Indie Arcade
The Indie Arcade is a section of MAGFest dedicated to independently-made arcade cabinets, alt-control games, and physical game installations. The games exhibited in the Indie Arcade range from standard releases created by small developers to one-of-a-kind experiences that only exist on that hardware.
Learn more about our 2024 games here!
See our growing archive of past events, and more of our past games on twitter @MAGIndieArcade
FAQ and Submissions
This FAQ is specific to the MAGFest Indie Arcade and its submission process. For general MAGFest information, please read http://super.magfest.org/faq/
Q: How do I submit my game to the Indie Arcade?
Submissions for 2024 are CLOSED! We’re still wrapping up 2024, but will update this page when submissions open for MAGFest 2025! Typically the submission form will be due around August, opening a month or two earlier. Fill out the form and we’ll be in touch.
Q: What is the deadline to submit my game?
We’re still wrapping up 2024, but will update this page when submissions open for MAGFest 2025! Typically the submission form will be due around August, opening a month or two earlier. If you’re concerned about having a submission fully ready, feel free to reach out to us and we’ll see how we can help <3
Q: IS THE INDIE ARCADE DIFFERENT FROM MIVS? IS THE INDIE ARCADE DIFFERENT FROM CLASSIC INDIE?
Yes! Several different indie departments exist at Super MAGFest, each catering to different needs, though we're all neighbors and frequent collaborators.
The Indie Arcade caters to physical installations and experimental experiences
MIVS is dedicated to showcasing modern indie games that one might find on Steam or a console
Indie Retro is the place for homebrew-brand new NES or Atari games
If your game meets the criteria for multiple departments, you are free to submit to all of them. Feel free to reach out to us if you need any clarification!
Q: What kind of games can I submit to the Indie Arcade?
If you made a game involving some kind of physical installation (arcade cabinet, alt-ctrl or custom controller, or some cool, weird thing we’ve never heard of), then it belongs in the Indie Arcade. It must be your own game (no MAME cabinets, please).
Although there are no specific content or genre restrictions, the MAGFest Indie Arcade reserves the right to reject any submission for any reason.
Q: What is the Indie Arcade selection process for submissions?
The Indie Arcade curation team reviews all submissions and selects participants based on what collection of games will make for the most diverse and interesting arcade experience. We are ultimately curating an arcade space, and the overall experience is more important than any individual game. In addition to unique and fun gameplay, we must consider space requirements on the arcade floor, genre distribution, equipment and transportation costs, and more. We aim to keep our exhibit generally family friendly and physically safe, so we might ask follow questions if we think your submission is pushing our content goals or potentially dangerous to play (though we’ll tell you we think your dangerous game is rad).
Q: Do I need to be able to attend in order to submit my game?
Yes - somebody from your team must be on-site all weekend, arriving on Wednesday Jan 20th or early Thursday Jan 21st to set up. The Indie Arcade staff will not be able to set up or monitor your machine for you. MAGFest is an intense stress-test for any custom machine, and we can almost guarantee from experience that something will go wrong with your game during the event. That is fine, but we will need you to be at the event to fix it.
The Indie Arcade is open to the public for the full 72 hour duration of MAGFest. Although we are never officially closed, devs are free to turn off their games overnight, or even remove them from the arcade floor. We do ask that participating devs make sure their games are up and running each morning, and that they keep the game running until the evening. Please consider if your game will be able to run for this long, or what you might need to do to test this.
Q: What do I need to bring with me?
Everything! This includes your game and all accessories, including monitors and speakers. The Indie Arcade will not be able to provide any equipment. We will be able to provide floor space and a power drop, whatever you need beyond that is what you should bring with you. We highly recommend you bring extra extension cords and that you label all of your equipment before you arrive.
We also ask that devs prepare brief instructions on how to reset their game so that Indie Arcade staff can troubleshoot if we notice that it is down. This is not a substitute for your attendance and maintenance.
Q: Will there be a safe space to store equipment?
Wherever you are staying is ultimately the best place to store any equipment or belongings that you do not feel comfortable leaving on the arcade floor. We do not have any secure area and cannot take responsibility for any of your supplies or equipment. Many devs feel comfortable leaving their installation up for the entire duration of the event, but if you do not want to leave something unattended, you will need to figure out a way to take those items with you each night.
Q: My arcade machine is my baby! Will it be safe?
In our experience, MAGFest attendees are respectful. You will get enthusiastic players for a full weekend, so your machine will get more wear and tear than it may be used to, but we have had a good track record for game survival. However, by displaying your game in the Indie Arcade, you are accepting a certain amount of risk. If you have concerns, the safest approach is to stay close to your machine for the whole weekend and to shut it down at night. MAGFest and the MAGFest Indie Arcade are not responsible for any damage that occurs.
Q: What do I get if I am accepted as an exhibitor in the Indie Arcade?
The Indie Arcade will provide your team:
2 event badges for the entirety of Super MAGFest!
A guaranteed reserved room in the Gaylord hotel block, that you will be able to purchase out of pocket. We’ll also help you coordinate with other devs to help with transportation costs.
Q: I want to show my game but I can’t afford to get it to MAGFest. Help!
We have a limited budget to help devs bring their project to MAGFest, as we do not want to exclude devs with an amazing game but less funds. The curation team determines how to spend this budget during the curation process, so please note what your requirements are when you submit your game.
Q: Can I sell merch?
Absolutely! Just let us know before the event, as you will be required to fill out some paperwork.
Q: I have some other questions...
Email us at indiearcade@magfest.org, we’re happy to chat :)
Q: How do I prove that I’ve read the faq?
The secret word is “Turtle”.