SUBMIT YOUR GAME & PLAYFUL MEDIA WORK / REGISTER FOR SELECTION COMMITTEE
Since 2012 A MAZE. awards The Most Amazing works. The winner is selected by an interdisciplinary, international and 100% independent jury. We extended and changed awards in the many years since, our categories are now: “Most Amazing Award”, “Human Human Machine Award”, “Long Feature Award”, “Digital Moment Award”, “Explorer Award” and “Audience Award” as well as the "WINGS Award" and the new "XR-History Award".
A MAZE. is looking for works pushing the medium of playful arts - fully finished works, demos, experiments, interactive performances, installations, alternative controllers, immersive theater or prototypes are welcomed! 🎟️ Submissions are 50€ (35€ early bird until end of 2025) or pay what you want between 0 and 40€ with the help of the Supporter Tickets.
Every submission gets you:
- review by the selection committee and A MAZE curation
- feedback with scores and optional written notes
- possible live let's plays by streamers (if you give permission)
- listing on our website
- get on the A MAZE radar for talks, program points or future collaborations
- early access to the Open Screens registration (timed slots in the exhibition)
- 3 discount codes for the festival tickets (price of early bird, no matter when you submit).
Each nominee and honorable mentions will receive news buzz and a spot in our onsite exhibition - Travel and building up booths is optional! Besides winning one of the Awards with their attached 1000€ price money (2000€ for the main price, WINGS Award and the XR-History Award), every exhibited work at the festival has the chance to additionally win the Audience Award.
Nominees for the new XR-History Award will also receive travel and accommodation for free and take part in a panel discussion!
CHECK OUT LAST YEARS
NOMINEES, WINNERS and the HISTORY
Artists can register an A MAZE. account to submit their work (automatically for all award categories, submission-fee 0-30€/€35/50€ per Entry - Early Bird ending Dec 31) between December 16, 2025, and February 1, 2026. We support community tickets (pay more so others can take part too or use up to three Supporter Ticket Boosters for yourself). Check the Conditions of Participation.
Applicants for the Selection Committee register an A MAZE. account and apply for their Committee membership for the current year in that account to test Submitted Works between January 12, 2025, and February 22, 2025. (Submitters can do this too! You will not be matched to your own works and can refrain from works you feel to close to). Reviewing 5 or more entries will allow members of the Selection Committee to get a 25% discount at the festival tickets or the merch shop.
Register an A MAZE. account
IT'S ALL ABOUT COMMUNITY
Join the A MAZE. Discord, where we invite anyone to showcase their works to our international playful media and arthouse games community. Hold livestreams, get feedback, discuss current topics or be part of the open playtests if you become a member of the selection committee. A MAZE. is all year around!
A MAZE. Discord
TIMELINE
Dec 16: Start of Submissions and Jury-Registration
Jan 12: Judging starts
Feb 01: Submission Deadline
Feb 22: Judging ends
Mar 09: Announcement Nominees
May 13: A MAZE. / Berlin starts online and onsite
May 15: Award ceremony
How we review
The international Selection Committee reviews all entries and rates them based on innovation, potential, interdisciplinarity, social/cultural/political impact, aesthetics and overall awesomeness. They also leave comments and suggest a category. The A MAZE. / Berlin team builds upon that and selects the nominees. After the nominee selection, a final jury of 5 experts, including the winner of the previous year, has the honor to select the winners. Nominees and winners for the WINGS and the XR-History award are selected by WINGS and the Körber-Stiftung.
If you just want to showcase your work for a few hours - Please apply for the open screens around one month before the festival, post your work in our A MAZE. Discord or become part of the A MAZE. Bazaar - the only and first international market for arthouse games, independent games and playful media productions which gives authors and digital artists the opportunity to meet with publishers, funding institutions, art institutions and collaborators. Submissions and Honorable Mentions in the Award Contest will be notified and preferred.
Have a look at the last years editions:
2025 Recordings of Talks and Shows Weird Games Manifesto by Zeph & Ramo
If you have any questions, please contact us at award_at_a-maze.net.
More about A MAZE. / Berlin 2026
Festival-Tickets available here
Organized by A MAZE.
Check out the 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 editions!