submissions are now open and will close on 29th November 2020

Our goal is to bring together a selection of the finest games produced in New Zealand and Australia - one of which is probably yours! So if you're a Kiwi or an Aussie and have a board game, card game, videogame, alt ctrl game, or any other kind of game that you're proud of, then please let us know about it!

We've assembled a team of judges from various parts of the industry that will be playing each game and forming a pool of finalists. Each finalist game will be featured at the NZ Games Festival exhibition and be eligible for one of our coveted Pav Awards.

Please don't be too Kiwi about it and think your game isn't big enough or good enough - over the last few years we've had some real gems of games come in all sizes.

how to submit

  1. Please read the Eligibility, Rules, and User Agreement
  2. Add all information to the forms below
  3. On November 29th all information and all submissions are final, please make sure all links are valid until April 24th 2021.
  4. Please double check that the information is correct and all links work

Please see Pav Awards Transparency and Process Page for the Pav Awards information and schedule.

so what are you waiting for?

Go ahead and submit your game for The Pav Awards below!

    personal information

    Contact's Name (required)

    Email Address (required)

    Twitter Handle

    Pronouns (required)
    So we can refer to you on your terms, please let us know what pronouns you prefer. For example, they/them, he/him, or she/her.

    game information

    All information below will be provided to the Judges and Jury to help them review the submissions.

    Game Name (required)

    Game Genre

    Studio, team, or dev name (required)

    Release date or estimated release date (required)
    Must be between January 2020 and January 2022.

    Country of Origin (required)
    This game is made in New Zealand, Australia, or has significant contributions from people that identify as New Zealanders.
    New ZealandAustraliaOther - please see below

    Other Country
    If you chose a country other than New Zealand or Australia above, please tell us how you feel this game eligible for the Pav Awards? See Rules & Eligibility.

    300 characters remaining.

    submission information

    Link to your game (required)
    A download link (eg. Dropbox, Google Drive, itch.io, etc) Testflight Public Invitation Link
    For physical games, please let us know how many copies are available for the judges and where they are located. Please contact pavs@nzgamesfest.com for a mailing address.

    300 characters remaining.

    Game keys
    Please provide a minimum of 15 game keys, these are for Testing, Judges, Jury, and Exhibition if applicable.

    300 characters remaining.

    How do we access your game? (required)
    Please include any special instructions.

    300 characters remaining.

    This game is available on these platforms (required)
    PCMaciPhone/iPadAndroidNintendo SwitchPlaystation 4Playstation 5Xbox OneXbox Series S/XBrowserHTC Vive (VR)Oculus Rift (VR)Google Daydream (VR)Magic LeapPhysicalOther - see below

    Other platforms
    Please list any other platforms not mentioned above that your game is available on.

    Does this game contain any explicit content? (Language, violence, sex, drugs) (required)

    300 characters remaining.

    Submission Imagery Link (required)
    Please include any imagery we can use to promote the game should it be chosen as a finalist or featured at the exhibition. At minimum, we need a promotional image that is 1920px wide by 1080px high or larger – but our media team will thank you for supplying multiple image options! We recommend splash art or screenshots; images of the game logo alone get low engagement on social media.

    300 characters remaining.

    Additional Game Media Link
    Please include any trailers or footage we can use for finalist reels should your game be chosen (1080p resolution or higher), and if applicable, any how-to-play video links you may have to help the judging process

    500 characters remaining.

    exhibition information

    If you would like your game to be considered for inclusion in the Level Up Exhibition please fill out the following information. You will be contacted in advance if your game is selected, and will have the opportunity to supply an exhibition build (no later than February). This build must have a time-out function that returns the game to the start menu if it is idle for ~5 minutes.

    Bio for the Studio, team, or dev

    300 characters remaining.

    Setup instructions
    Are there any special setup needs for your game?

    500 characters remaining.

    What is your game synopsis?
    A short & snappy teaser that will make someone want to try your game on the spot at the exhibition.

    350 characters remaining.

    What is the objective of your game?
    What you'd tell a total newbie to your game to try and do when they first pick up the game, rather than the overarching plot objective – e.g. "make it to the end of the level while grabbing as many coins as possible".
    300 characters remaining.

    What are the controls for your game?
    This is compulsory for exhibition submissions; control instructions are the most commonly requested exhibition feedback we receive.

    300 characters remaining.

    What is your game’s mood?
    e.g. upbeat, reflective, wholesome, powerful, party-fun, mysterious, puzzling, etc. This information is used to help make exhibition curation decisions.

    What hardware does your game require?

    300 characters remaining.

    How many players is your game?

    Takeaways
    Are there any takeaways (e.g. brochures, business cards, stickers, etc) you would like to supply for your game? If so, what kind of takeaways are you supplying?

    500 characters remaining.