Submissions for the 2023 Cardboard Edison Award are closed!

Check the main award page for information on finalists!

Please read the following carefully before submitting your game!

Submissions must be received before 11:59 PM Eastern time on January 31, 2023.

Before submitting, designers must pay a $20 submission fee. However, our Patreon patrons made this award possible, so patrons of Cardboard Edison ($2 or more per month) will receive a coupon code for one free submission.

You may submit any number of games, but you must pay a separate submission fee for each. If you would like to apply for a waiver to the submission fee, email us at cardboardedison@gmail.com.

For each submission, you will need to include a brief description of the game, a video overview, and a rules document. You will also need to provide your name and contact information. Note: No download or login should be required to access the video or rules, so please make sure the materials' sharing setting are set accordingly.

Rules for the 2023 Cardboard Edison Award

By submitting your game to the award, you are agreeing to abide by the rules below.

Judging process:

Submissions will go through two rounds of judging.

First-round submissions will be judged based on engagement, originality of theme, and originality of mechanics. Finalists will additionally be judged based on engagement, smoothness of play, and fit for target audience.

Finalists will need to mail us a physical prototype for final in-person judging.

All submissions will receive pitch feedback from the judges. Finalists will receive full feedback from the judges.

One design will be chosen as the winner, at the judges' discretion. We may also name runners-up.

Restrictions:

To be eligible for the award, designs must not be publicly available through any retail, secondary, or print-on-demand market, including Kickstarter, before June 2023.

Designs may not be licensed to a publisher during the period of the award. Additionally, we ask that designers refrain from holding licensing discussions with publishers about any submitted design while it is being evaluated for the award.

Designers must be 18 years or older to enter.

Cardboard Edison Award judges are not eligible to enter.

Designs must be original works that do not infringe on any intellectual property.

Board, card, and dice games are eligible. Sorry, no RPGs or videogames.

Designs should be complete and playtested before being submitted. Prototypes do not need to have final artwork or graphics, but they should be clear and usable.

All designs remain the intellectual property of the designers.

After Submitting

We will send confirmation emails to all designers within 7 days of the submission to confirm receipt.

If your game has been chosen as a finalist, we will notify you by February 28, 2023.

Finalists must mail us a physical copy of the prototype for in-person judging. Prototypes must be received by April 17, 2023.

Ready to Submit?

Between Jan. 1 and Jan. 31, 2023, take the following steps in order:

Step 1:

Step 2:

Submit your game. (You will need to enter an order number or coupon code from Step 1.)

Questions?

See the FAQ on the main award page, or contact us at any of the social-media accounts below.