Q1: lf my work has been shown in other public occasions (such as a board game exhibition), can l submit it?

A: The submissions must be original works by the participating designers, which do not infringe any intellectual property rights of others, have not participated in other competitions, and have not been published.

Q2: After submission, do l still have an opportunity to amend my submission?

A: You may amend or add on to your game content as long as they are submitted before the deadline. it is important to pay attention to the deadlines.

Q3: Which aspects of the submission are being considered in the preliminaries and which are considered in the semi-finals?

A: In the preliminaries, the competition committee checks if the work meets the requirements of the competition, things like if the design is original or appeared elsewhere, whether it contains sensitive content, and more. Following that, the submission goes into the review phase and are screened primarily by reviewing the contents of the rulebook. In the semi-finals, the game will be evaluated through actual tests, including strategic, interactivity, replay ability, substitution, balance, difficulty, operability and fluency, and whether the submission has any unique selling points. Finally, the finalists are selected according to the various factors that makes up the entirety of the submission.

Q4: When my submission is in review and the reviewing committee has a question, will they contact me?

A: Explanation of the game rules is part of the criteria for evaluation. To ensure that evaluation is being carried out in all equal fairness, we will not contact any designers about the rules. If there are concerns that explanation in text may not be clear, we recommend that you use the pictures, diagrams or specific examples. Additionally, you may submit supplemental materials such as videos to assist with the explanation. And of course, a TTS mod would be very helpful. However, please ensure that the materials submitted are relevant, and are submitted before the deadlines.

Q5: After the submission, how is the copyright of the work handled for winning and non-winning submissions?

A: During this competition, Yoka Games has priority for commercial cooperation with all submissions with the exception on submissions that failed to enter the semi-finals, the licenses of these submissions are at the designers’ disposal after the results of the semi-finals have been announced. For all other submissions, Yoka Games maintains the rights of first refusal for a period of 1 month after the end of this competition, thereafter, the licenses of these submissions will be at the designers’ disposal.
For specific cooperation matters, Yoka Games and the designers of the entries will separately negotiate and sign a cooperation agreement; if the participating designers and Yoka Games do not reach an agreement more than 1 month after the end of this competition, or if Yoka Games clearly notifies the participating designers in writing that they waive their rights, the designer can handle it on his own regardless of whether he wins or not.

Q6: What if I want my prototype back when the competition is over?

A: The competition committee will not take the initiative to return the submissions, if you wish to have your prototype sent back, you will need to contact Yoka Games with your mailing address and your phone number. The competition committee will send your submission to the address that you have specified.

Q7: Is original art required for the submission, or may placeholder art borrowed from online sources be used? (As previously asked by Bruce Nettleton on BoardGameGeek)

A: While borrowed graphics are permitted, we will require each participant to state the source of the borrowed pictorials or images. Having said that, we strongly encourage participants to go for submissions containing their own original artwork, this will contribute towards the level of completion in the submission which is a medium level factor for the WODC committee to consider. Gameplay is the most important factor that the committee will rate, even with borrowed graphics (please attach source acknowledgment). In the event where the gameplay mechanics are rated similarly in terms of points in the contest, the committee will look into the level of completeness (including artwork). If the organizing committee decides to sign the project to bring it commercial, we will definitely invest quality artwork for the game, such an example is illustrated in the transformation from the silver prize winner’s Shan Hai Jing to Drifting Lands.

Q8: About the meet up...

A: The organizer will invite participating designers who have been shortlisted for review, as well as well-known domestic designers, artists, entrepreneurs, media and other diverse and professional people to communicate and evaluate the works that have been shortlisted offline. Offline communication activities will be held no less than twice during the semi-finals. Specific arrangements such as time, location, and process will be subject to corresponding written notices on the official website and emails. For designers who are unable to participate in the offline exchange meeting, the organizer will assign dedicated personnel to display and share the relevant submissions, and provide feedback in the form of written or video suggestions. After the offline exchange meeting, the shortlisted designers may make final modifications to their works, and submit their works again before the designated deadline as required by the competition as final review materials; if the submissions are not resubmitted, the submission will be used as final review materials. If there are 2 or more meet-ups during the contest, they will be hold in different cities in China.

Q9: If I do not attend the meet ups, would it affect my participation in the competition?

A: No, the meet up is run on a purely voluntary basis. If you do not attend the meet up, we would also provide the feedback from the WODC committee, but your submission would be introduced by our staffs. Besides, if you do not want your submission to be used at the offline activity, please let us know after you got our email notification.

Q10: How to use the official forum? What should I do on the forum?

A: Our forum is free to register. You may view and send comment to other submissions, and also can communicate with other designers and players about board game or board game design here. But if you join our contest and submit your game, and to register and login with your email address which you have written in your entry form is welcome.