In celebration of our 5th Year Anniversary, DANGEN Entertainment is hosting a development grant program aimed at helping indie developers that are working on their dream projects. It’s been an exciting five years for us and we want to pay our success forward with a grand total of 50,000 USD on offer to some of the most interesting games the indie scene has to offer.
This grant is to help developers take the next steps for their indie game project. That project is most likely going to be at a stage where they have a playable build, but still need to make some progress before they can decide on the game’s long-term future.
Developers would not be obligated to publish with Dangen if they receive a grant reward, although we would ask for a Right of First Negotiation. This would allocate one month of time later in the project to discuss what a partnership could look like at a point where the developer is considering how their game will be released. If Dangen and the developer don't find common ground for a partnership, that's fine! The developer can then proceed with publishing in whatever way they would like.
These grants may help a development team reach a crucial milestone that is just slightly out of reach, or it might relieve some of the risk burden some developers take on to build a vertical slice useful for pitching or a Kickstarter. How the funds help will depend on the circumstances of the awarded teams. The process of working with us and receiving the funds may be helpful in its own right, because we take pride in giving helpful feedback without the stressful burden of expecting it to be implemented.
How will the grant be paid if my game succeeds?
Successful teams will receive fifty percent (50%) of the grant amount after being awarded, and will receive twenty-five percent (25%) after each of two builds has been delivered and approved by Dangen. Approval will be based upon whether or not the builds show that development has successfully executed on how the grants were planned to be used.
Will Dangen be showcasing winners in any way (e.g. website, social media, etc.)?
We would like to showcase winners through our website, newsletter, blog and on social media. Our hope is that this can further aid teams in need of visibility.
How do I know if my game is eligible?
We will be reviewing games with a playable build for PC, VR or console platforms and that are at a stage in development that has clear art direction, a micro gameplay loop at a minimum and ideally a clear macro gameplay loop implemented. Only developers without third party funding will be considered eligible. We are not reviewing web or mobile applications.
Will winners be expected to pay back the grant later?
Grant recipients will not be expected to pay the grant back in any way, even through royalties after release.
What is the submission deadline?
When will you be choosing winners?
How will you choose the grant recipients?
We will be evaluating each submission individually and choosing projects with a combination of unique artistic merit, commercial prospects and pragmatic production planning.
How do I submit?
Follow the link to the Google Form below and submit the required fields.