an audience of indie devs, media artists, and fans. We’re looking for informative, supportive, inspiring, unexpected, exciting, or something you wouldn't see at a typical game conference.

Eligibility

• You and any panelists (if applicable) must be able to present in person in Austin, TX on October 26th.

Apply to Give a Talk

Select “Giving a Talk” on the submission form. We ask for a bio, links to your site/socials, a description of your talk including potential panelists (if applicable), what you hope people will get out of the talk, why this is the right time/event.

Apply for Fantastic Arcade x CATS+ Residency support

About

Seeking unannounced or unusual games. CATS+ (Collaborative Art + Technology Situation) is pairing with Fantastic Arcade to support 3 solo devs, small teams, or game-adjacent media artists for a one-month virtual residency. We’ll provide a $700 stipend, community, and mentor support to show your game and speak on a panel about the creative process at Fantastic Arcade: Fun Size Edition! on Oct 26, 2024.

We are especially looking to support folks who haven't had an opportunity like this before, have experienced barriers to games or media art industry (due to discrimination, financial constraints, geographic location, or otherwise), and/or are BIPOC, disabled, LGBTQIA+, women, and/or non-binary.

Open to any type of game, especially experimental and alt formats, games-as-art, games with an activist, poetic, aesthetic, or hacked/modded focus, and interactive projects that don’t quite fit the “games” mold. Submissions should be in a playable state and a demo should be presentable by the event. Priority for unannounced games, creative projects that haven’t been shown yet, and unusual formats that won’t have a typical release, but we will consider games in any stage of development.

Eligibility

• For individual artists, solo devs, and small teams (of up to 5).
• Must be able to travel to Austin for the Oct 26, 2024 event.
• Must be 18 years of age or older.
• You can apply from anywhere, but local entries are especially encouraged.

In line with our mission, we strongly encourage submissions from those who have experienced barriers in the games or media art industries, and individuals/teams who are BIPOC, disabled, LGBTQIA+, women, and/or non-binary.

We provide

• A platform to present your work at Fantastic Arcade: Fun Size Edition 2024
• $700 stipend (to use however on whatever)
• Virtual and in-person hangouts with the other selected residents
• Access to mentor support from our creative network
• Access to the MoHA IRL work studio and equipment for local devs

Apply for the Residency

Select “CATS+ Residency” on the submission form. This is the same application as “Showing a Game” plus an extra question: Why are you interested in the Fantastic Arcade x CATS+ Residency? How would the program benefit you?

Apply to write an article

$50 support for articles by game devs teaching some aspect of their process to be published on moha.wiki. We're looking for behind-the-scenes looks into your inspiration and process, and technical/practical walkthroughs that also capture the unexpected, quirky nature of development practices that you wouldn't find in a regular old tutorial.

To apply, check the “I’d write an article” box on your Game or Talk application.

About

Fantastic Arcade is funded with support from Mighty Coconut and Devolver Digital, and upcoming additional sponsors. The Fantastic Arcade x CATS+ Residency is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts and the City of Austin’s Grant for Technology Opportunities Program.

Fantastic Arcade is a celebration of international indie and cult video games, supported by The Museum of Human Achievement, in Austin Texas. Over the last 14 years we’ve: featured 650+ games from around the world, hosted 111+ monthly events, commissioned 20+ original games, produced 100+ talks and game jams, and developed an active community of developers, fans, and friends. Fantastic Arcade: Fun Size Edition! is a one-day event that showcases a curated selection of groundbreaking talks and independent games.

Games Y'all is a monthly event held at venues around Austin for indie devs, digital artists, and games fans. Games Y'all celebrates, amplifies, and supports the unique and underrepresented within indie games and beyond.

CATS+ (Collaborative Art + Technology Situation) is a program at The Museum of Human Achievement that encourages thoughtful, critical, and creative engagement with technology. We host residencies, collaborations, artist-led workshops, hangouts, public showcases, and a wiki to remove the mystery from tech and make magic together. CATS+ creates access for underrepresented and under-resourced artists to critically incorporate technology and digital media into their practices through mentorship, tool access, skill-building workshops, and community. It offers technologists the opportunity to share knowledge and explore artistic, cultural frameworks.

FAQs

If I can’t attend in person, can I still submit?
We do not have the capacity to do remote talks or show unattended games. That said, we intend for talks to be streamed so folks can join in at home. Please consider submitting to Games Y'all instead.

More Ways to Participate

• Volunteer
• Apply to join the Committee
• Attend the Event
• Submit to Games Y’all - rolling open call for monthly showcases

Contact

Please reach out with any questions.

Fantastic Arcade, Games or Talk submission - games@themuseumofhumanachievement.com
Fantastic Arcade x CATS+ Residency - rachel@themuseumofhumanachievement.com