Get your games in now!
The submission deadline for the Melbourne Queer Games Festival 2021 (MQGF) has been extended into August, its organisers today confirmed with Stevivor.
Originally set for 23 July, developers now have until 6 August to submit their LGBTIQ games.
Submissions so far
Organiser Luke Miller told Stevivor that he’s been pleased with the quality and quantity of titles submitted thus far, and in previous years.
“[MQGF is] truly international with games from places such as Ireland, Japan, USA, Australia [and] Turkey,” Miller said. “Most of the games are playable right now, often for free and in a browser. People can get their hands on the games and experience [them] for themselves.”
Festival organisers are also “really proud of the number of student games we receive, especially from around Australia,” but always hungry for more, of course.
MQGF’s importance
Miller also explained how important the festival can be to the future of development or to players themselves.
“Queer games have a large proportion… that are autobiographical, have contemporary settings, post-humanism and mechanics that don’t involve shooting. These are potentially the future trends for mainstream gaming,” he explained. “At first glance the games may appear small but really there is a maturity and adultness behind them that belies their sometimes rough presentation.”
Previously shortlisted queer titles showcased by the festival include the likes of Curtis Campion’s Newfound Courage, Tom Hosford’s Family Dinner, Monster Mansion’s Human Rights and many more.
“It’s a different kind of game scene,” Miller said. “It’s alternative and remincisnent of the punk scene or the zine scene. If you are new to games or bored with games you may really like the festival.”
You can look at 2020’s games here, 2019’s games here and 2018’s gamers here.
Returning programs
Now in its fourth year, the MQGF will bring back a popular program called “Bring It Back,” which according to Miller puts “the spotlight on an older queer game that changed the scene in a small way.”
Previously, the MQGF highlighted Lesbian Spider-Queens of Mars, a game developed by Anna Anthropy for Adult Swim Games.
The festival will also offer up a $500 USD grant as part of its Emerging Developer Award, a slight re-tool of 2020’s New Developer Award.
“It’s called ‘Emerging’ instead of ‘New’ because you can be aged 90 and have released 20 games and still be eligible,” Miller confirmed.
2020’s New Developer Award was shared by developers Tiffany and Sean for their title, Dear Gregorie, Dear Accordio.
How to submit your game
Submission is a free process; developers can head here to do so.
The Melbourne Queer Games Festival 2021 will be held in October. We’ll keep you informed as more information becomes available. For more on this year’s festival, you can head to its official website.
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