IPA Award

The « IPA Award Expert Game » awards the best boardgame project from the initial idea to its planned execution.

Every year, a jury of international publishers from the Independent Publisher Alliance reviews all the submitted project to reward the one they identify having the most potential in the boardgame industry.

How «IPA Award Expert Game» differs from conventional game awards?

It does not reward a final boardgame but a concept before its editing process, giving the creators the means to fund their project independently and to keep control over all the development.

This also enables IPA members to mentor contestants with their advice and improve the overall game experience through peers support.

The contesting concepts will be judged regarding the game experience, but also its marketing relevance for the market including target audience, production choices, price positionning, graphic universe, rulebook clarity, and game mechanics.

The publishers status of the Jury and selection committee enables each participant to get professional feedback on their project and their relevance to the market.

For 2025

the selected juries are


Chris Cieslik

Asmadi Games

Gary Dworetsky

Contention Games

Ben Harkins

Floodgate Games

David Harding

Grail Games

Travis Worthington

Indie Game Studio

AJ Lambeth

Kolossal Games

Arnaud Charpentier

Matagot Studio

Gordon Calleja & David Chircop

Mighty Board

Ryan Laukat

Red Raven

Prize

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This financial package will be paid back by the games sold on IPA booth at Essen and over IPA Game Shop Europe. This Prize is “No strings attached” : the Publisher can keep the extra money & sell the project to whoever they want next. In the event that the financial package cannot be repaid within 12 months of sales, the debt will be forgiven.

The winner will awarded a financing envelope up to $30.000 to finalize and produce its boardgame.
This envelope will be used to cover the publishing process :

Advance to Designer payment

$1K advance, 7% minimum royalties on revenue

Art payment

Graphic design payment

Production of 1000 EN copies Payment

Shipping to Essen Payment

Booth at Essen Payment

Sponsors

Each year, the Jury publishers sponsors the award by financing the prize. 2025 sponsors are : Matagot Studio, $30,000

You are creator or editor and you want to submit your project ?

To participate, your game concept should be original and not yet published on any market.

Your game will go through a pre-selection process which will identify 3 nominee anounced earch year by september.
In order to enable us to go through this process, your project submission should be done before end of may for a final prize revealed during Essen Spiele on october.

The boardgame concept submitted should include :

  • Final Rules
  • Final components definition
  • Production cost estimate
  • Sales Sheet (Price etc)
  • Designer Contract ready to be signed
  • Artist chosen ideally with a Contract / or Cost estimate
  • Instructions for the Artist to work

Do I need so tend a prototype?
No need, only on request for the final 3 nominees

submit your project award rulebook